by David Chapman
Staff Writer
City Council President Jack Webb said Wednesday he is drafting legislation that would suspend concurrency, at least temporarily, in an effort to stimulate economic growth.
Webb, in a speech to the Southside Business Men’s Club, said relaxing concurrency regulations would “let business do business” and create growth during slow economic times.
“If you have no growth to manage, you have to step out of the way and let it grow,” said Webb.
Concurrency is the set of land use regulations that local governments in Florida are required to adopt to ensure that new development does not outstrip local government’s ability to handle it.
To meet such requirements, local government must have enough infrastructure capacity, such as roads, stormwater, parks, solid waste, water, sewer and mass transit facilities, to serve each proposed development.
Webb said he is working on the language of a bill and plans to introduce it in City Council over the next few weeks.
He said he expects some pushback from such a measure, but that the issue will be vetted and the public will have an opportunity to speak on the topic.
Webb’s council presidency ends June 30. He reflected on his term, especially balancing the budget with revenue shortfalls.
He told the 60 club members that one of the more contentious issues surrounding the budget involves pension negotiations with unions.
His goal in balancing last year’s budget was to work with, instead of against, the mayor’s office on a solution, he said.
On the pension issue, Webb said he is optimistic about pension negotiations being resolved and said there is possibly “good news coming.”
Among other comments:
• As a new mayor is elected May 17, Webb said he believes “great things are on the horizon.” He expects the City will have one more year of declining property values before conditions turn in the next fiscal year. He said stabilized and rising values would positively affect the City budget through more property tax revenue.
• Webb strongly believes the ad valorem tax system is “an absolute mess.” He said that while it might have worked 40 years ago, conditions have changed. Webb discussed a general consumption sales tax that would apply to purchases in Duval County, meaning that people who live in other counties but work in Jacksonville would pay a larger share of taxes in Duval. He said the measure would need approval on the state level and a local bill could be drafted.
• To tackle the budget in advance of the next mayor and City Council taking office July 1, Webb talked about the ad hoc committee he called to review savings for the fiscal 2011-12 City budget. The three members are council Vice President Stephen Joost, Finance Committee Chair Warren Jones and council member Bill Bishop. The ad hoc committee met for the first time last week and is seeking ways to close the gap on the anticipated $60 million budget deficit.
• When asked what the City can do to become more business friendly, Webb said he would adjust the JEA energy payment structure for manufacturing companies, which he said is currently a disincentive for them. “Other than that, Jacksonville is open for business,” he said.
Webb is facing a runoff in the May 17 general election for his council District 6 seat. He received 45 percent of the vote in the March 22 first election, followed by Matt Schellenberg’s 30 percent and Greg Youngblood’s 25 percent. Webb faces Schellenberg in the election.
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