Mayor Alvin Brown’s proposed 10-15 percent in government cuts is estimated at $76 million, including $32 million from the budget of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
That was news to JSO, which did not immediately comment.
“As of this time no one from the mayor’s office has discussed any proposal about the FY13 budget or proposed government reorganization with the sheriff. Therefore, we are not able to comment or respond,” said a statement by Lauri-Ellen Smith, special assistant to Sheriff John Rutherford.
She issued the statement early Tuesday afternoon after a morning City Council workshop about Brown’s proposed government reorganization.
Administration officials presented the $76 million estimate to Council Tuesday during a reform workshop attended by the majority of Council members.
The estimate consists of $31 million from the executive branch, a little more than $32 million from the sheriff’s office, $4 million from constitutional offices and more than $7 million in internal service funds.
Kevin Hyde, Brown’s chief administrative officer, told Council members that many of the cuts can be achieved by the City’s performance with delivering services.
Brown’s proposal is considered the first phase of his reorganization. Hyde said that phase will position the City for making decisions on the cuts and on service levels.
“There will be difficult choices that will have to be made,” Hyde told Council members.
Those choices could include layoffs after department savings and consolidations are completed, he said.
Council Finance Committee Chairman Richard Clark was skeptical of major cuts. The committee spent much of August analyzing Brown’s initial budget for savings, which were difficult to find.
“It’s very difficult right now to see where we are going to come up with 10-15 percent,” said Clark. “If the purpose is to get to that point, this is going to impact a tremendous amount of people.”
During the committee’s budget review process, Council member Warren Jones opposed drastic cuts to public safety.
On Tuesday, he questioned how the sheriff’s office could find $32 million to cut.
Following the meeting, Council President Stephen Joost said he was surprised at the estimated cuts to the sheriff’s budget.
“They’ve never been that aggressively cut before,” Joost said.
During the workshop, Council members asked questions and commented about the plan.
Joost and Council Vice President Bill Bishop both said they believed the economic development commissioner, a yet-to-be-named official who will report to the mayor and lead economic development efforts, should be confirmed by Council.
Joost said that the person’s added functions, including planning and development and public-private partnerships, should warrant Council consideration of the person hired.
Bishop also questioned why the reorganization moves planning and development to economic development. The question also came up in a meeting Monday of a study reform group that consists primarily of high-level experienced officials in past administrations.
Bishop said having the function within economic development could leave the impression that the City is “in the hands of developers” and send the wrong message about how the City operates. Bishop said he was uncomfortable with that.
Hyde said the inclusion of planning and development within economic development was debated within the administration and is not meant to bypass oversight but instead to promote economic development.
“In these times, everyone needs to be thinking about promotion of economic development,” said Hyde.
Council member Johnny Gaffney said he was concerned that the proposed government outsourcing and privatization would take jobs from the area. He asked if there will be a local preference for such jobs.
Hyde said the mayor’s preference would be to hire locally. He said the issue could be debated in the second phase of the reorganization once the structural phase is complete.
“This is something that will have a great influence on how I vote,” Gaffney said.
Joost said he was glad the administration provided an estimated budget cut.
Brown wants the Council to approve the reform legislation in December. Joost said more Council workshops could be scheduled at the discretion of Council members.
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