Economic-development incentives deals could be reviewed more stringently by additional City departments, according to a suggestion from a compliance task force charged with improving City oversight of such deals.
Incentives deals negotiated by the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission and successor agencies would be reviewed by another City department, such as the Finance Department.
Bill Scheu, chairman of Mayor Alvin Brown’s Economic Development Compliance Task Force, said Monday that Brown’s administration and the Office of General Counsel have approved the suggestion.
The idea is one of several that the compliance task force is expected to offer in the wake of a critical City audit of JEDC incentives deals.
Task force members have been meeting since early February and intend to meet twice more before reporting their findings to Brown. The next meeting is April 16.
The task force is working from a five-part template that covers the initial audit, JEDC’s culture and structure, the transactional relationships and City negotiators’ teamwork, the foundation of the contracts and the monitoring structure outside the JEDC.
Discussions include creation of a compliance officer within the executive branch; contract negotiations, strategies and foundations; compliance and timing requirements; and other recommendations.
Since the task force’s March 20 meeting, Brown announced legislation to revamp the City’s economic development structure, including creation of an Office of Economic Development and a Downtown Investment Authority.
Scheu said recommendations would not be specific to those organizations. Instead, they would be overall compliance suggestions.
356-2466