City Council continued it review of Mayor Alvin Brown’s proposed economic reform legislation Wednesday and a joint committee voted to take the authority to confirm the head of his proposed Economic Development Office.
One of the two reform ordinances would establish the economic development office and also create a Downtown Investment Authority. The other would speed up the time it takes for Council to approve economic incentives deals.
It was the first meeting, but not the last. The committees spent the two hours discussing the first few pages of a seven-page list of recommendations and questions from the Council Auditor’s Office about the legislation.
“I knew it was going to be slow, but not that slow,” said Council member Bill Bishop, Rules Committee chairman. He is leading the joint meetings.
“I am not surprised, but I was hoping it would go faster,” he said.
Of the more than 70 recommendations, the committee discussed nine and took action on several technical amendments.
Much of the discussion involved the proposed responsibilities of the economic development office over City facilities, including the Arena, EverBank Field and the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
The joint committee will meet weekly at 5 p.m. each Wednesday until it completes its review, which Bishop said should be before the budget must be approved by Sept. 30.
Brown announced the legislation March 27, proposing the first major reform of the City’s economic development structure in 15 years.
It repeals the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission and moves countywide efforts into a mayor’s Office of Economic Development.
It also creates a nine-member Downtown Investment Authority to focus on Downtown projects.
The Office of Economic Development would be led by an “economic development officer” appointed by the mayor. The Council committees voted Wednesday to take the authority to approve that appointment.
In addition to the joint Rules and Finance committees, a three-member subcommittee of the Council Recreation, Community Development, Public Health and Safety Committee also is meeting to review the legislation.
It met Tuesday and plans to meet again.
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