Mayor Alvin Brown’s revised economic development reform legislation met a fate Wednesday similar to his original measure: lots of questions with little movement.
The Council Rules and Finance committees met jointly Wednesday to discuss newer renditions of legislation that proposes to transition the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission into an Office of Economic Development, create a Downtown Investment Authority and expedite the approval process of economic incentive deals.
Brown’s administration pulled the initial two pieces of legislation to redraft them after the joint committee voiced frustration from a lack of clarity and unanswered questions.
The administration redrafted the measures as three pieces of legislation that divides the reform among three lines — the Office of Economic Development, the Downtown Investment Authority and the approval process.
The legislation also incorporates amendments offered by the joint committee during its meetings in late April and May. The amendments include Council confirmation and adjusted qualifications of the economic development officer and transparency requirements in economic compliance.
Another new part of the legislation calls for Council to be the governing body for the City’s four Community Redevelopment Areas, including the Downtown area.
Although redrafted, budgetary questions and transfers dominated Wednesday’s discussion.
The ordinance provides $1.3 million from various budget transfers to fund the JEDC through the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
Paul Crawford, acting JEDC executive director, told the committee that the commission’s funding would run out in the middle of this month.
Council member Matt Schellenberg questioned the amount of the transfer, but Crawford said the amount was for mandated expenditures that can no longer be delayed.
Jessica Deal, Brown’s Council liaison, said the administration wanted the legislation to be approved by the committee and passed Tuesday at the full Council meeting.
Council Vice President Bill Bishop, the chairman of the joint committee, said that won’t happen because the bills need more review.
“I was hoping we were going to get it done tonight,” Bishop said.
“They (the administration) are up against the wall of their own making. My feeling is we have a good bill. What we did tonight was kind of tweak around the edges and it is unfortunate it wasn’t made clearer to begin with,” he said.
The joint committee is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. June 13.
356-2466