Waiting for the Florida Senate to finalize Jacksonville’s proposed pension payment bill took days.
The final discussion and vote took all of about a minute.
The Senate on Wednesday signed off on Mayor Lenny Curry’s plan to extend Jacksonville’s half-cent sales tax to pay down the city’s almost $2.7 billion in unfunded pension liabilities.
It takes the Better Jacksonville Plan tax for infrastructure set to expire in 2030 and extends it 30 years or when the pension plans are 100 percent funded, whichever comes first.
The Senate approved Curry’s plan by a 35-1 vote. Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, was the lone dissenter. The bill cleared the House two weeks ago.
It now heads to Gov. Rick Scott’s desk. Curry has talked to Scott about the issue and has said he’s optimistic the governor will sign the bill.
After that, City Council needs to approve the plan before voters decide on whether to tax themselves to fix the city’s outstanding pension issue. That referendum would be on either the August or November ballot.
Council has shown early support for the idea, with about a dozen members making the trip to Tallahassee two weeks ago for the House vote.
Curry said in a statement the Senate’s sign-off “marks an incredible milestone” for the city. The progress the plan has made to date “speaks volumes about the fine leadership of our legislators,” he said.
Curry went on to credit Sens. Rob Bradley and Aaron Bean for their sponsorship in the Senate, along with Reps. Travis Cummings and Lake Ray in the House for their “tireless efforts.”
Such a deal, he said, will allow increased investments in key city priorities and improve overall quality of life for residents.
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