A.G. Gancarski
Thursday afternoon brings the final two budget reviews for Sam Mousa, Mike Weinstein, and the “budget SWAT team.” First up, Parks and Recreation. The big news out of this is that the Equestrian Center, a consistent money loser, is in the line of fire.
1:04: Revenue basically flat, down by a bit more than $1,000. Summer camps are up $22,000. Salaries up $299,000; previously unfunded positions are now funded. The Director salary was increased with a new hire. Overtime up $250,000. Downtown event cleanup, including after Jaguars games, is this group’s responsibility. Barricade removal and pressure washing sidewalks, also.
1:08: Weinstein wants to know specific costs of events; he observes that costs are spread out across departments so that it is impossible to know true costs.
1:10: Tasks have been moved back and forth between Public Works and Parks, as part of various re-orgs.
1:11: Special Events does not want to pay for these tasks. Mousa observes that this diffusion of tasks makes it hard to “control budgets” and that something will have to be done about that.
1:12: IT pressures. They don’t have a modern system. They’ve been getting pushback on acquisition of systems they need. IT is expected to bring something up at their meeting with Mousa this afternoon.
1:17: A discussion of the merits of basketball court maintenance versus replacement. There are six gyms, and professional maintenance extends the lifespan of these courts. Tennis courts, likewise, require maintenance. The budget ask is for recurrent maintenance agreements. Right of Way maintenance, in Public Works, comes from capital dollars; in this budget, these are operational dollars.
1:24: Heated discussion of cash in various funds. Mousa asserts that there were “millions” of dollars available. The counter is that much of the money has been spent from the various funds.
1:30: A discussion of the Victims Assistance Trust Fund. This is the Community Services part of this department. Weinstein finds it curious that this function is lumped in with Parks and Rec. Before this, they were in Neighborhoods, which does not exist anymore.
1:34: Now, the Older Americans Act Grant. Jax pays $3 million; gets $1.2 million. This subsidizes Jacksonville’s 19 senior centers.
1:36: Revenue enhancements. Fee review is handled by Council. Some fees, such as community center rental, were last changes as far back as 2006.
1:40: A discussion of 10 vacancies in the department; all but four are unfunded.
1:43: “Seems like we’re skipping the executive branch” in fee review, says Mousa. “That’s not how this government runs.”
1:49: Weinstein on his time in the State Attorney Office. They would lose track of how long people were in jail; they had information, but the system was unwieldy. He contends that the management system of this group’s information, regarding fund balances, is too opaque to be optimal.
1:55: A high-pitched, shrill noise is causing consternation. The joke: “The bug in here is malfunctioning.”
2:07: A discussion of SMG providing maintenance on some facilities, and management of the Equestrian Center. The budget is not itemized well enough from the SMG end to be able to figure out what costs what.
2:12: A discussion of budget projection. Mousa wonders why there isn’t more active projection of budgets in the mayor’s office. Apparently, it is an issue of shortages.
2:14: Discussion has moved now to fund discrepancies, with funds that have cash.
2:15: Mousa: “This budget does not make sense.”
2:16: There is a $750,000 fund balance from last summer, being used for day to day repairs on floating docks and boat ramps. Mousa wants this unspent money ($300,000) to be moved to larger capital projects.
2:22: There is another fund with another million dollars “sitting there,” “waiting for Public Works or because you haven’t programmed it or something.”
2:28: The General Fund pays debt service for the Equestrian Center. Discussion of the management contract for the facility, which “has some issues.” The revenue was supposed to be deposited with the city; instead, the city is getting a check for the profit. But there’s not much of a profit. The Equestrian Center runs consistently at a loss; revenues are below projections. Issues, like bad footing, are dangerous to horses, leading to decrease in bookings.
2:31: Mousa asserts that the problem is not the contract, but the management. The city pays for running the facility as well as for the debt services. A monthly subsidy check is used to keep them even. There is a hard cap on the check fund. Westside Councilman Doyle Carter complained to Mousa about the center’s imperiled finances; Mousa said “shame on you for signing the contract.”
2:44: Mousa: “I’m sorry I brought this one up.”
2:45: “Mike and I will fix it,” Mousa says, regarding the contract, “just like everything else.”
2:49: The Equestrian Center contract presumes self-sufficiency in one part; language elsewhere assumes losses into the foreseeable future on utilities, maintenance, et al.
2:56: Still hashing out this Equestrian Center matter.
2:58: “If they’re only projecting $198,000 in revenues, it needs to shut down.” Looks like the Equestrian Center will have to make its case to Council, if it wants to survive.
3:01: On to water taxis. Mousa is asking if the $15,000 a month is a subsidy or “to make them do better.”
