A.G. Gancarski
Over the course of the day, we will have reactions from Jacksonville City Council members to the Lenny Curry budget. The first one we talked with, second term Councilman Reggie Brown, was cautiously optimistic.
It was “presented well,” said Brown, who represents District 10 in the Northwest Quadrant,. The budget “was good on the surface,” yet “it’s a little premature to say ‘let’s accept it for what it is and let’s ride.'”
Something Councilman Brown will be looking for: “infrastructure in communities.” Although he believes in “giving every leadership the opportunity” to advance their priorities, Brown is mindful of the gap between big, ambitious projects and the perception people feel when issues in their own neighborhoods, such as sidewalks and road resurfacing, are neglected.
Curry mentioned the Northwest Trust Fund as a priority, and Brown was cautious.
“We need to go back and look at the figures to look at what’s there,” he said, and to make sure the money will reach “qualified participants,” which has been an issue in the past.
Attention needs to be paid to the needs of businesses versus larger city needs that may not jibe with those individual businesses.
Brown wants evidence of a hard look at departmental budgets, and how the resources are distributed throughout Jacksonville. “What’s different in my neighborhood; that’s what people are interested in,” said the northwest Jax councilman, who said there have been sidewalks on waiting lists for repair over there for up to three years.
There’s a contrast between getting justifiably excited over progress on Liberty Street, the Sports Complex, and other high-profile areas, and getting “equally excited” over “things in direct access of the homeowner.” For them, a sidewalk fix is “low-hanging fruit” that can do a lot to improve quality of life.
