A.G. Gancarski
Two budget reviews from the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee to go on Thursday. The firs, and the most important: the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
2:39 p.m.: John Crescimbeni mentions that more than 15 COPS Grant employees not being part of the General Fund as not being “transparent” in terms of budgeting. Bill Gulliford predicts that after three years, these guys will be shifted without comment to general fund.
2:42: 3,499 inmates in Duval County Jail. Despite that, a decline in revenue of $110,000 for the work furlough program, as people don’t qualify for it.
2:43: The mayor’s security: $362,000 per year.
2:47: Fleet repairs and maintenance up $425,000, as part of a $3.183 million increase in internal service charges. Gulliford mentions a need to look at vehicle replacement seriously.
2:54: Crescimbeni asking questions about the mayor’s security, how it compares with previous year. There is an increase, and he wants to know why. Seems to be a matter of cost allocation.
2:56: Lori Boyer asking about the vacancies in the budget document. Sheriff Mike Williams answers that the JSO works to fill vacancies as quickly as it can. Civilian vacancies are an issue: People burn out and churn out. He believes that once pension is worked out, issues with recruitment and attrition will wane.
3:01: Hardware and software maintenance up almost $800,000. JSO has its own contract with Microsoft; Boyer thinks a larger scale negotiation with vendors would depress costs.
3:03: A discussion of how classes work in the police academy is more extended than I would have expected.
3:09: Anderson wants to know how “long operations,” like the search for Lonzie Barton, affect the budget. That 12 days was “north of $300,000,” Williams said. “Managing the manpower” is a challenge, as these events have unavoidable effects.
3:10: On to Community Service Officers. Gulliford wants to know how much they actually help. Williams says that they help with car accidents, et al. CSOs are employed for five years, get their college degrees, and then become full-time officers. The positions are intended for young people learning the ropes. Gulliford wants to explore “hiring these people … without the full burden” of retirement benefits, if there is significant churn, since they’re not sworn police officers. “Be a little creative” in terms of how these people are hired.
3:15: Crescimbeni says the law doesn’t allow such creativity. He argues for CSOs for traffic control; they can perform the “same duty for probably less than half the cost.”
3:17: Williams says they can handle accidents, collect evidence, et al, which frees up officers, allowing the CSOs to serve as a “force multiplier” and a “huge plus for the agency.”
3:21: Discussion of impounding cars in Dallas, when drivers lack proof of insurance.
3:22: Still talking about CSOs. Williams might need to make a more energetic case because even the less-voluble councilmen are asking followups.
3:23: The sheriff wants to no longer fund two chief positions, cut two other positions. Savings of $400,000. Finance is down with it. Motion approved.
3:25: 911 charges. Landline fee estimates are overstated. Cellphone fees, understated. Go figure. The 911 fees will be increased, all told, by $260,000, money that will go to call taker salaries.
3:30: A discussion of the Sheriff’s Trusts. Crescimbeni wants to know what statute authorizes it. He thinks that “we need to think of a better way” to budget money, and intimates that money such as this is sometimes used as a “slush fund.” Williams counters that the money has been used for one-time equipment expenditures; would like it to be used for prevention and intervention.
3:34: “The sheriff sits in an isolated chamber making decisions,” Crescimbeni continues, regarding questionable expenditures. “$100,000 for Florida State? That’s OK, that’s fighting crime.”
3:43: Boyer says the Ordinance Code authorizes JSO to spend $10,000 per year for small business cameras from a trust fund. Wonders if the JSO does that. Williams is unsure.
3:45: Gulliford: “Those of us who sat through this in the past, there was wailing and gnashing of teeth from the sheriff.” Apparently, John Rutherford was a bit more demanding.
3:46: Boyer compliments Williams on his “working relationship with the mayor.” Gulliford likewise is happy. The subtext seems to be that this council is glad to be rid of Rutherford.
3:50: Gulliford: “Nowadays there seems to be no conception of what’s right and wrong,” compared to his day.
