A.G. Gancarski
The Tuesday night Jacksonville City Council meeting was expected, for the most part, to be quiet. The principal drama of the budget is forestalled until Sept. 21 meeting, and the big talker, going in, was expected to be the Police and Fire Pension Fund’s senior staff retirement plan.
In the wake of the retirement of Police and Fire Pension Fund Head John Keane, questions remain in front of this city council regarding the legality of the Senior Staff Voluntary Retirement Fund, which is poised to pay Keane nearly a quarter of a million dollars per year. A third reading resolution, 2014-769, was intended to look into the legality of that fund and its appropriations.
Complicating matters: PFPF employees are not city employees, which makes them (arguably) exempt from Council oversight. As well, the plan was created in noticed meetings in the sunshine, another potential complication.
Those did not come up in discussion.
Councilman Bill Gulliford moved to refer it to Finance, as in 2014. It should have been referred to the committee originally since it would have financial implications.
Councilman John Crescimbeni objected to the motion, asserting that the question at hand was one of legality, not financial implication.
The two men debated the matter with Gulliford wanting an assurance the measure would not have financial implications.
Councilman Tommy Hazouri weighed in, asking: “How do you go to court without spending money?” and “How long would it take?”
“Seems to me that we’d be spending money on both sides” of the case, the former mayor said.
There would be costs and fees related to the resolution of the matter. No direct costs would be incurred to the general counsel office, but they would be pulled from other things, said a representative from the Office of General Counsel.
Gulliford echoed his contention that it’s “the prudent thing to do” while Crescimbeni noted the “stable” of lawyers are getting paid anyway.
The bill ended up re-referred to Finance, where it will highlight an interesting meeting, including a last-minute need to remedy a $320,000 property tax shortfall.
Less contentious was the third-reading ordinance granting JEA an easement to install a new sewage line under Metro Park and an EverBank Field parking lot to support the 42-inch Force Main River Crossing. Its issues were resolved in committee. The bill passed handily.
The full council also issued tentative approval of the Capital Improvement Plan, the Banking Fund allocation, and the IT system development plan, along with other budget bills approved in Finance. The unconditional approval will be part of the Sept. 21 full council meeting where the budget is set for final approval.
