A.G. Gancarski
The Jacksonville City Council officially approved the FY 16 budget and related bills on Monday evening.
Leading off the meeting, Council President Greg Anderson quipped, regarding the jampacked Chambers, “I wonder why you’re all here tonight.”
The Capital Improvement Plan was approved without discussion or exception (though a floor amendment at the end changed that), as was the Banking Funds Authorization, and the IT System Development Program. Same with millage rates for Jacksonville, Baldwin, and the Beaches.
Easy peasy.
Then, after an extended period of public comment and public hearings, the fun began with many public comments.
Dismay over the removed funding of the Jacksonville Day Resource Center for the homeless was voiced by a few commenters. A contingent of advocates for the center showed up en masse.
Then, the amendments!
Finance Committee Amendment #1, which appropriates sales tax revenue to offset $818K in ad valorem tax shortfalls, was the first in a series. This would, said the Council Auditor, “make us whole.”
A $3.5M growth rate in these various taxation streams was a positive augury. Approved 18-0.
Finance Amendment 2 transferred money from the Soutel/Moncrief CRA to a special Council contingency. Approved 19-0.
Another amendment carried over $100K from FY15 funding for water taxi repairs to FY16. Approved without dissent.
A 2% salary restoration for the Executive Council Assistants, whom many say are the true lifeblood of the Council, occasioned some minor questions from Councilman John Crescimbeni, who does not have an ECA, and then some more questions from Lori Boyer and Bill Gulliford, who emphatically opposed the amendment from Councilman Matt Schellenberg.
Councilman Reggie Gaffney moved to withdraw the amendment, but Schellenberg pushed back, saying that the $53,900 cap was not real if the real cap was $55,000, before supporting withdrawal.
Then, a Tommy Hazouri amendment, to restore $337,000 to salaries for Fire and Rescue officers. Hazouri worried about attrition, losing employees who were effectively demoted.
“This demonstrates what we want to do to support our fire fighters,” Hazouri said.
This would take money from the stormwater enterprise fund.
John Crescimbeni contended that fire salary increases were tied into an endorsement in the mayoral race.
“I regret that it will result in demotions,” Crescimbeni said, but “it wasn’t done properly.”
Lori Boyer pushed back also, making an energetic case for adequately funding drainage system rehab, noting $24 million of backlog, as well as future encumbrances in this and flood control projects.
“Too bad Councilman Hazouri is not paying attention because he may suggest we take it from library funding,” Boyer said, getting laughter from members of the crowd who know a burn when they hear it.
The opposition mounted, with district councilmen like Al Ferraro pointing out that flooding was a safety issue.
Hazouri kept fighting, rejecting the implication that the money should come out of the library budget, and the implication that it was political.
$330,000, he said, “is a small price to pay to save 17 jobs.”
Crescimbeni then accused Hazouri of using Union talking points, rather than listening to the unanimously approved fire chief, and Hazouri clearly resented the implication.
Amendment fell 11-8.
As well, $25K was approved for help with the Jax Beach Independence Day fireworks celebration, and $10K for Jacksonville Black Chamber of Commerce programs into Council contingency, after considerable discussion on each of these two Bill Gulliford amendments.
This seemed like it might be done. But wait… more floor amendments.
Reggie Brown proposed a restoration of funds to the Day Resource Center for the homeless. He proposed $175,000 from the Jacksonville Journey set-aside funds, with the other $175,000 coming from a “public private partnership.”
Currently, the Journey contingency fund stands at $2.554M. $75,000 would go to the center, and the remainder would go for an RFP to bring in a public-private partnership.
Sam Mousa, representing the Curry administration, had initially thought this was not a Journey activity. “We stand by what we previously said; we don’t think this is a legitimate funding source for this activity,” Mousa said.
As well, Mousa pointed out that “no one asked for the money,” and, with the case not being made, the administration eliminated funding.
Crescimbeni observed that no one from the board addressed Council, either in Finance or tonight, which he called a “head scratcher.”
“Journey is about correcting serious problems with at-risk kids in the street,” and this program doesn’t address that, Crescimbeni said.
Chief of Staff Kerri Stewart then addressed the question of what the Journey does; she asserted that it’s about Prevention, Intervention, and Enforcement, preventing crime for at-risk kids.
Councilman Reggie Brown stood his ground, but the amendment failed 16-3.
The Council, not wanting the night to end, reconsidered the Hazouri amendment at the behest of Councilman Brown.
Hazouri lamented 16 demotions that would result from this lack of allocation, which would create a “domino effect.”
Aaron Bowman, likewise, castigated the wholesale demotion of fire officers, calling it a “bad precedent” and antithetical to his concept of organizational theory.
Mercifully, Crescimbeni called the question.
The second time, the amendment carried, to the astonishment of Council President Anderson.
The budget was approved moments thereafter.
