A.G. Gancarski
Sitting in his office on the fourth floor of Jacksonville’s City Hall just twelve hours after the Fiscal Year 2016 budget was approved by Council, District 7 Councilman Reggie Gaffney is interested in what comes next.
“Now that the budget’s over,” Gaffney said, he intends to “turn [his] attention to downtown development.”
His timeframe is compact. Within the next 30 days, Gaffney intends to reach out to the mayor and “find out his plan for the Shipyards.”
For him, this is a priority. He sees the development of the Shipyards as integral to “job creation” in his District.
And he sees Jaguars’ owner Shad Khan as central to that, describing Khan as a local leader with “skin in the game.”
Beyond that, Gaffney has taken notice, as have most locals, of the Berkman Plaza 2. The shells of these condos, asserts Gaffney, have “been an eyesore in District 7 for ten years… and nobody’s saying anything about it.”
On the Shipyards and the blighted Berkman 2, and other issues besides, Gaffney wants to know what the administration’s plan is, and he wants to know soon. He sees work in these areas as a logical extension of the commitment the Curry administration made to the Liberty Street and Coastline Drive fixes.
And he wants to work with the administration, because he believes in them and their vision to move downtown forward.
As well, Gaffney wants to work with the Downtown Investment Authority, as part of his “very aggressive” approach to bringing businesses to District 7. He also wants to make sure City Council is committed to it.
80% of local companies that come through his office, Gaffney estimates, talk about job creation for local people. For him, that’s essential, as hiring locals is preferable to companies relocation yet creating jobs for people from other states.
“Unemployment on the Northside is double that in any part of the city,” says Gaffney, who likens job creation to a “marathon.”
To that end, the Black Chamber of Commerce funding, via a $10,000 Council contingency added to the FY 16 budget, is essential to helping the group operate and helping his district to thrive.
Beyond businesses, Gaffney has concerns about an issue that has bubbled up of late: the Jacksonville Day Resource Center, which served the homeless population but is a casualty of budget cuts.
About the center, Gaffney is “concerned.” As someone who runs a non-profit, he understands “the importance of taking care of the least of them.”
Without the Day Resource Center, Gaffney foresees a domino effect, including an explosion of homeless people in Hemming Plaza, which would undo the hard work done by Friends of Hemming Park, who have “worked hard to make Hemming a destination.”
If a compromise isn’t reached in Finance Committee to ensure the center is funded, Gaffney imagines a scenario in which homeless people are out in front of City Hall.
As Council members and administration members have pointed out, board members and executives from the Day Resource Center have not exactly made their case. The community has energetically pushed for the center, yet board members have not made the case.
“I could have been an advocate for them,” said Gaffney, and he still is willing to.
Of a piece with the Day Resource Center: the Jacksonville Journey commitment, a priority of the administration and of Gaffney.
“Even though crime may be down today, two or three incidents,” Gaffney said, can change popular perception.
“I’m glad to see we have the money focused on youth,” Gaffney added, and on “troubled communities.”
Gaffney notes the involvement of the faith based community and non-profit organizations, which he describes as the foundation for a “tremendous partnership.”
“It’s the first time we got churches saying enough is enough,” Gaffney added.
Beyond that, infrastructure is key. Throughout many parts of Gaffney’s district, flooding is an issue.
“The needs are massive,” and “the rains keep coming,” Gaffney said, adding that he would like to double the $6 million commitment to infrastructure that the city has made in the current budget.
Gaffney is also excited about revamping the Public Service Grants, looking at how they are distributed and helping to establish “new guidelines” for their allocation.
Finally, an interview would not be complete without talking about Mayor Curry’s vision for independent boards and commissions. Democrats who are hoping that Gaffney will support Lisa King in her bid not to be ousted as chair of the Planning Commission may be disappointed.
“Lisa is a great person,” said Gaffney.
However, “the mayor has the right to choose who carries his vision.”
“The mayor respects me, giving support needed in District 7,” Gaffney continued. “We may disagree, but I respect his decision and support his agenda.”
Gaffney also seemed to doubt there would be much deviation from his position.
“You’ve got 19 individuals on Council, willing to work together, with one common thread. We respect the leadership of the mayor’s office,” Gaffney said, and “all work as one.”
Board members are “accountable” to the mayor, and Gaffney believes they should accord with the mayor’s agenda.
