A.G. Gancarski
After Land Use and Zoning, four Jacksonville City Council committees have deliberated the $90 million package of stadium improvements for EverBank Field.
And four have approved it, despite the best efforts of dissident Councilman Danny Becton.
On Tuesday evening, Land Use and Zoning was the final committee hurdle to be cleared for the bill, which commits $45 million of city money to a package of stadium improvements.
The money, to be financed, will be debt serviced by bed tax funds.
The deal was framed in previous committees as a mechanism to ensure franchise stability for the Jacksonville Jaguars, a small-market team perpetually in search of new revenue streams, and the unspoken assumption is that the stadium improvements, including the amphitheater and a covered and climate-controlled practice facility, will facilitate that franchise stability and help to squash perpetual local worries for franchise relocation.
LUZ Chair Scott Wilson noted that virtually everyone had seen this bill in a previous committee stop, communicating the expectation that this would be the Cliff’s Notes version of some of the more sprawling discussions in other committees.
Councilman Jim Love, who listened to the discussion in Finance, said that this would be a “great asset to Jacksonville.”
Councilman Danny Becton, the holdout from Finance, called Sam Mousa and Mike Weinstein from the Lenny Curry administration up for questions regarding bed tax allocations for the Convention Center, the arena, and the Baseball Grounds.
Mousa noted that maintenance for those came out of the General Fund up until 2009, and “those facilities stood in line with libraries, fire stations, and the Duval County jail.”
“Things became a lot better in the Sports Complex when that two cent tax,” Mousa said, kicked in.
Becton wasn’t done.
His next question revolved around the 5 year capital improvement plan from SMG, the company that manages these facilities.
“The illustration that was being made,” Mousa said regarding the document, was “the worst case possible,” regarding “if the bed tax only grew 2 percent” and if the city went out and borrowed $88 million at one time next spring.
However, “with the cost of commercial paper being so cheap, we would not go out and do that,” leaving some allocation for maintenance needs,” Mousa added.
Becton then brought up the scoreboards, part of a $41 million commitment a few years back.
“How much principle have we paid on that debt?,” Becton asked.
Weinstein’s answer: none.
Becton responded that “this was kicking the can down the road,” likening this deal to buying furniture on time without payments due for three years, arguing that the Curry administration is “continuing” what the previous administration did.
Weinstein responded that “we’re not going to do that,” but Becton was not convinced or mollified.
Becton continued.
“The point that I want to get to is,” Becton said, that “there is a five year Capital Improvement Plan” and that “unless you have another pot of gold somewhere… to use this same two cents” from the bed tax, “in 2017… it would add up to $13 million.”
“You’re going to have to figure out what maintenance projects you’re going to need to do. You’re going to be in the hole,” Becton said, adding that “if these projects are needed… we’ve got to have an honest conversation… about how we’re going to pay for this.”
Mousa then schooled Becton, calling a CIP a “wish list.”
“It’s not gospel; it’s a plan,” Mousa said, and “plans changed.”
“Government budgeting is priorities. You have limited dollars,” Mousa said, and “it’s this body’s decision as to what those priorities ought to be.”
Mousa tagged Weinstein in, who said that Becton wasn’t painting “an accurate picture.”
“There’s many millions of dollars, which aren’t set aside,” Weinstein said of the $7 million in reserve.
Then Weinstein went in.
“I don’t understand what you mean by an honest discussion,” he said to Becton, who got visibly flustered in stammering through an answer before collecting himself.
Becton spoke of neglect that led to issues like the Liberty Street collapse as a “byproduct of not being able” to “look at bridge maintenance” and related issues.
“This five year Capital Improvement sheet is there for a reason,” Becton said.
Mousa tagged in.
“Let’s look at Coastline Drive. Those bridges are fifty years old; they’re at the end of their life,” he said, regarding the aforementioned Liberty Street collapse.
“I want to make it clear that we don’t purposely neglect our facilities,” Mousa continued, adding that “everything is a priority” to the mayor, and it’s up to Council to decide.
Weinstein followed up.
“You can’t spend $45 million without having impact,” the CAO said, “but we’re willing to deal with it.”
Mousa pointed out that the administration came in and faced a debt-averse City Council, presenting it with a plan to fix the Liberty/Coastline issue, strongly urging that would happen again on an as-needed basis.
Councilwoman Lori Boyer then addressed the “wishlist” for Sports Complex maintenance, currently at $72 million, saying that $3 million a year is available, before this deal, for such improvements.
“We are now looking at creating two venues that create a revenue source,” Boyer said, that would create money that goes into improvements for facilities.
The transaction, she said, would be a “better deal.”
Everyone but Becton was convinced.
The bill passed 5 to 1.
Expect an 18 to 1 vote in favor of this bill next Tuesday.
