A.G. Gancarski
Jacksonville City Council’s Tuesday Recreation, Community Development, Public Health, and Safety (RCDPHS) committee meeting was highlighted by Pension Tax and Public Health talk, and an extended discussion of a controversial Fire and Rescue salary allocation from September’s budget hearings.
The Health Department’s Kelly Wells announced new initiatives, such as the 60 Days to Better Health challenge and an initiative combating childhood obesity. As well, they are “maintaining their vigilance in monitoring travelers for Ebola.” Wells teased a future update in which she will announce diseases people need to be aware of. Committee Chair Doyle Carter announced some pending public notice meetings on the subject of health in Jacksonville. Get your popcorn ready.
Staying on health, Councilman Reggie Brown noted that group homes in certain areas of town are breeding grounds for Hepatitis C; Wells observed that Hepatitis C is on the rise.
Regarding the childhood obesity initiative, Wells had recommended five fruits and vegetables a day. Councilman Matt Schellenberg noted the prevalence of food deserts. Community gardens, such as at Matthew Gilbert School, are part of the Health Department’s strategy to combat food deserts, along with educating families on the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables. Corner stores “near the urban core” are now stocking “fruits and vegetables” in addition to “cigarettes and other things,” said Wells. Reggie Brown noted that transportation can be an issue for families in food deserts, and suggested that the Office of Economic Development could provide incentives for a “strategic plan” to “bring resources to our city to come up with a strategy for what we know is a problem …”
Mike Weinstein, Jacksonville’s CFO, presented the pension payoff plan that Mayor Lenny Curry announced on Monday in Finance. Weinstein noted that Jacksonville puts $175 million extra into funding the Unfunded Liability, and that the city now relies on the General Fund to address this burden. Weinstein then pivoted to explaining that the administration wants the Legislature to “extend the half penny sales tax beyond 2030” to tackle “the unfunded liability that has accrued over the years.”
Once the pension programs are “fully funded, the half penny will go away.” Weinstein noted that two areas of Florida Statutes will have to be amended, and that actuaries require a dedicated funding source. An ad valorem increase would not satisfy that criterion. “We’ve got to get through Tallahassee … we present to them what we want to see… and we don’t know how it will end up,” said Weinstein, a former State Legislator. As well, “collective bargaining will have to be a piece of this.”
While “this is the best possible solution,” it “will not be easy.” Weinstein noted that a “resolution will be filed tomorrow” offering conceptual support from Council. “This way we can talk about extension, but not about raising taxes, since [sales tax] will stay at 7 percent.
Councilman Schellenberg lauded Weinstein for a solution that could “move the needle,” and wanted clarification on what “fully funded” means to the administration; Weinstein: “fully funded means 100 percent.”
If this solution does not come to pass, Weinstein said that another 23 to 28 years of austerity would transpire, with impacts on infrastructure, public safety salaries, and other issues. Councilman Reggie Brown noted that concomitant with this plan, there should be an aggressive focus on Jacksonville’s infrastructure issues.
“If we ever want to be known as a viable city,” said Brown, “we can’t have half a mile from downtown septic tanks.”
Weinstein noted that Council makes the ultimate appropriations decisions on infrastructure, and that there are no guarantees regarding Tallahassee’s ultimate dispensation on this matter.
The committee dealt with legislation, as well:
2015-783, a piece of Cure Legislation that addressed a Budget Night decision to move $330,799 from Drainage Rehab to salary and position restoration for Fire and Rescue Safety Officers, was discussed at great length before being deferred. The bill was deferred in the powerful Finance Committee, which means that RCDPHS actually was subverting the unspoken hierarchy of committees by discussing the matter.
The texting between Council members and the fire union head became big news, as it was seen as undue influence, and occasioned a lawsuit. Fire Chief Kurtis Wilson would be compelled to demote people from chiefs to lieutenants if this measure is not passed, and the elimination of full-time positions may be another option.
Councilman Reggie Brown, a supporter of the allocation in September who was told, in a text, “you are the sh!t. God bless u” by the union head, was concerned about “micro-managing” the department. Redlining these positions would result in a loss of 26 FTE, and would likely require increased overtime. Safety Officers, Wilson said, result in $640,000 in “cost avoidance” according to recently developed metrics.
Councilman Al Ferraro advanced the contention that this action was a “political favor.” Wilson then went into detail about cost allocations and “overtime burn rate,” which may put him over budget at the end of the fiscal year. A pressure: EMS billing. A “nationwide encoding problem” has resulted in a slowing of collections. “We’re riding that roller coaster,” said Wilson.
Councilwoman Katrina Brown, who flipped her vote in September, noted that she changed her vote because a lack of clear hierarchy on the scene could result in delays.
Councilwoman Brown advised Council to “listen to the experts” and “provide the funds necessary” to “have all the tools necessary” so that JFRD can do its job properly.
Councilman Reggie Brown then spoke, advising that “we do not play games … so that we can create cost savings.”
“There is a concern … regarding where we are taking the money from,” Brown said, advising that “there should be funds from other departments left over.”
“It is apparent that the money is needed,” Brown said, advising that departmental budgets should be “scrubbed” to find this $330,799.
Ferraro spoke next, noting that his constituents were up in arms about how this allocation went down, and that the “trust of the people” has been violated.
Without “answers,” Ferraro said, he will “stand by [himself]” in opposition, to defend the “public trust” and the feelings of those in his district, many of whom have serious issues with drainage in need of rehab.
Peggy Sidman of the General Counsel Office noted that in Finance, Council VP Lori Boyer had material questions, and that if this committee passes the bill, it will require a supermajority to clear full Council.
After considerable procedural discussion, which saw at least one city staff member on TV with his/her head in his/her hands, Sidman noted that this cure legislation is not required by the settlement agreement.
The voice vote for deferral was unanimous.
