Neighborhoods legislation highlights Tuesday Jax City Council meeting

In an attempt to put a “stronger focus on neighborhoods” and to impose “cost controls,” the Jacksonville City Council is poised to pass comprehensive reorganization legislation Tuesday night , creating a Neighborhoods Department.

The reorganization sailed through committees, including Finance and Rules last week. The legislation has been a priority of the Curry administration from before the inauguration, and would mitigate the effects of a reorganization in the previous administration that eliminated the department.

The bill, among other outcomes, removes several department heads from reporting to the mayor directly, instead requiring them to report to Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa.

That delineation of responsibilities would allow Mayor Lenny Curry to focus on big picture, rather than operational, issues.

Parking enforcement, in the plan, moves from the Office of Economic Development to the Downtown Investment Authority, allowing the DIA to address the long-standing problem downtown of public parking.

Last week’s DIA meeting saw the board give approval to the plan, though not before extended discussion of the ordinance.

Also on deck:

• A vote on an ordinance authorizing a third-party collector to go after “inappropriate” exemptions, such as false homestead claims, on personal property taxes. As The Florida Times-Union reported in December, one person doing that was a councilman, who resolved the double dip immediately after hearing of a media inquiry.
• The Council will vote to ratify Project Star, a QTI project with Local Financial Support of $30,600 & a State Match of $122,400, for a total of $153,000. Project Star would bring 51 jobs according to the ordinance. The company, unnamed for now, would move its headquarters to Jacksonville, reported the Jacksonville Business Journal.