‘Future Leaders of Jax Coalition’ pushes pension tax to young voters

Two Jacksonville City Council ECAs have former the Future Leaders of Jax Coalition

Katie Schoettler and Jenny Busby go way back.

Specifically, to the same kindergarten class.

Schoettler emerged into adulthood as a Republican, working for people like Aaron Bean and John Thrasher; Busby, as a Democrat who worked for the Florida Democratic Party.

Despite that difference in party label, their paths have paralleled.

Both women work as assistants to members of the Jacksonville City Council. Schoettler works for first-term Councilman Scott Wilson; Busby, for first-term councilman and political perennial Tommy Hazouri.

And both share a home at Jacksonville Beach.

And now, both women are involved in their most ambitious undertaking: marketing the pension tax referendum, which would extend a current half-cent infrastructure tax from 2030 (or whenever the Better Jacksonville Plan of 2000 is finally paid off) to 2060 (or whenever the current $2.7 billion unfunded actuarial liability on city pensions is retired).

To that end, they have formed the “Future Leaders of Jax Coalition,” designed to educate millennial voters on why the tax extension is necessary.

Schoettler says the effort is intended to drive engagement on local issues, with the proposed tax extension being the first.

And, she stressed, it is a nonpartisan effort, with Republicans, Democrats, and non-aligned voters welcome to discuss the issue … and hopefully to mobilize in support.

“Not every city issue is partisan,” Schoettler said. “We want friends who are not in politics to get involved.”

The idea is that by committing to political agency, young people will feel they have more of a stake in the civic discourse.

The pair has gotten encouragement from those involved in the “Yes for Jacksonville” effort, including Busby’s boss, Hazouri, who is on the Finance Committee for the referendum push, along with Susie Wiles and Mayor Lenny Curry himself.

They’ve already begun making the rounds to have discussions with groups of young politicos, visiting the Jacksonville Young Democrats meeting Wednesday evening, and planning to speak to the Young Republicans next week.

In addition to that sort of outreach, a Future Leaders of Jax Coalition event is planned at Bistro Aix on July 20 at 6 p.m.

Come for the food and drink, stay for the pension tax pitch.