A.G. Gancarski
The city of Jacksonville spends over $200,000 a year for association memberships, such as the Florida League of Cities, Florida Association of Counties, National Association of Counties and U.S. Conference of Mayors.
But some council members contend that the money isn’t being optimally spent, because restricted travel budgets don’t allow Jacksonville to represent its own interests in the way that other counties and cities, which send much more robust delegations, do.
With that in mind, John Crescimbeni — the vice-president of the city council — is looking to allocate more funds in the city budget going forward for association-related travel.
In the next mayoral budget, Crescimbeni wants a rule: 10 percent of the dues or $20,000 in a special council travel account.
Disbursement would be at the discretion of the council president, and would be available for authorized delegates to the association meetings.
Other council members could attend; however, if not the designated representative, that money would come out of that council member’s $3,000 travel budget.
Crescimbeni noted, during a Tuesday meeting, that it was “awkward” to purchase memberships, but “not to participate.”
Councilman Matt Schellenberg, who currently pulls double duty representing the city at the Florida League of Cities and Florida Association of Counties, laid out the problem.
“If you don’t go,” Schellenberg said, “you don’t have input.”
The organizations, said Schellenberg, “want us to participate.”
As a “large county,” Duval’s votes “count a lot.”
Schellenberg notes the importance of relationship building is especially acute for Duval County. Many counties lack term limits, and maintain the advantage of continuity in presence.
Councilman Reggie Brown, a former delegate to associations from the city, noted that “we miss so much.”
Brown noted that the conferences may have 20 or 30 workshops, and “other cities bring an entourage.”
And lessons are learned, Brown said.
“This is when I found Jacksonville wasn’t writing grants for brownfields. These aren’t just travel; they’re workshops,” Brown said.
Legislation making material changes will be drafted in the coming days, though it is subject to revision.
