A.G. Gancarski
Jacksonville City Councilman Garrett Dennis, just a week after his floor amendments to add more after-school funding to a bill from Mayor Lenny Curry failed, has filed standalone legislation to the same effect.
Dennis, via Ordinance 2017-605, seeks to move $1,92M from Council’s contingency account for pension liability to fund these programs.
The new money would serve 1,280 kids in 12 of 14 Council districts.
“This is an effort that aligns with achieving One City, One Jacksonville. Therefore, decisions have to be made to ensure that services are being equally available in every district. Our children deserve the opportunity for increased academic performance, improved leadership skills, and a safe, structured environment for youth engagement. As a united community, we must do what’s right for our children,” Dennis wrote.
Last week, Dennis proposed two floor amendments that would have boosted the Mayor’s proposed $1.071M allocation.
The first changed the total allocation amount to $1.408M, with all the money coming from reallocated funds from inside the Jacksonville Journey and Jacksonville Children’s Commission. 880 children would be added to the after-school programs with that new money.
The second floor amendment was even more ambitious, allocating $2.947M for 1,860 kids, with more money coming from unspent Jacksonville Journey funds, and $832,852 from the city’s general fund balance.
Curry spokeswoman Marsha Oliver offered a statement that questioned the funding mechanism: “funds in the ‘unused pension contingency account'(UAAL) have been previously earmarked and obligated for the one-time three percent payment to employees. These funds were earmarked during pension reform hearings and earmarked, once again, in the third quarter summary.”
“These knee-jerk reactions of appropriating funding on an emergency basis need to stop,” Oliver added.
Despite serious qualms about the funding mechanism, Oliver notes that Curry, “with his continued commitment to youth safety and enrichment offerings, has been meeting with Council members and is scheduled to meet with the Boys & Girls Club [one organization that didn’t get all the funding it wanted] to identify a solution that is fiscally responsible and properly vetted in the budget process.” –
