STEPHEN JOOST

PRESIDENT, 2011-2012

AT LARGE GROUP 3

(904) 630-1396

DANA M. FARRIS

CHIEF OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

JACKSONVILLE, FL 32202-3429

TELEPHONE (904) 630-1404

FAX (904) 630-1242

 

CHERYL L. BROWN

COUNCIL SECRETARY

 

BILL BISHOP

VICE PRESIDENT, 2011-2012

DISTRICT 2

(904) 630-1392

 

 

OFFICER C.L. JENKINS

OFFICE ROB WINSLOW

OFFICER JOSEPH QUINN

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS

 

 

 

 

 

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COUNCIL

 

MAYOR’S 2011-2012 ANNUAL BUDGET PRESENTATION

 

Friday, July 15, 2011

 

10:00 A.M.

 

Convened:   10:05                    Adjourned:   10:23

 

 

 

INVOCATION - Council Member Yarborough

 

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - Council Member Yarborough

 

 

ROLL CALL                  Council President Joost, Council Members Anderson, Bishop, Boyer, Brown, Carter, Clark, Crescimbeni, Gulliford, Holt, Jones, Love, Lumb, Redman, Schellenberg, Yarborough   -16-

 

EXCUSED                     Daniels, Gaffney, Lee  -3-

 

LATE ARRIVAL:            Council Member Carter arrived 10:17

 

 

 

 

TOPIC OF DISCUSSION:

 

 

The Mayor will present the 2011-2012 Annual Budget to the Full Council.

 

 

(a)        “The Mayor shall submit the annual budget proposal for the general government to the Council by filing a copy with Legislative Services no later than July 15th, unless the Council by resolution fixes another date.”

 

 

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

 

 

(Speech Follows)

 

 Mayor Alvin Brown FY 2011/2012 Budget Address Jacksonville City Council Chambers Friday, July 15, 2011 Good morning. Mr. President, members of the City Council, distinguished guests and citizens of Jacksonville: I am honored to stand here today to share my inaugural budget and lay out a vision for where I want to take Jacksonville in the coming year. I want to offer a special thanks to Council President Stephen Joost for his welcoming spirit over the past few weeks and his leadership.

 

I also want to thank Council Vice President Bill Bishop and Finance Committee Chairman Richard Clark. I look forward to working with each of you in the coming weeks. On May 1st, Jacksonville faced a projected budget deficit of nearly $58 million. Today, that deficit stands at zero.   

 

I campaigned on a pledge to deliver a balanced budget that streamlines government, focuses on job creation without raising taxes or fees or tapping our reserves. This budget delivers on that promise. I’ve met the challenge with a combination of precise cuts that ensure essential city services will continue and a reduction in the city’s labor force that brings government in alignment with today’s economic realities. Government can – and must – live within its means. Around this great city, families have struggled to meet the financial challenges of everyday life.

 

Our unemployment rate is much too high. Far too many of our citizens are out of work. Thousands more are underemployed. And many families are struggling to stay in their homes. Now is not the time to grow government. These times call for shared sacrifice and my administration has risen to the challenge.

 

My office has not been spared. I promised to take a 20 percent pay cut during the campaign. I’ve done that. I've sat down with the directors of every department in city government to identify savings. I have eliminated numerous middle management positions in an effort to stream line government. The council has agreed to make sacrifices. The sheriff's office has trimmed its workforce. The fire department has done the same. And we've accomplished it all without compromising our public safety. This budget reduces the city’s workforce by more than 220 positions, including nearly 50 that were mayoral appointees. Some of these positions were vacant, some were filled and others will be identified through our next initiative – a major reorganization effort that delivers a government that is more effective and efficient.

 

Assisting us in this process will be the newly-created Office of Public-Private Partnership. The goal of this new initiative is rather simple. We’ll identify areas where the private sector is better positioned to deliver key services and work to develop partners to make it happen.

The newly-created Education Commissioner is the perfect example of the partnership we’ll be working to build. I’m proud to have Donnie Horner, a graduate of West Point, MIT and Stanford on loan from Jacksonville University to lead this effort.

 

But while we are making tough choices to trim city government, we recognize that we simply cannot cut our way out of our current financial crisis. I want to focus on putting Jacksonville back to work. I've partnered with the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Civic Council to assist us in developing a public-private partnership to attract businesses to Jacksonville. Jerry Mallot and Don Shea will lead that effort.

 

We will spark entrepreneurship. We will link our small businesses with the access to capital and credit that they need to expand.

 

We will send a loud and clear message – JACKSONVILLE IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS.

In my first week in office I welcomed our governor to our port. He was followed by the United States Transportation Secretary, and days later, lawmakers from around our state. Our port symbolizes our future. It serves as the key to diversifying and growing our economy. Under my administration, we will fix mile-point. We will dredge our channel.

We will position Jacksonville to compete in a global economy. Today, I'm announcing a number of initiatives that will take Jacksonville to the next level. First, I’m announcing my intent to create a Downtown Community Empowerment Corporation. IT’S TIME TO PUT DOWNTOWN JACKSONVILLE BACK ON THE TAX ROLLS. We've invested more than $1.2 billion dollars in taxpayer money in our downtown. I will leverage that with private sector investment to build a vibrant downtown that will become THE HEARTBEAT OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA. I'm also creating the Jacksonville Sports and Entertainment Corporation. This entity will build on our previous successes to bring sporting events like the Florida-Georgia game from around the world to the river city. Can you imagine an ESPN Sports Zone in our downtown to capitalize on these initiatives? I can.

I can't do this alone. I've had more than 200 people serve on 18 transition committees. They'll deliver reports in the next week that will make recommendations for where we want to take Jacksonville in the future. I'm going to ask many of these same individuals -- our best and brightest -- to serve on nine mayoral advisory councils that I intend to create. But their help is not enough. I need each of you – every resident, every taxpayer, ever stakeholder – in this city to rise to the challenge. The future of our children, our nieces, our nephews and our grandchildren is at stake.

We can deliver a quality public education to every child in this community. We can build a transportation system equipped for the 21st century.

 

We can foster an environment where every family has an equal opportunity to seize their own piece of the American dream. We can partner with the private sector to put this city back to work.

This budget accomplishes that. One vision, one city. Opportunity for all.

 

As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The TRUE NEIGHBOR will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of OTHERS.”

To whom much is given, much is required. We have been granted blessings immeasurable. It’s now our time to rise to the challenge. Thank you. God bless each of you and God bless Jacksonville.