OFFICE OF THE CITY COUNCIL
CHERYL L. BROWN 117 WEST
DUVAL STREET,
DIRECTOR 4TH FLOOR, CITY
HALL
OFFICE (904) 630-1452
FAX (904) 630-2906
E-MAIL: CLBROWN@coj.net
AMENDED SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
August 4, 2014
City Council Chamber
8:00 A.M.
In Attendance: Council Members Clay Yarborough (President), Greg
Anderson (Vice President), Bill Bishop, Richard Clark, Don Redman, Lori Boyer,
Matt Schellenberg, Dr. Johnny Gaffney, Warren Jones, Reginald Brown, Ray Holt,
Bill Gulliford, Doyle Carter, Stephen Joost, Kimberly Daniel, Robin Lumb, John
Crescimbeni, Jim Love; Peggy Sidman, Paige Johnston, Office of General Counsel;
Kirk Sherman, Kimberly Taylor, Philip Peterson, Brian Parks, Council Auditors
Office; Dana Farris, Carol Owen, Philip Zamarron, Legislative Services; Louie
Marino, Council Staff; John J. Jackson, Council Research Division.
The Council President called
the meeting to order at 8:02 AM and announced that the purpose of the meeting
was to consider Resolution 2014-462, A Resolution Concerning the Proposed Ad
Valorem Tax Millage Rates for the 2014 Tax Year….Requesting Emergency Passage Upon Introduction….
The Council President
requested that Deputy General Counsel Peggy Sidman advise the Council on the
proper posture that the body should be in to consider the proposed
resolution. Ms. Sidman advised the
Council that this was an emergency measure; the proper posture was to consider
the amendment and move the emergency.
Council Member Ray Holt moved
the resolution as an emergency and the Council Members voted to approve the
motion.
Council Member Bill Gulliford
delivered a prepared statement. He
applauded Council Member Richard Clark’s initiative to fund the unfunded
liability in the pension funds but opposed an increase in the millage rate as a
means to accomplish that objective. Mr.
Gulliford indicated that he opposed the sales tax increase recommendation of
Pension Reform Task Force as well. He proceeded to explain why he opposed both
of those approaches.
Council Member Gulliford
indicated that he favored a half-cent increase in the local sales tax and had
directed the Office of General Counsel to draft legislation for a J Bill to
seek authorization from the Legislature that would enable Jacksonville to increase
the local option sales tax 1-1/2%.
In a response, Council Member
Richard Clark commended Council Member Gulliford’s efforts but indicated that
he was opposed to any moves to increase the general fund revenues by sales tax
increases; he said that the City could not continue to kick the can down the
road, that the pension situation had to be resolved. To that end, he announced that he had met
with John Keane of the Police and Fire Pension Fund to discuss
the use of a $61 million contribution from the PFPF pursuant to Ordinance
2014-386 that is currently pending.
Mr. Clark implored the Council to consider an increase in the millage
rate as a good, secure solution to pension reform.
The Council proceeded to debate
the merits of the Clark amendment to Resolution 2014-462.
Council Member Bill Bishop
indicated that he had some problems with the Clark amendment; Council Member
Robin Lumb was supportive of the Clark amendment.
Council Member Lori Boyer
explained her opposition to the Clark amendment and why she was supportive of
Council Member Gulliford’s
proposed solution.
Council Member Warren Jones
cited the recent spike in the youth murder rate and shootings as his rationale
for favoring the Clark amendment.
Stating that households are
already hard pressed, Council Member Matt Schellenberg opposed any increase in
the millage rate.
Voicing concern with taking
$61 million from the Police and Fire Pension Fund and applying it to the City’s
operating budget as troublesome, Council Member John Crescimbeni opposed the
Clark amendment. He felt that the
Gulliford and Boyer remarks were on the right track.
Council Member Don Redman
indicated that he could not support the Clark amendment.
Council Member Clark
contended that pension reform could not be considered without a funding source.
Council Member Jim Love felt
that an increase in the millage rate at this juncture would have a negative
impact on the positive economic momentum that the City has been experiencing;
he favored an increase in the local sales tax.
Council Member Stephen Joost
felt that the Clark amendment does not take us where we need to go. He felt that both the Property Appraiser and
the Tax Collector should be involved with this conversation so that we fully
understood what our revenues are going to be.
Council Member Ray Holt
wanted to hear and weigh the viewpoint of the Council Auditor, Kirk
Sherman. Mr. Holt indicated that he was
supportive of the Clark amendment and that he could conceivably work with last
year’s budget.
Council Member John
Crescimbeni felt that an increase in the local option sales tax was the way to
go and that if the proposal was put on the ballot, it would have to be sold to
the voters much the same way that Mayor Hazouri advocated an increased sales
tax to remove the tolls and the vigorous support that Mayor Delaney
demonstrated for the Better Jax Plan.
Mr. Crescimbeni said that he expected groups such as the Civic Council
would be in the fray plugging for the increased sales tax passage.
Council Member Doyle Carter
indicated his preference for an increased local option sales tax.
Council Member Clark
announced that he would be willing to strike the $61 billion component and to
revert to last year’s budget but cautioned that there would be a $30 million
hole; it would then be incumbent of the Council Members to come up with and
forward suggestions to the Finance Committee on cuts and firings.
Council President Clay
Yarborough was supportive of the Gulliford approach; he liked the notion of
shared sacrifice that a sales tax increase would entail. The matter should be placed on the ballot.
Council Member Reggie Brown
indicated his preference for working with last year’s budget.
He reported that in his
conversations with people, he encountered no one who supported an increase in
millage rates, nor anyone who was supportive of an increased sales tax.
On a motion to approve the
Clark amendment, the Council Members voted 6 yeas, 12 nays.
Council Member Lori Boyer
supported an amendment to strike the reference to emergency passage in the
resolution (2014-462). Ms. Boyer then
made the motion to adopt the resolution, as amended. The vote was 18 yeas, 0 nays.
Council Member Bill Gulliford
invited Council Members to attend a notice meeting that he was arranging to
further discuss a proposed sales tax increase.
The meeting would be held at 4:00 P.M. the following day, Tuesday,
August 5, 2014.
There being no further
business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:40 AM.
John J. Jackson, Council
Research Division (904) 630-1729
08.12.14
Posted:
3:00 P.M.