OFFICE OF THE CITY COUNCIL

 

117 WEST DUVAL STREET, SUITE 425

4TH FLOOR, CITY HALL

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA 32202

904-630-1377

 

Special Committee on Finance Matters

Meeting Minutes

 July 20, 2016

11:30 a.m.

 

Topic: Finance Special Committee meeting

 

Location: City Council Chamber, 1st floor, City Hall – St. James Building, 117 West Duval Street

 

In attendance: Council Members Anna Lopez Brosche (Chair), Matt Schellenberg, Greg Anderson, Aaron Bowman, Katrina Brown, Bill Gulliford, Sam Newby

 

Also: Kirk Sherman and Kyle Billy – Council Auditor’s Office; Peggy Sidman – Office of General Counsel; Jeff Clements  – Council Research Division; Jessica Matthews – Legislative Services Division; Ali Korman Shelton – Mayor’s Office

 

Meeting Convened: 11:30 a.m.

 

Chairwoman Brosche called the meeting to order and informed the group that she had appointed Vice Chairman Matt Schellenberg to be in charge of scheduling the topics for the Special Committee meetings for the year. She believes the committee would be best served by restricting its special meeting discussions to budget-related topics in the August meetings while the budget hearings are on-going. Ms. Brosche asked the committee members to prioritize their top 5 issues from the suggested issues list at the next meeting in order to develop a schedule of the topic presentations. Additional suggestions for additions to the list are welcomed. The revised, prioritized topic list will be published and Council President Boyer has asked the committee chairs to announce at each City Council agenda meeting the topics for the next week’s special committee meetings so that interested council members may make plans to attend.

 

President Boyer said that she is looking for in-depth discussion and “big picture” thinking about the Council’s desires for the future of the city. The special committees are intended to be a venue for thinking conceptually beyond the nuts and bolts of the bills on the agenda each week.

 

Council Member Bowman suggested adding as a topic a discussion of the timing of the budget adoption cycle vis-a-vis the changeover in City Councils and Mayoral administrations every four years. The timing of the requirement for a new mayor to present a proposed budget to a new city council just two weeks after each takes office, and for all those new officials to adopt a budget after only two months in office, presents a scenario for potential disaster if everyone involved has little or no City government experience.

 

Council Member Katrina Brown expressed a preference not to have lengthy special committee meetings during August when the Finance Committee will already be devoting all day Thursday and Friday to budget hearings for three straight weeks.

 

President Boyer announced that the Council’s first Lunch and Learn topic next Monday at noon will be the budget review process with tips from Council Member Anderson, a former Finance Committee chairman.

 

Meeting Adjourned:  11:53 a.m.

 

Minutes: Jeff Clements, Council Research

             7.20.16   Posted 5:30 p.m.

Tapes:  Finance special meeting– LSD

             7.20.16

Materials: Housing and Community Development Division handout

     7.20.16