Jacksonville’s financing: “Kicking the can down the road” part 2

June 16, 4:15 PMJacksonville City Hall ExaminerFrederick Matthews

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City Council President Richard Clark, in a clear response to the Jacksonville Community Council’s new report, plans to have a series of public open-air budget sessions. The sessions would be held in different parts of town.

The JCCI report entitled “Our Money, Our City, Financing Jacksonville’s Future”, puts forth the issue that the process of constructing a city budget is like reading a foreign language to most citizens. The other problems for citizen understanding is the logistics of getting to the city council meeting to see and hear what is going on.

Equal in the public education process will be deciphering the three documents that spell out Jacksonville’s budget: “ the

Annual budget, the Budget in Brief and Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.” These reports are essential to knowing what the city is spending and where. The problems is getting them to the public without the feeling of being involved in an intricate shell game. All three documents are available on the city website at www.coj.net.

But these documents only point to what has been done. The real key is public participation on things that will and are getting done. That process is in full sway right now. Sometimes even on a weekly basis. A key place for the public to access is the Mayor’s Budget Review Committee, comprised of department chiefs and adminstration leadership, often issues that are to be proposed to the City council will begin here.

Next, and more important, is the City Council Finance and Rules Committees. Here each item of the budget and matters proposed for spending each month are to be scrutinized and voted on before going to the full council. Public hearings are often scheduled during these meetings with more time for back and forth questions and answers than is given once the matter goes to the full council for a vote.

Council President Clark’s idea seems worth a try, except in the cases of controversial issues which some councilmen and lobbyists would rather stay downtown.

Unfortunately none of this will solve the financial crisis that is approaching Jacksonville. A crisis that Police Union President Nelson Cuba calls funding its priorities ”on the cheap.”

For more information read the JCCI report at www.jcci.org.