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City councils

Jacksonville Mayor Launches Budget Engagement Efforts Amid Financial Challenges

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton is working to get taxpayers involved in the city's budget-making process, aiming to avoid the conflict and drama of last summer's $90 million shortfall. With a projected 2010-11 shortfall of around $40 million to $60 million, Peyton is launching a Web site and holding workshops to educate citizens about the nearly $1 billion budget. The city has been in negotiations with unions, proposing 3 percent salary cuts and reduced pension benefits for new employees, but no deals have been reached.

Key Takeaways:

  • The city of Jacksonville is facing a projected 2010-11 shortfall of around $40 million to $60 million due to declining tax revenues and rising employee-related costs.
  • Mayor John Peyton is launching a Web site (myjaxbudget.com) and holding workshops to engage taxpayers in the budget-making process and educate them about the city's nearly $1 billion budget.
  • The city has been in negotiations with unions since fall, proposing 3 percent salary cuts and reduced pension benefits for new employees, but no deals have been reached.
  • The mayor's goal is to create a "depth of knowledge" among citizens that will help facilitate difficult budget discussions and reduce the need for taxpayer increases.
  • Council President Richard Clark expects the city to be "scraping for money" the next three to five years, even if the economy turns around quickly.
  • The city will use the input gathered from the workshops to inform the budget decisions, and citizens will be able to sign up online to attend a workshop or request information packets about certain departments.

Statistics:

  • The city's projected 2010-11 shortfall is around $40 million to $60 million.
  • The city's budget is nearly $1 billion.
  • 3 percent salary cuts are being proposed for employees.
  • The city is expecting "off the charts" employee-related costs.
  • The projected 9 percent property tax increase for 2009-10 was ultimately adopted by the City Council.

Sources:

  • The Florida Times-Union, "Peyton launches new effort to get public involved in city budget talks," Feb. 5, 2010.
  • The city of Jacksonville's Web site, myjaxbudget.com.

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