Sprawl Strikes Again: City Hall To Spend An Extra $3 Million On Gas

[thelakelander]

Its becoming pretty clear as day that we need to reign in our sprawly ways.  Our poor pattern of growth and development is going to bring us to bankruptcy.

Higher gas prices could add more than $3 million to the cost of running Jacksonville’s city-owned vehicles this year,  an administrator warned City Council members Tuesday.

“That is one of those elements that is uncontrollable,” Devin Reed, the city’s director of central operations, told members of the council Budget Savings Review Special Committee, assigned to find ways to rein in city spending.

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-04-05/story/jacksonville-city-hall-spend-3-million-extra-gas-its-fleet-year#ixzz1IhTP8Dqr

[Gators312]

“That is one of those elements that is uncontrollable,” Devin Reed, the city’s director of central operations, told members of the council Budget Savings Review Special Committee, assigned to find ways to rein in city spending.

I love Mr. Reed's way of thinking.  This is why the city is in the shape we are in. 

[JeffreyS]

“That is one of those elements that is uncontrollable,” Devin Reed, the city’s director of central operations, told members of the council Budget Savings Review Special Committee, assigned to find ways to rein in city spending.

I love Mr. Reed's way of thinking.  This is why the city is in the shape we are in. 

He truly does not get it.

[Timkin]

And gets paid not to get it as well .....

[dougskiles]

What if:

• We redraw the council districts and base them on a commonality of cost to provide services
• Each district then chooses how they want to prioritize the services they receive - i.e. they get to decide if they would rather have a widened road or extended library hours
• If that district wants to increase their taxes (through property or sales) to provide additional services, they would have the power to do that
• Instead of drawing gerrymandered districts to reflect a consistent demographic and likely political outcome, they are 'reverse' gerrymandered so that the economic demographic is balanced.  Thus you wouldn't have a district created that has only high property values and therefore much more money to spend than the poor neighboring district.  Instead of spokes, the map would like more like concentric rings

[spuwho]

While I am against the idea that COJ/JSO provide "company" cars to so many staff, everyone needs to understand that "some" taxing body would have paid for the gas either way.

Even if we weren't consolidated, there would be a law enforcement agency doing what JSO does performing active patrols.

Even if JSO did not provide a vehicle, the employee would *still* be burning the same gas (albeit at their own expense).

The only uncontrollable event the rep speaks of is the actual price they pay for the gas. Which by the way, JSO/COJ are exempt from certain taxes on fuel they purchase in bulk. If they are hedging that price by purchasing contracts (which I doubt) it may be even less.

[johnnyroadglide]

“That is one of those elements that is uncontrollable,” Devin Reed, the city’s director of central operations, told members of the council Budget Savings Review Special Committee, assigned to find ways to rein in city spending.

I love Mr. Reed's way of thinking.  This is why the city is in the shape we are in. 

I believe what Mr Reed is referring to is the price of gas is uncontrollable. Not how the city uses it.

[Garden guy]

Get some of these boys off the car addiction and onto their feet and we'd see a real community and we'd save money. Our police system is missing a big part of safety...that's knowing who you are in charge of...i've seen a policeman or woman walking my block about 3 times in 14 years..it's nuts and it makes no sense.

[peestandingup]

“That is one of those elements that is uncontrollable,” Devin Reed, the city’s director of central operations, told members of the council Budget Savings Review Special Committee, assigned to find ways to rein in city spending.

I love Mr. Reed's way of thinking.  This is why the city is in the shape we are in. 

I believe what Mr Reed is referring to is the price of gas is uncontrollable. Not how the city uses it.

It's still an asinine statement in regards to what he's talking about. Gas prices have always been uncontrollable (well, they're actually not, but that's a different topic). Yet knowing this, this city still gobbled up massive amounts of land that it knew it would have to provide these services for. Oh, and all the while core infill remained pathetically low. So what did they expect to happen when gas prices did indeed go up??

These guys are idiots, plain & simple. And the proof is in the pudding. The sad part is, these same people are still employed & we're paying for it. I wouldn't trust them to manage a budget of a Mcdonalds, let alone an entire city.

The city needs to go bankrupt. Maybe it'll wake up then & we can start to reverse some of this mess.

[mtraininjax]

Its becoming pretty clear as day that we need to reign in our sprawly ways.  Our poor pattern of growth and development is going to bring us to bankruptcy.

Let's rescind CONSOLIDATION and go back to all those independent governments with their own tax collectors, appraisers and jails. That would be fun, then we could complain about the real inefficiencies of government instead of squabbling over something so petty as fuel.

[dougskiles]

When Mike Hogan was asked about selling preservation lands, he said that everything was "on the table".  If that is true, why not also talk about rescinding consolidation?  I'm sure it won't happen - but - it would be a great discussion (community wide) that would bring some of the problems associated with it to light.  Then, perhaps, we could start to do something about those problems.  Right now all we do is sweep that stuff under the rug.

The first step is redrawing the council districts.  And, in the process, we should take a strong look at whether or not we have too many.  Do we really need 19 council members?  Having so many weakens the power of any one of them - which depending on who we elect, I suppose could be good or bad.

[Doctor_K]

Or start buying hybrids and using them as police patrol cars. 

Or at least find less than full-size gas hogs like the Impalas and Crown Vics.  Those things suck on gas (literally).

[Dog Walker]

Or start buying hybrids and using them as police patrol cars. 

Or at least find less than full-size gas hogs like the Impalas and Crown Vics.  Those things suck on gas (literally).

I think they have downsized to Malibus for just that reason.  And don't forget, the Riverside "foot" patrol uses a golf cart.  That's got to save a little gas anyway.  Their new one, paid for by State Farm Insurance, is going to be all electric and have a solar panel.  

[mtraininjax]

Do we really need 19 council members?  Having so many weakens the power of any one of them - which depending on who we elect, I suppose could be good or bad.

Not only that, but it would be nice to have districts that actually include similar folks. Take District 14, it features Riverside/Avondale, but what concerns us is of no importance to someone in Argyle, which is in 14 as well. The districts are badly out of wack in some areas, badly!

[dougskiles]

The biggest obstacle to creating sensible districts is the law that requires a certain number of districts to basically guarantee a win from a member of the minority population.  I don't know the name of the law - perhaps someone can help me with that.  And it isn't just one district - it has to be proportionate to the percentage of minorities in the larger area.  For example, if you have 10 districts and 30% of your population is of that minority, then 3 of your 10 districts need to provide a really good opportunity for a person of that minority to get elected.

My challenge to my fellow MJers is to start working on new district maps that create sense and fit into this criteria.

And please correct my understandings stated above if they are flawed.