2014 Budget Meeting is Still on at City Hall

[Cheshire Cat]

About that worthwhile discussion.  This is a great piece from The Daily Record.  They have taken the time to delineate the differences between the mayors budget and what was created and approved by the council and will go into effect.  I am going to post the comparisons for a quick view but do take the time to read the entire article using the link.

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=540651

Public safety

MAYOR

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office

• $29.6 million in extraordinary lapse in budget

• 11 positions cut

Jacksonville Fire and Rescue

• $9 million increase to $183 million budget

• $15.5 million in unidentified cuts, mostly by not filling positions

• Saved $1.2 million by delaying equipment replacement

COUNCIL

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office

• Restored $27 million in extraordinary lapse, saving 300-plus officer positions

• Allowed sheriff to carryover $7 million in savings

Jacksonville Fire and Rescue

• Restored $12.6 million in lapse, keeping three stations open

• Spent $5.8 million on replacement vehicles and computers

Taxes

MAYOR

• Did not raise tax rates

• Property tax revenue down $5.7 million to $426 million

COUNCIL

• Increased millage rate 1.4 to 11.44 for most of county

• Homesteaded Duval house valued at $150,000 pays additional $140 per year

• Brought in about $65 million in additional revenue

Neighborhoods

MAYOR

• Increased budget $294,241 to $13.8 million

• Cut 13 positions

• Jacksonville Journey funding for LISC cut $64,957 to $399,023

COUNCIL

• Restored $246,000 to Animal Care for two positions and animal intake

• Gave Municipal Code Compliance funding for nuisance abatement and several positions

• Funded LISC for $399,023

Capital projects

MAYOR

• $30 million budget for 2013-14

• No money for road resurfacing

• No money for road construction

COUNCIL

• $66 million budget for 2013-14

• Funded $9.6 million for road resurfacing

• Park maintenance infrastructure projects, $4.7 million

• Added New World Avenue, Parramore Road, Kernan Boulevard construction projects

Parks

MAYOR

• Increased budget $4.1 million to $24.2 million, mostly for programming

• $500,000 in extraordinary lapse

• Cut 32 positions

COUNCIL

• Kept several community centers open, $240,000

• Maintained pool hours, $500,000

• Provided Hemming Plaza seed money, $200,000

Pension

MAYOR

• Said his reform plan would save $45 million in 2013-14

• Said savings over 30 years would be more than $1 billion

COUNCIL

• Council members rejected pension reform plan

• Decided any reform should not be tied to the budget

Children's issues

MAYOR

• Summer jobs program cut $29,291 to $179,929

• Jacksonville Journey funding to Jacksonville Children's Commission cut $851,422

• Juvenile crime prevention and intervention cut $45,024 to $276,576

• Cut early literacy funding by $238,000 to $1.5 million

COUNCIL

• Restored $1.4 million to Jacksonville Children's Commission

• Added $630,000 for early literacy programs

• Kept Summer Night Lights for $174,821

Libraries

MAYOR

• $2.4 million budget cut

• 33 positions eliminated

• Materials budget cut $173,370 to $2.9 million

COUNCIL

• Kept six branches open for $1.5 million

• Maintained Sunday hours for $242,698

• Spent $449,641 to keep Main Branch open Saturdays

[Stephen]

Its a good thing they saved the libraries now will people get upset at a Tax Hike no matter how small?

[If_I_Loved_you]

Its a good thing they saved the libraries now will people get upset at a Tax Hike no matter how small?

Yes because a lot of sad little people feel that taxes should never go up? Which is just stupid! But then again I'm a Yellow Dog Democrat. 

[Stephen]

I'm a democrat too...Chicago Democrat which might be worse then a Yellow Dog Democrat: whatever that is.

[If_I_Loved_you]

I'm a democrat too...Chicago Democrat which might be worse then a Yellow Dog Democrat: whatever that is.

Yellow Dog Democrats was a political term applied to voters in the Southern United States who voted solely for Democratic candidates, with the term commencing in the late 19th century. These voters would allegedly "vote for a yellow dog before they would vote for any Republican".[1][2] The term is now more generally applied to refer to any Democrat who will vote a straight party ticket under any circumstances. Wikipedia

[carpnter]

Its a good thing they saved the libraries now will people get upset at a Tax Hike no matter how small?

Yes because a lot of sad little people feel that taxes should never go up? Which is just stupid! But then again I'm a Yellow Dog Democrat. 

Anyone who always votes for a single party no matter who they run is an idiot. 

[If_I_Loved_you]

Its a good thing they saved the libraries now will people get upset at a Tax Hike no matter how small?

Yes because a lot of sad little people feel that taxes should never go up? Which is just stupid! But then again I'm a Yellow Dog Democrat. 

Anyone who always votes for a single party no matter who they run is an idiot.

This is the same way I feel about anyone voting for the Tea Party type Republicans?