Jacksonville Mayoral election 2015

[mtraininjax]

At least Brown has already gone through the learning curve and will be term-limited.

That is the same argument the "I'm with Alvin" crowd made 4 years ago. Try out a new guy they said, he'll be different. He was everything but better. Keep going with that argument, Brown has experience........he has experience passing the buck to City Council.

Who wants 4 more years of passing the buck? You get that with Alvin.

[Cheshire Cat]

Here are some current stats on where the voting stands for the May 19th runoff as it will impact the mayors race and others.
 
As of todays date and time there have been 70,249 mail in ballots requested.

The breakdown of votes shown here are from yesterdays totals as the polls are still open today.
                                  35,165   via mail
                                  15,839   early votes at polling sites
                                         10  provisional



The party breakdown is:     23,134   Republican
                                        21,839   Democrat
                                          5,931   Other


The other category is what this election will turn on in my view. 

[tufsu1]

Exactly the same thing is true of the Democrats: if the party gave a damn, they wouldn't have dumped millions into electing an unproven nobody in 2011, and then re-electing him in 2015 even after he proved to be a disaster. Both parties are only involved here because this is an important region in state and national elections.

Curry is an unproved nobody as well.  At least Brown has already gone through the learning curve and will be term-limited.

what folks should have learned from the first terms of Peyton and Brown is not to elect someone mayor who has had no previous governing experience. 

That same adage now applies to Mr. Curry

[tufsu1]

That is the same argument the "I'm with Alvin" crowd made 4 years ago. Try out a new guy they said, he'll be different. He was everything but better. Keep going with that argument, Brown has experience........he has experience passing the buck to City Council.

I was with Alvin four years ago and never made such claim.  In fact, I am skeptical of any politician that claims government experience isn't important when running for a "chief executive" office.  See post above.

[Tacachale]

Exactly the same thing is true of the Democrats: if the party gave a damn, they wouldn't have dumped millions into electing an unproven nobody in 2011, and then re-electing him in 2015 even after he proved to be a disaster. Both parties are only involved here because this is an important region in state and national elections.

Curry is an unproved nobody as well.  At least Brown has already gone through the learning curve and will be term-limited.

Democrats supported Brown because they needed someone to run and he was willing and reasonably qualified. They only poured money into the race when it was obvious the GOP nominee was toxic. They saw a chance to break the iron grip of the GOP, and rightly took advantage of it.   They support him this time, because when you are the minority party and you have an incumbent that is not convicted of a crime, you support them. If Hogan had won and been a lousy mayor, the GOP would support him too.

Curry has much more real experience that Brown has even now. As far as the learning curve goes, I have yet to see any evidence that Brown has gone through it.

[Cheshire Cat]

Exactly the same thing is true of the Democrats: if the party gave a damn, they wouldn't have dumped millions into electing an unproven nobody in 2011, and then re-electing him in 2015 even after he proved to be a disaster. Both parties are only involved here because this is an important region in state and national elections.

Curry is an unproved nobody as well.  At least Brown has already gone through the learning curve and will be term-limited.

Democrats supported Brown because they needed someone to run and he was willing and reasonably qualified. They only poured money into the race when it was obvious the GOP nominee was toxic. They saw a chance to break the iron grip of the GOP, and rightly took advantage of it.   They support him this time, because when you are the minority party and you have an incumbent that is not convicted of a crime, you support them. If Hogan had won and been a lousy mayor, the GOP would support him too.

Curry has much more real experience that Brown has even now. As far as the learning curve goes, I have yet to see any evidence that Brown has gone through it.

That simply is not so.    If nothing else Brown has been inside the city system for the last four years.  Curry has never had anything to do with city politics or any knowledge of how the city machine works.  There will be a learning curve for him if elected and his scant few years in business and as the GOP chairman again does not give him the needed experience in government.  Not defending Brown either.  I am ever so aware of his short comings but he does have experience now that Curry does not.  That is just the fact of the matter. 

[Tacachale]

To me, the two things Curry brings to the table are his strengths in accounting and management of staff. He does have 20 years of experience in that area and this is something everyone who has worked with him will tell you. They're also two of the key strengths a mayor will need to get us out of the current mess. Brown has been in office for four years, and he's got a lot of other positive qualities, but I'm sorry, I just don't see any evidence that's he's learning or improving in these areas. If I did I'd be right there with you.

[Cheshire Cat]

To me, the two things Curry brings to the table are his strengths in accounting and management of staff. He does have 20 years of experience in that area and this is something everyone who has worked with him will tell you. They're also two of the key strengths a mayor will need to get us out of the current mess. Brown has been in office for four years, and he's got a lot of other positive qualities, but I'm sorry, I just don't see any evidence that's he's learning or improving in these areas. If I did I'd be right there with you.

I understand your view.  To me an accounting background is not enough.  Running a city is far different from either of the area's of experience he has. Lori Boyer will be on the council next term along with Bill Guilliford and John Crescimbeni who all know the flaws in our accounting and budgeting system.  Brown did not have any experience in local government or city functions when he ran, in my opinion which is why I did not support him at that time and supported his opponent. 

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

To me, the two things Curry brings to the table are his strengths in accounting and management of staff. He does have 20 years of experience in that area and this is something everyone who has worked with him will tell you. They're also two of the key strengths a mayor will need to get us out of the current mess. Brown has been in office for four years, and he's got a lot of other positive qualities, but I'm sorry, I just don't see any evidence that's he's learning or improving in these areas. If I did I'd be right there with you.

Yeah but...

The more thought I give it, the more unimportant I think it is for the mayor to produce a yearly budget.  It's not going to happen.  Your guy Curry isn't going to be able to do it either, advanced math or not, when every department under you is requesting a larger budget from the previous year and the revenue is still stagnant, if not declining.  Isn't he running on a 'no new taxes' mantra as well?

Which programs are you willing to see cut?   Wouldn't the representatives of each district be more in tune with what's essential and what not?

I may be mistaken, but doesn't the CFO come up with the budget and the CEO only signs off?  Who's the CFO for the city?

Hell, it seems this forum contains a wealth of fiduciary genius based on the sheer quantity of criticism of the budget.   I'm sure the city would put up a plaque in a very prominent place, using the money you saved, if you'd quit being so secretive and just donate your wondrous plan to the city for the benefit of all of us.

[fieldafm]

To me an accounting background is not enough.  Running a city is far different from either of the area's of experience he has.

Vote for who you feel is best. I respect that.

But its absurd to suggest that a CPA with extensive experience with auditing, financial analysis, process improvement and developing financial operational procedures for companies with larger budgets than COJ isn't the exact definition of someone that is qualified to handle municipal budget issues.

[Tacachale]

To me, the two things Curry brings to the table are his strengths in accounting and management of staff. He does have 20 years of experience in that area and this is something everyone who has worked with him will tell you. They're also two of the key strengths a mayor will need to get us out of the current mess. Brown has been in office for four years, and he's got a lot of other positive qualities, but I'm sorry, I just don't see any evidence that's he's learning or improving in these areas. If I did I'd be right there with you.

Yeah but...

The more thought I give it, the more unimportant I think it is for the mayor to produce a yearly budget.  It's not going to happen.  Your guy Curry isn't going to be able to do it either, advanced math or not, when every department under you is requesting a larger budget from the previous year and the revenue is still stagnant, if not declining.  Isn't he running on a 'no new taxes' mantra as well?

Which programs are you willing to see cut?   Wouldn't the representatives of each district be more in tune with what's essential and what not?

I may be mistaken, but doesn't the CFO come up with the budget and the CEO only signs off?  Who's the CFO for the city?

Hell, it seems this forum contains a wealth of fiduciary genius based on the sheer quantity of criticism of the budget.   I'm sure the city would put up a plaque in a very prominent place, using the money you saved, if you'd quit being so secretive and just donate your wondrous plan to the city for the benefit of all of us.

Yes, there's a CFO of the city, but they report to the mayor. That goes to my point about staff and management. Outlining a yearly balanced budget is one of the responsibilities of the mayor's administration, so the buck stops with him on this issue.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

To me an accounting background is not enough.  Running a city is far different from either of the area's of experience he has.

Vote for who you feel is best. I respect that.

But its absurd to suggest that a CPA with extensive experience with auditing, financial analysis, process improvement and developing financial operational procedures for companies with larger budgets than COJ isn't the exact definition of someone that is qualified to handle municipal budget issues.

When your business is not making enough money and all of the department heads are already crying because they already feel they're short-staffed and already over-budget, which department do you bulk up first, Sales or Accounting?

He said he wouldn't raise taxes. 

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

... so the buck stops with him on this issue.

If the buck stopped with him on the issue, then there would be no need for the council to approve it in the first place. 

I've said it before; I'll say it again - stop focusing on the single issues and try to look at the entire debacle comprehensively.  It's not going to end until someone with the backbone to stand up and say enough is enough and force each department to do better with what they already have.   Brown isn't that guy and I have ZERO inclination that Curry is either. 

Sometimes getting out of the way of things is the best option.

But LEADERSHIP?   I hear you, but leadership in the wrong direction is what?

[Cheshire Cat]

To me an accounting background is not enough.  Running a city is far different from either of the area's of experience he has.

Vote for who you feel is best. I respect that.

But its absurd to suggest that a CPA with extensive experience with auditing, financial analysis, process improvement and developing financial operational procedures for companies with larger budgets than COJ isn't the exact definition of someone that is qualified to handle municipal budget issues.

I did not say he was unqualified to handle municipal budgets.  Let's be clear about that.  I said that his background does not include any experience dealing with city government or it's functions.  The position of the mayor is not that of accountant, it is much broader and includes the ability to understand the workings of all the departments along with the ability to embrace the entire community as a whole, it's needs, wants and desires and serve them all in an equitable fashion.  All of the chest pounding about being conservative and only voting republican along with the negative connotations about our President, has defined a worrisome narrow mindset on the part of a potential leader for what is supposed to be a non-partisan position.  I don't see any way that Curry will effectively be able to reach out to much less understand the many people in our struggling neighborhoods or find balance with the more liberal thinkers who drive much of what is good in Jacksonville. In order to do that he would have to be willing to look at the city through their eyes and not the eyes of a GOP conservative hardliner. He is too polarized in his beliefs and statements. Again, my opinion.

[tufsu1]

To me, the two things Curry brings to the table are his strengths in accounting and management of staff. He does have 20 years of experience in that area and this is something everyone who has worked with him will tell you. They're also two of the key strengths a mayor will need to get us out of the current mess. Brown has been in office for four years, and he's got a lot of other positive qualities, but I'm sorry, I just don't see any evidence that's he's learning or improving in these areas. If I did I'd be right there with you.

an accounting background is a requirement for the budget officer...in Brown's case, that would be Ronnie Belton