Peyton lobbies City Council for downtown projects

[Ocklawaha]

LAWN SEED! THAT'S IT! LAWN SEED! $8.2 Million dollars worth... Now THERE IS A PLAN for a boomtown.

On another Peyton vein, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BJP $100 Million for transit?? WHERE IS IT?
Come on cough it up! Accountability Now!

OCKLAWAHA

[tufsu1]

tufsu...........come on big guy, give me just a little credit if you would.........that $40 Million is projected I would agree (or an estimate if you wish) but either way there is a short fall acoming right? Based an a Budget of $1 Billion Dollars it does not matter to me if its one dollar, that is one dollar too much. I understand in today's economy a lack of revenue but there is no excuse for spending what you don't have! We must get our financial house in order based upon what we have coming in...........plain and simple math!

The City hasn't spent money they don't have...yet.

If there is a shortfall coming in 2011, then we'll have the same conversation this spring/summer that we had last year...there will be tough decisions to make regarding program cuts and/or revenue increases.

You seem to remember that the Mayor got his "tax increase" but do you also remember that around $50 million was cut from the budget?

[CS Foltz]

tufsu.....evidently you seem to have forgotten about the Mayoral power to reinsert removed Budget items and that is just what happened! Budget committee deleted Inspector Generals Office (Pam Markam & Company @ about $7 Million Dollars a year)guess who re-inserted her office? When you total up all of the cut items and then look really really close about the only thing that stayed cut was "Veterans Day Parade"! So your kinda looking at pennies overall when you look at a Budget that is $1 Billion Dollars! I look at AIMO's costing us about $27 Million Dollars a year, I look at..............aw the heck with it! I could go on and on! Current Administration is not managing our money worth a darn.........that's why we keep running on the short end of the stick!

[Charles Hunter]

stjr - this is what I was referring to:
http://www.coj.net/Departments/Independent+Boards+and+Agencies/Water+and+Sewer+Expansion+Authority/default.htm

What is the WSEA?

The WSEA, established in 2003 as an independent authority by the City of Jacksonville, was created to provide property owners with an opportunity to finance water and/or sewer infrastructure in their existing developed neighborhoods on a voluntary basis.

In new neighborhoods, developers install the infrastructure as the homes are built and pass those costs on to the new homebuyers.  As the municipally owned electric, water and sewer authority in the county, JEA then takes over the maintenance of those water and sewer lines.  In many of Jacksonville's older neighborhoods, developers chose not to install water or sewer infrastructure, and JEA's water and sewer rates do not provide enough funds to install lines in existing neighborhoods. 

[tufsu1]

tufsu.....evidently you seem to have forgotten about the Mayoral power to reinsert removed Budget items and that is just what happened! Budget committee deleted Inspector Generals Office (Pam Markam & Company @ about $7 Million Dollars a year)guess who re-inserted her office? When you total up all of the cut items and then look really really close about the only thing that stayed cut was "Veterans Day Parade"! So your kinda looking at pennies overall when you look at a Budget that is $1 Billion Dollars! I look at AIMO's costing us about $27 Million Dollars a year, I look at..............aw the heck with it! I could go on and on! Current Administration is not managing our money worth a darn.........that's why we keep running on the short end of the stick!

dude...they never cut the Veterans Day Parade...that was an idea that drew a lot of ire...which, in the end, is why the Council caved and agreed to a portion of the "tax increase".

Maybe you can do some research on the City's operating budget over the last 7 years....then adjust for inflation and required pension payments and see the trend...I'd be real curious as to what you'll find!

[stjr]

stjr - this is what I was referring to:
http://www.coj.net/Departments/Independent+Boards+and+Agencies/Water+and+Sewer+Expansion+Authority/default.htm

What is the WSEA?

The WSEA, established in 2003 as an independent authority by the City of Jacksonville, was created to provide property owners with an opportunity to finance water and/or sewer infrastructure in their existing developed neighborhoods on a voluntary basis.

In new neighborhoods, developers install the infrastructure as the homes are built and pass those costs on to the new homebuyers.  As the municipally owned electric, water and sewer authority in the county, JEA then takes over the maintenance of those water and sewer lines.  In many of Jacksonville's older neighborhoods, developers chose not to install water or sewer infrastructure, and JEA's water and sewer rates do not provide enough funds to install lines in existing neighborhoods. 

More from the City site you linked to:

Water and Sewer Expansion Authority
The WSEA offers an alternative for financing by allowing the capital costs (the cost of installing water and/or sewer lines) to be financed by the homeowner over a number of years.  Homeowners who participate in the program are assessed an additional charge on monthly utility billings to pay for capital costs.  A project must have at least 50 percent participation to be considered cost feasible to go to construction.  New customers will receive monthly bills for regular water and sewer service charges, as well as a capital charge to pay for the infrastructure over a 20â€" toâ€" 30-year period.  Only those participants in a neighborhood who want the services will be customers and be charged the monthly service and capital charges.  Those who choose not to participate may defer their connection to the system.  However, if their septic tank system fails or they sell their property, the deferment is no longer valid.  The homeowner will then be responsible for a lump sum payment at the time of connection.

The city will contribute 30 percent of the total costs for the first 500 residential customers.  The WSEA will also undertake commercial or non-profit business projects, but there will be no city cost participation for those customers.

Interesting, Charles.  Your original reference left out the "expansion" word and the whole name appears to be a misleading political euphemism .  This appears to be a financing arm directed by JEA to help out homeowners forced to add JEA sewer and water lines.  I would guess it consists of a couple of JEA employees with a pot of money to make and collect loans to such homeowners.  When you cited a "water and sewer authority" capable of occupying a high rise, I took it you meant an actual operational company with hundreds or thousands of employees on par with JEA.

[Charles Hunter]

I mis-stated the name earlier.  And if the WSA did buy the JEA building, it sounds like some sort of financial shell game, since the WSA is part of the JEA.

[stjr]

I mis-stated the name earlier.  And if the WSA did buy the JEA building, it sounds like some sort of financial shell game, since the WSA is part of the JEA.

Understood.  We wouldn't want the public to figure out everything our authorities are up to