Today the Finance committee takes up the Special Services portion of the budget. To say that the recommended cuts would be devastating to our already thin social and special services, would be an understatement. Most of these programs have seen cuts for the past few years and already operate on extremely limited budgets. They're overstressed now, imagine how they'll be if a lot of these pass.
Not to mention, the ranking scale of 1-9 for impact is way way out of whack.
For a lot of seniors, the one meal delivered is their only meal of the day.
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Full agenda is down the page here: http://www.coj.net/city-council/standing-committees/finance/2013-budget-information.aspx
List of proposed cuts and "impacts" found in .pdf here:
http://www.coj.net/city-council/docs/budget/2013-budget-2013-08-15-specialservicesdepthandout0.aspx
http://www.coj.net/city-council/docs/budget/2013-budget-specialservicesdepthandout.aspx
TU also had an article today about the money the city pays Shands/UF Health yearly for treating the poor.
http://jacksonville.com/news/health-and-fitness/2013-08-28/story/council-panel-question-millions-city-money-spent-uf-health
QuoteYear after year, in good times and bad, Jacksonville has paid almost $24 million annually to help Shands Jacksonville hospital — now UF Health Jacksonville — cover costs of treating the poor.
This year, a City Council member asked whether that was something the city had to do.
No, city lawyers decided this month. That triggered a harder question: Should the city pay anyway?
The council's Finance Committee will ask hospital officials about the city contribution Thursday, right before it reviews a Sheriff's Office budget that contains $29.6 million in unspecified budget cuts. Sheriff John Rutherford has said those cuts, proposed by Mayor Alvin Brown, could force "hundreds" of layoffs.
QuoteThe city paid $23.8 million each year since 2002 for an agreement that the hospital would cover care for people with low-paying jobs that didn't offer health insurance.
Anyone down there today? I see they handled the JSO situation already. Next up, special services.
Quote from: Bridges on August 29, 2013, 02:08:43 PM
Anyone down there today? I see they handled the JSO situation already. Next up, special services.
How did they handle the JSO situation? I missed that.
http://www.news4jax.com/news/city-council-restores-sheriffs-funding-no-layoffs/-/475880/21699820/-/o5wrrr/-/index.html (http://www.news4jax.com/news/city-council-restores-sheriffs-funding-no-layoffs/-/475880/21699820/-/o5wrrr/-/index.html)
QuoteJACKSONVILLE, Fla. -
After hearing from Sheriff John Rutherford Friday morning, a Jacksonville City Council committee voted to fully fund the agency, virtually assuring a property tax increase this year.
Quick Clicks
Mayor Alvin Brown's proposed budget called for nearly $30 million in cuts to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office budget, which Rutherford said would require laying off up to 300 officers and closing a successful jail drug treatment center.
After hearing from the sheriff, the finance committee agreed to return $27 million to the JSO budget.
Thanks Bridges, much appreciated. I am glad the JSO was properly funded. I appears that the council will be using that "potential" property tax increase. If it gets us on track, I am cool with that.