Looks like a big push for another sales tax increase is in the beginning stages
http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2010-10-05/story/head-florida-transportation-commission-calls-toll-roads-jacksonville (http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2010-10-05/story/head-florida-transportation-commission-calls-toll-roads-jacksonville)
QuoteBy Larry Hannan
Marty Lanahan doesn’t have to face the voters.
So Lanahan, Regions Bank’s local president, was able to advocate for toll roads for the Jacksonville area on Tuesday without fearing the wrath of her fellow citizens.
“We need tolls and we need public-private partnerships,†said Lanahan, who was on a panel that included Jacksonville City Council President Jack Webb, Clay County Commissioner Doug Conkey and state Rep. Lake Ray, R-Jacksonville.
Toll roads were replaced in the late 1980s when Jacksonville voters approved a half-cent sales tax to fund transportation projects in the area.
Lanahan, who is also chairwoman of the Florida Transportation Commission, which oversees the Florida Department of Transportation, said the Jacksonville area needed to find a way to improve its roads, rail lines and the port to attract new businesses and jobs.
But with state and local tax revenues sagging because of the recession that will be difficult. Lanahan argued that tolls, combined with getting private businesses to contribute to infrastructure improvements, are a logical way to generate more revenue.
The panel discussion on the future of transportation funding in Northeast Florida was part of the fifth annual Global Trade and Transportation Symposium at the Marriott Southpoint.
Other panelists agreed that new revenue sources are needed, but struggled to offer what those sources might be.
While none of the other panelists expressed support for toll roads, Conkey has been a vocal supporter of the First Coast Outer Beltway, which is expected to be a 46.5-mile toll road that would run from Interstate 10 in Duval County to Interstate 95 in St. Johns County. But it’s unclear if a private company can be found that would be willing to construct it at an estimated cost of $1.8 billion.
Ray said the state and Northeast Florida are struggling because the three main legs of Florida’s economy, tourism, construction and agriculture, have all taken hits.
“I keep hearing when development comes back or business comes back we’ll be fine,†Ray said. “But we could be here 10 years from now still waiting for it to come back.â€
The region needs to find a fourth leg for the economy, and Ray said that leg could be international trade coming into Jacksonville’s port.
But that would require upgrades to the port to allow more ships, and improvements to the rail and road network to make it easier to transport goods.
Local government would need to take the lead with transportation improvements because of the deficits state government is facing, Ray said.
Webb said making infrastructure improvements during a recession would be hard.
Asking voters for a penny sales tax for transportation improvements would invite skepticism, especially because the Better Jacksonville Plan didn’t pay for everything it was supposed to fund, Webb said.
and
http://jacksonville.com/business/2010-10-06/story/former-jacksonville-councilman-says-tax-increase-ports-would-pay-job (http://jacksonville.com/business/2010-10-06/story/former-jacksonville-councilman-says-tax-increase-ports-would-pay-job)
QuoteBy David Bauerlein
Former City Council member Lad Daniels, who served on the council when voters approved a half-cent sales tax for the Better Jacksonville Plan in 2000, said Jacksonville needs a similar program for port expansion.
Speaking at the annual Global Trade and Transportation Symposium at the Marriott Southpoint on Tuesday, Daniels said Jacksonville lacks a comprehensive plan for competing with other East Coast ports.
Jacksonville can grab a bigger share of international trade after expansion of the Panama Canal opens the way for bigger cargo ships to call on Jacksonville, provided the channel is deepened, he said.
"Are we willing to tax ourselves to help ourselves and the region?" Daniels asked in an interview after the symposium. He added that a tax of less than the half-cent for the Better Jacksonville Plan could generate enough money for the port.
The payoff would come from the port being an "economic driver" for job growth, he said, not only in handling cargo imports but also giving Jacksonville an advantage for the manufacture and export of products.
Daniels, who is president of the First Coast Manufacturers Association, said manufacturers would welcome port expansion because the port would give them a gateway to global markets.
"It would be a huge job generator and it would put us in the position to become a world-class center of international trade," he said.
The symposium featured panel discussions and speeches about global trade. At Jacksonville's port, the TraPac terminal that opened in 2009 and the planned Hanjin terminal link the Asian trade lanes that will become busier for East Coast ports after the Panama Canal can handle mega-ships in 2014.
The Jacksonville Port Authority, which earns revenue by leasing port-owned property, is the lead agency for providing the local revenue match to federal funding for the port.
JaxPort faces fierce competition from other Southeast ports also angling for federal support to deepen their channels.
JaxPort has its own budget limitations because the port needs extensive work on aging docks and equipment.
Daniels said the Better Jacksonville Plan showed the community will rally around a large-scale program and support it with a tax increase.
He said the soaring cost of building the county courthouse, which is part of the Better Jacksonville Plan, has angered people. He said port expansion differs from the courthouse because the port will lead to job growth.
Incidentally, I'm all for expansion of the port. I don't necessarily think a penny sales tax increase is the way to do it. I believe the city needs to hire a pointman(woman) dedicated to finding funding for the port. There are several good people that could be sucessful for such a position.
I was at the meeting....all Marty was saying is Jacksonville will need to consider tolls if it wants to continue building roads....this is someting the rest of the state has been doing for the past 10-20 years (witness expressways in tampa and Orlando).
The truth is the average Floridian pays less than $20 a month in local, state, and Federal gas taxes....and for this they get to drive anywhere and everywhere....imagine if your cable, electric, or water bills were this cheap!
Quote from: tufsu1 on October 07, 2010, 10:06:27 AM
I was at the meeting....all Marty was saying is Jacksonville will need to consider tolls if it wants to continue building roads....this is someting the rest of the state has been doing for the past 10-20 years (witness expressways in tampa and Orlando).
And that makes sense... but this is now two articles, about two different meetings, with two different sets of power brokers... and they both link talk of floating a potential sales tax increase with port expansion.
Jaxport needs direct to rail facilities, deepening of the channel(which may not be an immediate need in the interim due to expected lighter shipping loads for the year or two after post-Panamax vessels could call on port), and MOST pressing the navigational issues at Mile Point.
I would fight tooth and nail over sales tax increases to cover more highway construction to the port.
Any potential sales tax increase referendum better include massive funding for fixed mass transit, education, and quality of life issues... otherwise I would personally piss on the bill.
oh sorry....yes the sales tax for the Port issue is real...I thought you were referring to the toll road issue
I agree on the Port....I think they need to find grant money...or float bonds...and then users repay through docking fees, etc.
One of the Jaxport's current challenges is that it doesn't have the bonding capacity to fund the fixes for the navigational issues.
And CSX wants direct rail unloads, as does the Port.. but thats another nearly 300million to try to find.
Quote from: fieldafm on October 07, 2010, 01:03:39 PM
One of the Jaxport's current challenges is that it doesn't have the bonding capacity to fund the fixes for the navigational issues.
And CSX wants direct rail unloads, as does the Port.. but thats another nearly 300million to try to find.
I was at the World Affairs Council luncheon on Tuesday where Michael Ward, the CEO of CSX, spoke. He very explicitly stated that JaxPost will fall behind quickly when the Panamax ships arrive if there is not a direct ship to rail intermodal yard at the port. Right now containers have to go from ship to truck to rail yard to train. Both Savannah and Charleston have a direct ship to rail facility.
We've been warned.
Geez...........pointed out many years ago when the Dames Point Facility was just being started, there was no smart way to move containers around on 9A! This was taking place when that road was being upgraded for the increased truck traffic! It was also pointed out that the road upgrade would have to be done again within 3 years due to the increase in traffic! Point of this............no freaking rail in or out of the facility, another outstanding job of planning! Thanks Jaxport.........more money down the tubes!
This is something the new mayor needs to take a lead on. I believe we need an effective lobbyist dedicated solely on port funding sources.
Do you realize how much money a one cent tax increase is??? Well, it's too much money for Duval County taxpayers to shoulder for money that would only go to the port.
^^fm
think of the possibilities with that much doughey bread.
we could even get Balanky's sky-cart dangling overhead too!
I bert mmm bet, (no not BRT ahhhhh) I bet we get tolls and no internationally rated port.
I would like ot be wrong, very very wrong
You don't need to raise taxes to make incremental transit improvements. I don't know why most locally continue to believe that we do. Instead, we should try better utilizing the resources we already have in hand before begging for more money from taxpayers.
both could work if the general public had ANY reason to believe in our local "officials"
Quote from: ricker on October 11, 2010, 04:09:34 PM
both could work if the general public had ANY reason to believe in our local "officials"
Quote from: thelakelander on October 11, 2010, 03:17:02 PM
You don't need to raise taxes to make incremental transit improvements. I don't know why most locally continue to believe that we do. Instead, we should try better utilizing the resources we already have in hand before begging for more money from taxpayers.
ricker.........I am with you on this one! What reason do we have to believe any of our local officials? City continues to spend and John Boy got his "Property Tax" increase against the publics will! Revenue Neutral my left ham hock. JTA is no different than the City.......wastefull, wanton spending for more concrete......I did not ask for it and the west 295 Loop is nothing but a developers enchilada............the taxpayers are not going to pony up money for it..........I know I don't want it! lake.....I agree with your take.......better utilizing resources we have on hand! Stop BRT in its current high dollar form..........fine tune what we have on hand rather than another turkey which the public gets to feed!
Quote from: ricker on October 11, 2010, 04:09:34 PM
both could work if the general public had ANY reason to believe in our local "officials"
Only one works in the short term. Our local officials and transit authority have to better utilize the resources and assets already in place. This is the only way to gain the general public's trust, which would be needed in any plan that asks for a tax increase.
Quote from: thelakelander on October 11, 2010, 03:17:02 PM
You don't need to raise taxes to make incremental transit improvements. I don't know why most locally continue to believe that we do. Instead, we should try better utilizing the resources we already have in hand before begging for more money from taxpayers.
I don't see the need for more highway access to the port... however direct to rail offloads and fixes for the navigational issues are most definately needed. I just don't see the need for Duval County taxpayers to front the majority of the money for these capital needs. The port represents major international commerce that doesn't just stay within the confines of Duval, and as such state and federal funding should be major vehicles for port expansion.
^I would not support a tax increase proposal that called for funding port expansion projects over quality of life improvements for local residents.
To reiterate:
QuoteAny potential sales tax increase referendum better include massive funding for fixed mass transit, education, and quality of life issues... otherwise I would personally piss on the bill.
fieldafm.........I think you would have to take a number and stand in line! Port can deepen all they want, still have nothing that says doing that won't harm the river in the long run from the increased salinity! Not to mention, no rail in to or out of the port which means we are back to 9A container transport! Real efficient and don't forget,if and when they have increased truck traffic beyond what is there now, 9A will have to be rebuilt within the next 2 years.....so once again....we have an outstanding job of planning! Who should be blamed for this one...........Bubba the Love Sponge or maybe his sister?
The port needs rail. Before they keep spending on dredging, cranes, and acquiring more land, they ought to have a come to Jesus moment and realize that the single biggest thing they can do to make the port more attractive is incorporating ship-to-rail capability. It's all about efficiency and cost, and having to discharge cargo onto trucks and then have the containers trucked to the rail yard where they have to be reloaded is highly inefficient, and no doubt results in higher costs being passed along to customers vs. other facilities where you don't have to engage in this redundant and inefficient exercise.
QuotePort can deepen all they want, still have nothing that says doing that won't harm the river in the long run from the increased salinity!
The deepening of the channel has got to happen, or massive gross tonage will literally sail right by us. I just don't think this should be funded solely by Duval County taxpayers.