Peyton lobbies City Council for downtown projects

[futurejax]

It is now "safe" to direct attention to the region's core.

Surrounding counties now have alternative employment centers and other development dreams vested,complimented by the Beltway.Consider the profile of Beltway interests embedded within the Chamber of Commerce.And the fact that regional growth has been driven by surrounding county anti Duval theme.

I think this sums it up.  And finally some people down at City Hall are realizing eventually you cannot really develop out on the perimeter any further.  If Jax is ever going to become a premiere city it has to have a downtown that is recognizable, desirable, unique and interesting.  That is what will bring more substantive businesses to the area.  New York has rents that are astronomical for commercial real estate.  But owners are willing to stay put because they no the best talent wants to be there.  Gotta spend money to make money sometimes.  Jacksonville to me is at an important crossroads.  It can follow in the footsteps of southern cities like Charlotte and Nashville and become a vibrant urban destination, or it can slide back into hibernation as just another large town along the likes of a warmer version of  Hartford, CT.  There is simply too many natural advantages to let the latter happen.  This decade is the time to shine.

[thelakelander]

To Hartford's credit, their downtown is more vibrant.

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2008-aug-elements-of-urbanism-hartford

[CS Foltz]

What mystifies me is......it has taken Johnny how long to come to this conclusion? 18 Months to go, then we get to break someone new in all over again! They can't help but do a better job.........maybe! Got some real pointed questions to ask this time out and boy will they be pointed!

[stjr]

•Put $3.1 million into replacing the pumps and fixing Friendship Fountain on the Southbank. Work would include replacing much of the concrete around the fountain with grass and adding lighting and seating to the area.

WOO!!!! The Memorial Park extension is another great use of funds.  These two projects are about 6 years overdue, but at least they beat Fuddruckers to completion!

To be clear, I don't think the extension of the Riverwalk to Memorial Park is in this plan based on this statement in the article:

Most of the money had been set aside for extensions to the Northbank Riverwalk, including the stretch from the Fuller Warren Bridge to Memorial Park that the city hasn’t been able to fully support with contributions from property owners along the path.

In other words, it looks like they are REDIRECTING money for that extension to pay for the what they are doing elsewhere.

[CS Foltz]

That is exactly what Johnny is doing! Redirecting money allready allocated.......still going to be $40 Million Dollars short next Budget cycle but hay! That will be the next Mayors problem right?

[cline]

still going to be $40 Million Dollars short next Budget cycle but hay! That will be the next Mayors problem right?

That's pretty much standard operating procedure for any administration- not just Peyton's.

[CS Foltz]

cline...........I agree! So I have to ask why? You or I don't operate outside of our Budgets because we can't or atleast can't for long! So why can not the City operate within its Budget? That is prudent financial planning by any standard. We have lost money right and left because of poor management, payments to certain individuals for supposed expertise or advice...............I mean I could start naming names but that would be counter productive.................I ask out right........why can't the City operate within a strict budget?

[cline]

why can't the City operate within a strict budget?

Well, I think part of the reason is that the citizens of Jacksonville demand a certain quality of life standard but yet are not willing to pay for it in the form of taxes.  There most certainly is waste in our City government but thier is waste in any government.  My opinion is that consituents in this area are extremely anti-tax.  Unfortunately you can't have an extremely high quality of life with robust services and amenities without expecting to pay for it.  Personally, I don't mind paying more in taxes for a better quality of life.

[CS Foltz]

Well you do have a point! I really would like to see more efficient transparent government take place and I would think that if the City could show the public they are stewards of the tax money they receive, the public conception may change. I for one would not vote for any tax increase without something being done at the City side to prove they are trying to do their part. Besides, the Mayor has seen fit to "Fee" in place of taxes since he knew beyond doubt no one would accept a tax increase. All he did was circumvent the voters and create more ill will than was allready in the works! To this point though, COJ has not tried to improve useage of funds or become more efficient and that is to their detriment!

[stjr]

why can't the City operate within a strict budget?

Well, I think part of the reason is that the citizens of Jacksonville demand a certain quality of life standard but yet are not willing to pay for it in the form of taxes.  There most certainly is waste in our City government but thier is waste in any government.  My opinion is that consituents in this area are extremely anti-tax.  Unfortunately you can't have an extremely high quality of life with robust services and amenities without expecting to pay for it.  Personally, I don't mind paying more in taxes for a better quality of life.

Cline, here, we agree!   

[Bostech]

Is there any support from city for hot dog stand operators?

[tufsu1]

cline...........I agree! So I have to ask why? You or I don't operate outside of our Budgets because we can't or atleast can't for long! So why can not the City operate within its Budget? That is prudent financial planning by any standard. We have lost money right and left because of poor management, payments to certain individuals for supposed expertise or advice...............I mean I could start naming names but that would be counter productive.................I ask out right........why can't the City operate within a strict budget?

This is the problem CS....when our personal budgets get squeezed, we put things off....but when government does that, people scream....and it perpetuates the downward spiral of de-investment

Also, I don't remember too many people begging for taxes to go up when things were good....they said that's when you cut taxes....if that's true, when is a good time to raise them?

[Southbanker]

That $8.2 million for Metro Park needs to go for something more central in the core.  Metro Park would be pretty far down on my list of priorities.

[tufsu1]

from what I understand, families from all over the City went to Metro Park a good bit when Kids Kampus was in good shape...the $ would restore it.

[CS Foltz]

[/quote from tufsu1]
This is the problem CS....when our personal budgets get squeezed, we put things off....but when government does that, people scream....and it perpetuates the downward spiral of de-investment

Also, I don't remember too many people begging for taxes to go up when things were good....they said that's when you cut taxes....if that's true, when is a good time to raise them?
[/quote] tufsu1 ...believe it or not, I do agree with you to a point! Personal budgets get squeezed we put things off and the COJ should do the same thing. Where I come from that is called prioritizing and thats something we don't appear to do here! Here is where I say one more time, no vision and no plan! Without a vision to work towards and no plan to get there, we end up with just what we have............shotgun approach to curing problems and that is not cost effective nor prudent! This is part of the problem I have been harping about since I first started posting here! Get COJ cost's under control first, then think about tax increases, not Fee's, but increases that the voters have a say in. We don't have any choice with "Fee's" and that just circumvents voter approval...........not right nor the correct way to approach problem!