Mayor Peyton threatens "wholesale layoffs"

[reednavy]

Of course, leave it to Bos to toss some random shit into a thread.

[tufsu1]

Garbage fees increasing also. I laugh when people say oh we have the lowest property taxes in Florida. Yet they just get the money other ways.

yes and just about every city in Florida also has a garbage fee

[fsu813]

Peyton proposes doubling garbage fee
Mayor threatens "wholesale layoffs" if city budget gap isn't closed,

“You’ve got some fees that we have not looked at in 25 years, where we are not capturing the cost of the service,” Webb said.

For example, homeowners currently pay $6 a month for solid waste collection, but the city’s expense is $14.90 a month. The mayor’s office is proposing the fee be raised to $12.65 next fiscal year.

Council President Richard Clark said negotiating reductions in employee-related costs and altering the fee rates are the first step. Discussions about raising the property tax rate or cutting services like library hours, parks or special events are farther off in the distance, he said.

“Before we get into true service-level cuts,” Clark said, “you are going to see us trying to cut from within the business of government.”

Full story much of it taken from the original one posted) at link:

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-03-03/story/peyton_proposes_doubling_garbage_fee

[Adam Hollingsworth]

Interesting comments on the thread.  Here's the package the mayor presented to the city council yesterday (http://www.myjaxbudget.com/resources.aspx).  Check out the fees we currently charge for services vs. the actual cost to provide the service.  No business charges less than cost of service and survives (not for long anyway).  Garbage fees in surrounding areas are:

Atlantic Beach -- $17.78/month
Neptune Beach -- $22.05/month
Jacksonville Beach -- $16.21/month
Baldwin -- $13.00/month

Our fee analysis indicates that the city of Jacksonville's cost of collection is $12.65/month...yet our current fee is only $5.00/month.  Even when we capture full cost of collection, our fee will be less than what is paid in the three beaches cities and Baldwin...in Duval County!

But more importantly, we must restructure employee costs...76 percent of the city's expense growth over the next five years is attributable to employee-related expenes.  That's why we need pension reform and three percent across the pay cuts now.  (And, yes, those pay cuts apply to the the mayor and me too!)

An even bigger challenge is how we increase investment in our city -- from cleaner streets, to more events that attract people downtown to the kinds of capital projects that are often highlighted in this forum.  In fact, here would be a fun thing to do...everytime we look at another city and say "Why doesn't Jacksonville have that?" Or "Why don't we do that here?" Let's put a tax burden disclaimer in the post, comparing total tax burden bewteen the comparison city and Jacksonville.

[NotNow]

Adam,  Why don't we just put all city employees on the state pension system?  The one the Mayor and City Council are on?

[Dog Walker]

NN, wouldn't that lower the benefits the city employees get now?  My friends on the state system are retiring after thirty years, not twenty.  I'm missing something most likely.  Don't the JSO and DCFRD retire after twenty?  Are they different from the other city employees?  I thought the Mayor and the Council vested after some ridiculously short tenure too.   ??

[NotNow]

The Florida State Retirement System (FRS) vests in five years, which is pretty standard.  Jax's executives left the city system and entered FRS with a hefty financial penalty some five or eight years ago.  Why would they do that? They vested sooner, pay nothing towards their own retirement, and stayed in the Social Security system.  I would bet further investigation would reveal more benefits as well.  Now, when city employee's pensions are cut, it just doesn't seem to hurt as much.  FRS law enforcement can retire at twenty five while JSO can retire at twenty.   But the "rich" JSO twenty year retirement is 60%, while the FRS is (I believe) 75% at twenty five years, plus as stated earlier, FRS does not require any employee contribution.  So that 7% can go towards Social Security, which most city employees are not participants of.  City employees rely ENTIRELY on their city pensions.  The City is not telling the truth about pensions and how they came to be so underfunded.  But, just to keep the argument short and honest, I'll agree to the same thing as what I want from Congress on health care.  I want to be on the same plan that they are on.  I will accept FRS, it is what all of the other counties use.  But I think taxpayers will find that the cost will rise in any case.  What the Mayor proposes (correct me if I am wrong Adam) is an IRA for non Police and Fire employees.  I say they deserve at least what their bosses have...FRS.  I would be curious to know exactly which positions are on the FRS system now.  Adam?  I also think that city execs know that they can not change the Police & Fire Pensions for a number of reasons, and are simply engaged in a media campaign to discredit the members of those services.  Police & Fire Pensions are also integral to injury insurance and are closely regulated by State and Federal law.  The city is bound by contract and law.  They know that the Jax Police & Fire Pension has the lowest benefits of any major Florida City.  They also know that Jax Police & Fire are the lowest paid of major Florida cities.  

And just one more thing, regular city employees hold this job all of their working lives.  A three percent cut in salary is a lifetime sacrafice and affects our family budgets forever.  We are not changing jobs soon.

[NotNow]

Well, I looked at the slide show that Adam put up for the Mayor and I see that they want to build a day care for the homeless and now say they will lay off Police Officers and Fire gighters at the same time.  Priceless. 

[NotNow]

I know you feel that way.  At least your honest about it.

[CS Foltz]

Stephen I concur! People do deserve a fair wage and an equitable retirement system! The Mayor and his minions can talk all they want but I have yet to see anything concrete from City Hall but lip service! Just like Congress and their retirement system, City Hall wants their cake and to be able to eat it too and that's not right! If there is going to be wholesale layoffs then lets start with the top floor at City Hall and go down from there! I have yet to see anything being done to control costs of any goods, services or contracts but we sure do hear alot about new taxes and fees and additional cost to the taxpayers...........ya gotta love Johnny, thinking outside of the box and running our City like a business!

[NotNow]

I'm not sure how you are equating employee benefits with socialism.  Perhaps you are confusing the benefits that we receive as public employees with public benefits that are offered under the largess of the taxpayers.  If that is the case, then your argument would seem to be that every city, , public school, water district, state, and federal employee is part of a "socialist" system.  That is of course ridiculous.  Perhaps I am misunderstanding what you are saying.

[Bostech]

But,but...public schools,police,government,John Mccain,Sarah Palin..they are all part of socialist system.
Military is socialist system.Even when Jax voted to remove road tolls highways became part of socialist system.

Now question is,since we have budget shortfall how many Americans are wiling to to patriotic and sacrifice 10-20-50 dollars to fix problem?

[Keith-N-Jax]

How about unwise and uncontrolled spending. The government at every level is guilty of this,but yet it continues to go on unchecked.

[Bostech]

I already told them,if they lived in pure capitalism they would never see beach.
They will be standing 500 feet from beach on other side of road and wondering how does it feel to be on one.

Now,I am curious how do you program people to believe whatever you want them to believe?
I want to learn that skill and use it on women. :-)

[NotNow]

StephenDare!,

I do realize the endlessness of it. Whenever I try to be nice in my replies to you, you seem to feel the need to insult my intelligence somehow.  I know this is all you have to do, but I tire of the endless games.  I would appreciate it if you would just comment on the issue or not comment at all.

Bos,

I have been through this endlessly with StepnenDare!, but I will repeat myself once with the forgiveness of the others here who have to endure this endless repetition:

Main Entry: so·cial·ism
Pronunciation: \ˈsō-shə-ˌli-zəm\
Function: noun
Date: 1837
1 : any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
2 a : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state
3 : a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done

The instruments of force used by the various governments by definition are not "socialist", as you can see.  All governments are created to serve certain functions.  Those functions determine what "kind" of government it is.  In this country alone, we have several "types" of government.  Most commonly recognized are Federal, State, and municipal.  I hope this is helpful.