One year of accomplishments

[mtraininjax]

From an email I received today from the Honorable Mayor Alvin Brown:

Dear Fellow Citizens:

This past weekend marked the one year anniversary of my becoming Jacksonville’s Mayor-elect. On May 19, 2011, I stood on the steps of City Hall with Mayor John Peyton and accepted the enormous honor and privilege that Jacksonville citizens had bestowed upon me.

Shortly after my election, we assembled one of the most diverse and accomplished transition teams in our city’s history.  The transition team’s hard work laid the foundation for our administration.

I took office on July 1. Exactly two weeks later, we presented our first budget to the City Council. Working with the Council, we closed a nearly $60 million budget deficit without increasing taxes or fees or dipping into city reserves. We later enacted the first major reform of city government in two decades, streamlining operations so that the City of Jacksonville can operate more effectively and efficiently.

We elevated the Office of Military Affairs, Veterans and Disabled Services to a Cabinet post, appointed a retired two star admiral to head the office, and announced new initiatives to support our brave military personnel and veterans.  We have worked closely with the business community to generate jobs and economic activity. This partnership’s successes have included companies like Bi-Lo/Winn-Dixie, Web.com, and Medtronics establishing or expanding their operations here. They have included the $10 million grant that we helped JAXPORT secure to make our port facilities more competitive.  They include Mayor Brown’s Business Builder initiative, which helps small businesses find the tools they need to grow and prosper.  They include EverBank deciding to move 1,500 jobs to Downtown Jacksonville.

We have also worked to be innovative in these fiscally challenging times.  I appointed the city’s first ever education commissioner, an executive on loan who works for $1 per year. Through our efforts, we have raised private support for JROTC, created the Mayor’s Mentors Program, and this summer will give high school students an on campus college experience through our Learn to Earn initiative.

We also created the city’s first Office of Public Private Partnerships to build relationships and develop funding sources to support priorities like efficient government, economic development, downtown revitalization, education and parks. That office, which is also led by an executive on loan who works for $1 per year, has already paid dividends. Earlier this month, at an economic summit with President Bill Clinton, we announced more than $5 million in commitments from private partners for city priorities.

In the six weeks remaining before my first year in office ends, we will build on those successes by working with the City Council to modernize the process for bringing high-wage jobs to Jacksonville and increase the focus on Downtown as a prime location for economic development. We will enhance our quality of life by launching an effort to turn one of the largest urban park systems into one of the best.

Thank you again for the opportunity you gave me a year ago. I appreciate all you do to make our city a great place to live.  Working together, we will take Jacksonville to the next level.

Sincerely,

Alvin Brown
Mayor

[Timkin]

Nice letter

[JeffreyS]

It certainly hasn't been fast or without bumps but off to a fair start.  Now try not to evict the Jags.

[DuvalHusky]

It is unfathomable to me this Mayor brags about filling key positions in government with executives on loan. Since they are not accountable to the taxpayer but to their employer, it reeks of collusion and a lack of accountability.

[If_I_Loved_you]

It certainly hasn't been fast or without bumps but off to a fair start.  Now try not to evict the Jags.

How are ticket sales this year for the Jags? 

[BrooklynSouth]

It is unfathomable to me this Mayor brags about filling key positions in government with executives on loan. Since they are not accountable to the taxpayer but to their employer, it reeks of collusion and a lack of accountability.

Don't make it sound so scary. The executive gets paid time off from Blue Cross to volunteer for the city for a little while. They're still accountable -- the mayor can tell them that they're no longer needed and dismiss them. This doesn't cost the city anything and I don't think there is a conflict of interest having a health care executive volunteer in the education department.

[DWlakewood]

I voted for him in the general election but Audrey Moran would be a better democrat than Alvin Brown.

His administrative skills are not there.

His recent promotion of Karen Bowling into a new position ... for what reason ?  He likes her work, I guess.

$75,000 pay raise.  He likes her work I guess.

It all started with his dramatic pay cut deal and then the executives working for a $1 per year.

All smoke and mirrors to me.  He is now adding new staff with the skills of a veteran politician.

When it comes time to take a stand on anything controversial, he is as weak and timid as the city council members.

One should occasionally watch the news in Tampa and see how different they are - more progressive and more successful
in attracting business.

The embarassment with the Courthouse opening was  a Brown problem.   

The similar embarasment with the Jaguars communication issue was ridiculous.

The budget - where is the money - oh it was over there ....now it is balanced .. now it is not ....

Alvin Brown is everywhere as if he is running for office all over again.

I think he is .... in three years he will be running for a national congressional  seat - probably as a Republican !

dw 

 

[Timkin]

I deeply regret casting my vote for him.

[mtraininjax]

His recent promotion of Karen Bowling into a new position ... for what reason ?  He likes her work, I guess.

$75,000 pay raise.  He likes her work I guess.

I was scratching my head on her increase in salary, wasn't she the head of SOLANTIC not too long ago? Didn't she CO-FOUND Solantic? Is she really hurting for money where she could not donate her salary to a charity, surely she is not taking a public pension, perhaps the Mayor is setting an example for the other well off people?