Is a gas tax increase a solution to Jax's funding woes?

[Charles Hunter]

Committee of the Whole
Carlucci Emerald Trail amendment passes 14-4

[Charles Hunter]

Cumber amendment, restricting JTA from using LOGT for prior commitments (?)
Passes 13-5

[Charles Hunter]

Cimber amendment, removing JTA appointments from LOGT Oversight Committee, which oversees all projects, JTA and COJ, and existing BJP projects
Currently would be 4 by Council, 4 by JTA, and 4 by Mayor
Fails 2-16

[Charles Hunter]

Cumber amendment 'revolving door' amendment (if work on LOGT for COJ/JTA cannot work for private firm working on LOGT projects for 2 years)
Mirrors existing language is city code and state law - to emphasize desire for post City employment restrictions
Pass 11-7

[Charles Hunter]

Ferraro amendment - requires Referendum
Would delay collection to Jan. 2023 with Referendum in the 2022 cycle (August or November?)
Failed 5-13


[side note - the Council's sound system sux, microphones keep cutting out]

[Charles Hunter]

Bowman amendment - 10-year LOGT at 3 cents/gallon; commits to projects within the "old city"
[Comcast did a weekly emergency system test, so I didn't hear the explanation of the amendment]
Fails 4-13

[FlaBoy]

^ Thinking about this quote from Mark Woods' article about the gas tax.

Some pointed to other cities and said: Why don't we have this or that?

We do this often. And the answer typically is: This or that costs money.

So beyond asking people if they support a gas tax, it's worth asking if they want road improvements, septic tank removal, a park system that lives up to its potential, a city that doesn't perpetually rank as one of the worst for pedestrians and bicyclists, the kind of place that makes young people want to stay and Fortune 500 companies want to arrive.

Not that this gas tax alone will do all of this. But it can move the needle on something that's hard to quantify: quality of life.

Apple recently chose to put its latest East Coast expansion — a $1 billion campus that will have 3,000 employees — not in the supposedly business-friendly climate of the Sunshine State, but in Raleigh, N.C.

Some have noted that this is despite North Carolina having higher taxes than Florida. But maybe it's actually because North Carolina has higher taxes, or at least because it has some of the things that come with those taxes.

In Jacksonville, we seem to be quick to invest public dollars in private projects and slow to take public dollars and use them for public projects.

This is a ridiculous argument by Woods that fails to understand corporate dynamics at all. Right now, it's all about talent and Raleigh/Durham has Duke, UNC, and NC State within 30 minutes of each other and Wake Forest down the road. Has he ever been to Raleigh or Durham? It doesn't scream nicer amenities. The truth is that the connection to Gainesville and UF is vitally important to attracting high paying jobs to Northeast Florida with JU and UNF as complements.

[Charles Hunter]

Diamond amendment - each of the 14 council districts would get 3% minimum of the LOGT proceeds
Fails 5-12

[jaxoNOLE]

^ Thinking about this quote from Mark Woods' article about the gas tax.

Some pointed to other cities and said: Why don't we have this or that?

We do this often. And the answer typically is: This or that costs money.

So beyond asking people if they support a gas tax, it's worth asking if they want road improvements, septic tank removal, a park system that lives up to its potential, a city that doesn't perpetually rank as one of the worst for pedestrians and bicyclists, the kind of place that makes young people want to stay and Fortune 500 companies want to arrive.

Not that this gas tax alone will do all of this. But it can move the needle on something that's hard to quantify: quality of life.

Apple recently chose to put its latest East Coast expansion — a $1 billion campus that will have 3,000 employees — not in the supposedly business-friendly climate of the Sunshine State, but in Raleigh, N.C.

Some have noted that this is despite North Carolina having higher taxes than Florida. But maybe it's actually because North Carolina has higher taxes, or at least because it has some of the things that come with those taxes.

In Jacksonville, we seem to be quick to invest public dollars in private projects and slow to take public dollars and use them for public projects.

This is a ridiculous argument by Woods that fails to understand corporate dynamics at all. Right now, it's all about talent and Raleigh/Durham has Duke, UNC, and NC State within 30 minutes of each other and Wake Forest down the road. Has he ever been to Raleigh or Durham? It doesn't scream nicer amenities. The truth is that the connection to Gainesville and UF is vitally important to attracting high paying jobs to Northeast Florida with JU and UNF as complements.

Your point is well taken about the relative dearth of talent here vs. the research triangle,  but I think Mr. Woods is 100% correct on the bolded selections above (emphasis mine). It all goes back to throwing hundreds of millions at high-risk "game-changers" and consistently failing to do the little things right.

[thelakelander]

Yes, we're seeing it play out right now with the LOGT. The majority of council members opposing the LOGT were more than ready to give hundreds of millions in tax money away to Lot J a couple of months ago.

[Charles Hunter]

Dennis amendment - require use of local, certified JSEB*/DBE companies for $250 million of the nearly $1 billion project list
[Comcast lost signal from COJ]
* JSEB = Jacksonville Small and Emerging Businesses
Pass 17-0

[Charles Hunter]

Floor Amendment by Priestly-Jackson to strike Soutel Road road-diet from the LOGT project list (funds were previously removed, makes list congruent with prior action - funds will stay in her district)
Pass 17-0

This is the last amendment.

[Charles Hunter]

Action on the bill as amended 8 times (or is it 7?) by the Committee of the Whole, will go to City Council next week.
To come out of CotW, simple majority (10 votes), to pass LOGT at Council requires 11 votes
Diamond - no comments
Bowman - will offer amendment next week @ 4 cents for 20 years, voting "no" today as it is not needs-driven
Ferraro - can be done w/out raising taxes, will vote No
Salem - voting Yes to free up funds for septic tank replacement, fund Emerald Trail, other bike/ped facilities
Boylan - can't support today, community involvement lacking, lack of communication of benefits of projects, prospect of future federal funds that may reduce need for as much LOGT - would like to table until next week to get more answers
Defoor - will vote out of CotW, still not comfortable, has not made up mind on vote at Council
Carlucci - job creation, septic tanks, Emerald Trail, invest in community - yes
Newby - yes, sometimes need to raise taxes to better community - infrastructure, Emerald Trail, broken promises of Consolidation
Priestly-Jackson - yes, Nassau and Clay already at 12 cents, majority of Florida counties levy 12 cents; quality of life issues for neglected communities, unmet promises, JTA are forward-thinking experts, jobs
Morgan - yes today, will continue to listen to constituents before final vote, jobs, JSEB, need more discussion on some projects
White - yes
Pittman - yes, Mr. Ford (JTA) and team are knowledgeable, innovative, make life better for children and grandchildren, jobs
Carrico - my town hall meeting is tomorrow, seek deferral
Cumber - no, quarter-of-a-billion dollars will go to existing Skyway structure, we have greater needs, only thing in the law is JTA's share
Gaffney - yes, believe in moving forward, JTA and small businesses
Freeman - yes, fulfill broken promises
Becton - no, ignore third option, his bill (2021-289) to fund infrastructure projects without raising taxes, LOGT bill is all about raising taxes, cost of living going up, sold as jobs bill - oversell, mortgaging children/grandchildren's future, my district isn't getting anything
Hazouri - yes, historical, continue to listen to public, bring amendments to committee if needed, working with Mayor has been open and a partnership, have to also pass septic tank bill - $100M over 2 years

Boylan - move to defer, have another CotW meeting next Tuesday at 4PM (OGC - there is a conflicting meeting at that time)
hand vote [sound cut out]  - change to 3pm Tuesday - must have failed

Vote on Bill as Amended
Pass 13-6

[Charles Hunter]

Bill 2021-235 - Septic Tank Remediation,
Mayor's Office - uses freed-up CIP funds from LOGT, to provide $50 million in each of next 2 years for septic tank phase-out
Septic Tank needs over $1 billion. JEA has committed $70 million. Also seeking federal and state funds to extend the local funds.

2 technical amendments from Auditor - both passed by voice vote

Bowman proposing amendment to waive first year of sewer service charge ($21.15) - will file formally next week
Cumber - why won't Mayor commit to adding $200 million of federal funds (out of about $343M of federal funds available). Response - we haven't received the funds yet, will have to come before Council when available; may file amendment to require use of $200M federal funds
Salem - many demands on that money, premature to tie it down
Boylan - agree with Salem
Ferraro - the reason for the LOGT is to free up money for septic tanks

No amendments filed besides the 2 technical ones
Pass 17-0

[Charles Hunter]

Both bills (LOGT and Septic Tanks) will be addressed at a Special Council Meeting next Wednesday (5/26) at 10 AM, and not at Tuesday night's regular meeting.