Remarks of Mayor John Peyton

Presenting the FY 2006-2007 Budget to City Council

July 12, 2006

Mr. President, Members of the City Council, Honored Guests and Citizens of Jacksonville:

Good morning.  It's a pleasure to be with you today. I appreciate you taking the time to be present, or to join us from home.

I'd also like to extend a special welcome to my fellow city employees. Many of them are watching a live Web-cast of this speech on the new employee portal. We are making history together.  This is our first-ever employee Web-cast!  …And it's just one example of the progress we've made by investing in technology over the last three years; something I will discuss at length in a few moments.

This is the fourth time I've stood before you to present the City of Jacksonville's budget. It is the fourth time I have presented a balanced budget. The fourth time I have presented a budget that contains no new taxes. And the fourth time I have presented a budget that meets the needs of our citizens.

Finally, it is the fourth time I have presented a budget that emphasizes government's core responsibility: public safety.  I'm proud to say that my administration has made the biggest financial commitment to public safety in the history of consolidated government.  Once again this year, public safety is the only area of significant growth in the budget. 

Before I go any farther, I'd like to thank the members of this Council for the time and energy they will devote to this budget. I'd also like to thank former Council President Kevin Hyde for his leadership over the past year. I look forward to working with President Corrigan and Vice President Davis over the year to come.

After their installation speeches, it is clear that President Corrigan will bring humor to his job, along with a great work ethic.  …And that Vice President Davis' siblings helped to prepare him for political life!

I want to commend Dan Kleman, my chief administrative officer.  He is an enormous asset to this government and he's worked hard to make our financial and administrative practices better every day. I also want to thank our city financial team, especially Mickey Miller, Cal Ray, Frank Castriota and Heath Beach. They know what is important to me, important to our City Council and important to the taxpayers of Jacksonville:  prudent stewardship of each and every dollar.  They are tightfisted with the taxpayers' money.  And in our budget culture, "tightfisted" is a compliment!

Finally, I'd like to thank our city leadership team -- headed by Alan Mosley and Roslyn Phillips -- and our city employees. We have challenged them to do more with less. We've asked them to take part in the largest reorganization of city government since Consolidation. They are meeting that challenge every day. And I'm proud of their hard work and willingness to embrace change for the benefit of this city.

I am also proud of what my team and this City Council have accomplished by working together.

Over the past three years:  We have worked through some enormous challenges. We have agreed and disagreed. We have learned from one another. And we have shared the same purpose: to make life better for the people who call this city home.

BUSINESS MENTALITY:  DOING BETTER

But there is more work to be done. And that's why we're here today.   

As you know, I come from the world of business. I have worked to bring a business mentality to this government… and to do the right thing for our stockholders, the taxpayers.

There's no competition for many of the services we provide.  So our stockholders have no choice but to trust us.  And it is up to us to be worthy of that trust.  We must never forget that the money we spend belongs to them. We must protect their lives and property.  We must enhance their economic prosperity and quality of life. And we must work hard, every day, to handle their business better.

The only way for our citizens to get the government they deserve -- the government they are relying on – the government they are paying for -- is for us to be accountable, and to demand better every day. That's why I'm here.  And the budget I present today is built on those values.

Like my previous budgets, this budget contains funding for initiatives that will grow our economy, create jobs and enhance our quality of life.  It supports crucial public safety improvements. It provides our citizens with more services for far less money than any other major city government in Florida. And, once again, it demands that government be better and more accountable. 

Part of doing better is doing more with less.  And that means downsizing our city workforce. We will eliminate 191 positions this year, 36 of which are filled.  That's a small cut in numbers, but it will have a big impact on those whose positions are eliminated.  That's why we will make aggressive outplacement assistance available to each and every one of those individuals. …They are stockholders, too, and it's up to us to do our best for them.

FINANCIAL BEST PRACTICES

Last year, I asked for your support in adopting new financial guidelines.  I proposed that we manage our pension funds more carefully in order to keep faith with our current and former employees. I proposed that we separate and protect our reserve funds.  I proposed that we require the creation of a disciplined, financially feasible Capital Improvement Plan, which we refer to as a CIP.  And I pledged to wean our city away from the use of "one-time" money, to ensure that we live within our means. 

I am proud to say that, with the support of this City Council, we have accomplished those goals. 

The City of Jacksonville now has a formal, protected emergency reserve of $40 million. We have taken important steps to ensure the stability of our pension funds. This budget contains our city's first-ever financially feasible Capital Improvement Plan -- a five-year plan that anticipates operating costs for future projects. And the general fund of this budget does not use one-time revenue to meet recurring expenses.

This is the first budget in 15 years in which all recurring expenses are matched by recurring revenue. Let me say that again:  this budget uses NO ONE-TIME MONEY for recurring expenses!

These are major changes in the way our city does business. They have not been easy to implement. But they have already made our government more financially stable. And they will provide more certainty for our future. Every day:  better.

These changes will also improve our city's bond rating. A good bond rating for a government is essentially the same as a good credit rating for an individual.  It lets us borrow money at a lower rate of interest.  Clearly, that's a better way of doing business.

As I have just detailed, this budget shows our continuing commitment to managing the taxpayers' money wisely. And it shows our commitment to improving the way we do business.  Last year, I took another page from the private sector and instituted a citywide organizational effectiveness review. To date, that review has identified potential savings and cost avoidance of $5.8 million.  And we're not done yet.

We asked Pam Markham, a longtime star performer in the office of the Council Auditor, to join our management team.  Working with Kevin Holzendorf, Pam is examining our processes and practices, finding ways to save and to operate more efficiently.

PUBLIC SAFETY

As I mentioned earlier, this budget reaffirms our commitment to the FIRST job of government:  public safety. 

Last year, the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department responded to more than 9,000 calls a month.  And the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office responded to over 4,000 calls a DAY. Our citizens count on us to respond to those calls.  And we must make sure our responders have the personnel, training and equipment to meet the challenge.

This budget provides JFRD with funding to replace worn apparatus, upgrade equipment and improve communications. It supports a new fire station near the Mayo Clinic on the Southside and additional rescue capacity on the Northside. And it funds the hiring of 29 new personnel to serve our citizens. This budget also funds important homeland security and emergency preparedness initiatives.

Let me take a moment to commend Chief Barrett and Chip Patterson. Their hard work has gained us national recognition in both of those areas. In fact, this year Jacksonville became the first local government in the nation to receive Emergency Management Accreditation.

This budget also underwrites a strong and effective police presence for Jacksonville. Sheriff Rutherford tells us that - in combination with what we provided this year -- this budget will allow him to hire 200 police officers.  That's the maximum number of officers he has the capacity to recruit, train, and deploy. 

This budget continues funding for the second full year of the Community Service Officer program. This innovative approach to law enforcement acts as a force multiplier, allowing sworn officers to concentrate on crime-fighting.  Additionally, this budget supports the replacement of more than 1,100 computers, technology that is important to solving crimes.

As you know, violent crime in Jacksonville has decreased significantly over the past 15 years.  Unfortunately, this year we have seen a spike in the murder rate. That is unacceptable.  …Even one murder is one too many.

Sheriff Rutherford, Undersheriff Mackesy and the men and women of the JSO are working closely with our State Attorney, Harry Shorstein, and his staff to catch and successfully prosecute criminals. Our citizens trust them. And it is up to us to make sure they have what they need to fulfill that trust.

It is also up to us to look at the long-term picture.  While we have to invest in law enforcement today, we must also invest in things that will reduce crime in the future.  And the evidence is overwhelming:  jobs, education and great neighborhoods are the real answer to reducing crime.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 

That's why I have made economic development -- through the Blueprint for Prosperity, our partnership with the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and WorkSource – and early literacy, through RALLY Jacksonville and Seeds of Change:  Growing Great Neighborhoods  --  top priorities.

I will talk about literacy in a moment.  Right now, I want to talk about jobs.  Jobs hold families together. Jobs stabilize housing. Jobs make health care more affordable. Jobs deter crime. And jobs provide more benefits than any government program ever could!

While government doesn't CREATE jobs, it DOES provide the climate for them to grow and flourish.

This budget provides funding for economic development activities to create sustainable job growth, rising personal incomes and a broader tax base.  And it provides for wisely screened public investment-- investment that is critically reviewed, monitored and enforced.

The retooling we have done in this area is paying handsome dividends for our taxpayers. Our economic development efforts have come into their own.  I want to thank the members of the JEDC -- especially Ceree Harden -- and Ron Barton and his staff for their hard work in this arena.

So far this year, the JEDC and this City Council have facilitated projects that will create OVER 3,000 NEW JOBS… and bring over $94.5 million in private capital investment into our economy. Simply put, every taxpayer dollar invested this year has leveraged nearly $30 in private capital. That is the kind of return on investment you look for in business!  And it's another example of how our business mentality is making a difference for Jacksonville. 

Another economic priority this budget supports is growing a great downtown for our great city.  Together with residents, businesses and developers, we will do what it takes to create a downtown that is an exciting, safe destination. A downtown that contains plenty of open space.  A downtown that celebrates our river.  A downtown that is a desirable place to live, work and play. And a downtown that is the business, cultural and entertainment hub for our entire region.

My commitment to building and growing downtown will not waiver.  Downtown is everyone's neighborhood and we will give it the resources, time, talent and attention it needs to succeed.

QUALITY OF LIFE

As we come into our own with strong economic opportunities, a revitalized downtown and growth that is both desirable and inevitable, we must be careful to protect our quality of life. After all, the ultimate economic engine for Northeast Florida is the way we live! 

This budget continues our commitment to taking Jacksonville's park system from biggest to best.  It supports arts and culture, which play a vital role in both quality of life AND our economy, particularly in the urban core.  And it provides personnel, books, materials and technology for our city's public library system.  Our public library is one of the crown jewels of Jacksonville.  It is a huge addition to our quality of life and I fully recognize it as an important community asset. It funds Seeds of Change: Growing Great Neighborhoods, a partnership with citizens aimed at enhancing neighborhoods, increasing home ownership, eliminating environments that harbor crime and providing after school, summer camp and employment opportunities for young people.

This initiative is just getting off the ground, but we are already able to measure progress.  I thank Adam Hollingsworth and Derek Igou and their teams for jumpstarting this important work of neighborhoods. We recently consolidated responsibility for neighborhoods and housing into one unified department, and I asked Kerri Stewart to lead that important function.

Our work for existing neighborhoods is important.  But we also have to commit to the neighborhoods of the future. And that means creating a comprehensive vision for growth management. This budget funds important first steps toward that goal.

We know that growth is coming – and will continue to come – and it is our obligation to make responsible decisions. Every additional car that drives on Blanding or Baymeadows or Butler Boulevard is a reminder of that challenge. We should not react to development.  Development should respond to US! This is a belief I share with Councilwoman Sharon Copeland. And it is what our constituents demand.

I'd like to thank both the City Council and my Growth Management Task Force, which was headed by Bob Rhodes. They have spent a great deal of time and effort on this issue. The Task Force has provided us with excellent recommendations. And their hard work is going to pay major dividends for our stockholders, for this city, and for our entire region.

INCLUSIVENESS

I'm proud of their achievement.  And I'm proud of the inclusive and transparent approach we have taken to issues affecting our community. We have involved our citizen stockholders and experts in every major initiative of the past three years.

We've solicited wide community participation in developing our JSEB program, creating a roadmap for the future of our parks, working toward best practices in budgeting, greening our downtown, and helping our children to read and succeed.  And I want to thank some community leaders who have given their time and talent to our city:

·          Steve Halverson

·          Ann Baker

·          Rufus Pennington

·          Jack Diamond

·          Chester Aikens

·          Cathy Whatley

·          Joe Debs

·          Doug Miller

·          Lynn Pappas

·          Ryan Schmitt

·          Deborah Thompson

·          Ernest McDuffie

·          Mary Tapouni

·          Ramiro Onate

·          Terri Lorince

·          Early Piety

·          Carol Worsham

·          Tim McMillan

·          Anna Dooley

·          Melody Bishop

·          Bill Bishop

·          Pam Paul

·          And Toni Crawford