Many public dollars are slated to go into one section of the city
Any fair assessment of the mayor’s proposed budget shows the northwest quadrant of the city getting a large share of the spending during the next five years. It is alleged by City Council members representing four council districts that those districts have been neglected for years. Proof of the claim is shaky. Some contend that […]
Big spending plans for the city will benefit mostly a few areas
If there has been neglect of some areas of the city as alleged, but not proven, apparently it may be rectified over the next five years. Closer examination of the city’s proposed Capital Improvements Plan shows $3 billion in spending on infrastructure is planned. Furthermore, the spending for the five-year period covered by the plan […]
There is information on infrastructure spending, but no one asking for it
Eye on Jacksonville still is holding out hope that someone will lay a predicate for what looks like a huge spending spree, and accompanying tax increase, on the horizon. We didn’t hear it in the mayor’s budget message and we didn’t hear it at the first meeting of the City Council’s new special committee on […]
One analysis shows the city slipping behind on infrastructure funding
One of Eye’s financial analysts has done an examination of the city’s finances and has concluded a case can be made that the city has not kept up with infrastructure needs. That is a key issue before the City Council right now, as it begins work on the mayor’s proposed budget. Mayor Lenny Curry is […]
Taxpayers deserve an accounting if decades and dollars have been wasted
Politicians are notorious for taking a short-term view; doing just what is needed to get them by until the next election. Term limits exacerbates this problem. Mayor Lenny Curry’s proposed $3 billion budget for next year purports to try to catch up on work that he says has been deferred by his predecessors. Simultaneously, the […]
Mayor Curry’s new budget. Just in time for re-election campaigning.
Mayor Curry’s re-election budget proposal. Is it designed to bolster talking points addressing minorities, special interests, law enforcement, low income families, and human rights issues or are these just coincidences? Interesting fact: Mayor Curry’s first three budget proposals did not contain monies for the Ex-Offender Employment program, Florida Recovery School, Groundwork Jacksonville, New Town success […]
Hanky-Panky City Government. That’s why Eye was formed. Where’s the transparency?
In its final report, the Task Force on Open Government created by City Council President Anna Brosche found serious problems that need to be corrected. Local government “should aspire to greater openness and transparency” the task force headed by Hank Coxe and Sherry Magill said. Eye on Jacksonville concurs. We have chronicled a number of […]
Trickery in the City Budget? Spending “saved” money by accounting skulduggery.
“As mayor, I hold an unwavering respect for the effort behind every tax dollar the city receives,” Mayor Lenny Curry wrote in his June 22 letter of transmittal to the public accompanying the Comprehensive Annual Finance Report for the past fiscal year. The accompanying letter from the auditors said: “Responsibility for both the accuracy of […]
What’s up with the Mystery of the Missing City of Jacksonville Audit
For some reason, the city’s annual audit is missing. City Hall says it is because the auditors asked for extra time. But others are wondering. The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for 2016-17 should have been received and posted online weeks ago. It would show what the city’s income and expenses actually were, compared to the […]
Duval Schools: Teaching children how to overspend, go in debt, rob Peter to pay Paul and on and on
It is becoming pretty clear why Nikolai Vitti is no longer school superintendent. As usual, he was touted as the greatest thing since sliced bread when he was chosen to be superintendent in 2012. He initiated a new strategic plan focusing on “developing great educators and leaders; ensuring an equitable and efficient use of resources; […]