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Comment by Patricia M. McBride on February 11, 2014 at 4:53am

I'll be ok Franklin, but thank you for your kind wishes.  I don't think there is going to be much friction on this bill, and I got a very nice long explanation from John Crescimbeni explaining kind of the history of this sort of action and explaining that they did the work for the signatures and, like us, they also deserve their straw vote on this.  He is, as usual, correct and although he never signed a petition for this, his support of their right to do this is on point!

Comment by Franklin W. on February 10, 2014 at 10:02pm

Thank you , Patricia,

Hope you're feeling better soon.  We need all the voices we can get.....before there is a law against that too or a Tax on talking.

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on February 10, 2014 at 7:59pm

Heah Franklin, I posted the other 2 committee meetings for you!

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on February 10, 2014 at 7:49pm

Thanks Franklin.  Another friend also sent me the notice.  I wish I could be there, but I have been sick for the past 2 weeks with whatever is going around and now I not only still have that but I also have laryngitis and everything comes out all squeaky and no one can understand me.  Hubby doesn't think it would be a good idea for me to be some where I would be expected to talk (or I would have to wear a sign saying they told me to zip it.........not exactly but close.  I was told to stop talking or trying to talk).  Since I have never had this before, I looked it up and it can last 2 weeks UGH.   Anyway, I was ready to come downtown today until the voice started really going south last night, and you know me keeping my mouth shut is going to be really, really hard!!

Comment by Franklin W. on February 10, 2014 at 7:01pm

From Robin Lumb's office:

There will be a Special Rules Committee meeting on the Library Taxing District on Tuesday, February 11^th at 11:00 am in the Council Chamber on the 1^st floor of City Hall.  In addition, there will be an Ad Hoc Referendum Fiscal Impact Committee meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 12^th at 8:30 am in City Council Committee room B, 1^st  of City Hall.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

Best Regards,

Donna Barrow

Executive Council Assistant to
Councilman Robin Lumb, At-Large, Group 5

904-630-7144

117 W. Duval St, Suite 425

Jacksonville, FL  32202

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on February 9, 2014 at 11:46am

Franklin,

I think Leanne has issued an action item (I could be wrong though as there are so many things going on right now, it takes quite a bit of effort to keep up with all of it and I have zero influence over what gets done or not done................and am glad of it).  

The thing is someone went out and collected the signatures on the sly without folks knowing (I never heard anything about it; did you?) and heaven knows the fairy tale they wove to get them to sign.  As you recall there have been several ballot initiatives people have been mislead into voting for only to find out things weren't exactly as stated after the fact.

This will be one of those things, I feel quite sure, and shame on the Duval Delegation for getting involved in this and telling everyone sort of what to do.  Cities consolidate to consolidate all government functions to get economies of scale and what should be a "lean mean machine", but then, we got all these other things we shouldn't be doing at the scale we are including feeding all the kids in the city in the summer without even bothering to check to find out if there is a need (dependency training for the young is how I look at it).  

Everyone, the last couple of years, has gotten their budgets cut.  Although I love the libraries and what they do, the cuts were kind of equal opportunity things and everyone had to cut back (even the sheriff).  Everyone knows this year again will require cuts since we will be 10s of millions in the hole again (because instead of spending time and effort working on the pension seriously until something that will work is found or working on city things which is what folks at city hall get our tax dollars to do, our mayor is out there helping implement federal programs (and am sure city employees are also being used which is not what we pay them to do either).   So, if he doesn't hussle soon, the mayor will be raising our taxes again this year as he promised he would not do!

Comment by Franklin W. on February 9, 2014 at 10:15am

Patricia, 

Councilman Robin Lumb responded to me on this issue and stated he is opposed to it for the very reason you stated....it violates the intent of a consolidated government.

He also stated that neither the Mayor's office or City Council would have any real control over the Library operation and there is no requirement that the City reduce it's millage rate to offset the Library's imposed rate.

Perhaps you can use your charm and influence to get Leanne King to post one of her "Action Items" on this issue.

This is a can of worms that should not be opened.....

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on February 9, 2014 at 8:49am

And it will cost more, because under the consoladated city government, the same structural services are used by all.  Once you start cutting these people lose, they want their own everything (as JEA has and that costs more money).  This move is not one that is going to save money believe me.  It, in the end, is the most expensive way to go about this.  The best way to buy supplies is as a city totally with all the departments submitting orders and the city ordering from one place for everyone.  They can't get the departments to do this, so they are still running out and buying a box of envelopes etc., which is a very expensive way to do supplies...........this smacks of that.  The TRUE commission apparently voted against it unamimously, because it runs contrary to the consolidated city government.  It defeats the purpose our consolidated government was formed for (hence the word consolidated).

Comment by Patricia M. McBride on February 9, 2014 at 8:38am

Franklin, the library folks are upset at getting their budget cut, and I understand (although I do not know this for fact), they feel the money they raise is being taken from them instead of them getting a budget and use of that money in addition.   The problem, of course, is that many others have had their budgets cut and we certainly can't have each of them deciding the right to tax at for their whole announced budget.  Times are bad for everyone but most of all for the folks who pay for this mess.  If the library does this, they certainly can't be allowed to keep their current structure which is not in anyway accountable to the taxpayers (no one is elected and they would be free to do as they wished and people would have no voice or way to stop them).  If they become a taxing authority, then, those who make such decisions must be elected by the people and accountable  which of course is exactly what the people doing this do not want.  They want to just impose a tax and we pay it whether we agree with it or not.  And I might add, we all know what happens when a separate entity like this is formed................it grows and grows and grows.  This is not to say I don't like the library or the stellar function they perform or they I don't understand it is not pleasent to get one's budget cut.

Comment by Franklin W. on February 9, 2014 at 8:18am

This idea of a separate Library taxing district is a bad idea no matter how much anyone may support Libraries.  What taxing district will be created next?  

This is another taxing attack on property owners.  Not only should this Library Taxing district be voted down but the loop hole that allows such a end run around the property tax set by the city council to be increased by a one function of the city should removed from the laws.  

I hope members of the FCTP will get involved in this local issue with phone calls, emails, meetings.   

Dreaming up creative ways to get more tax money from property owners is putting an undue burden on already struggling property owners.