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CTDC Board Says Public Pensions Are Out Of Control!

CTDC Board Says Public Pensions Are Out Of Control!

The Board of the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County passed the following resolution at its June 14th meeting.

A RESOLUTION OF THE CONCERNED TAXPAYERS OF DUVAL COUNTY CONCERNING THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLANS.

WHEREAS, the City of Jacksonville and associated governmental entities fund more than 2/3 of the cost of three defined benefit pension plans for public employees; and
WHEREAS, these 3 plans have funding deficits of more than $1.4 billion (as of 10/1/09), and these deficits are likely to increase; and
WHEREAS, these deficits are over $1,600 per Jacksonville resident and almost $5,000 per Jacksonville household, and are a drag on property values and new business; and
WHEREAS, the cost of funding these 3 plans is more than $110 million per year currently – about 7% of the City budget, and these figures and percentages are likely to increase, if no corrective action is taken;and
WHEREAS, these 3 plans, as they now exist, and far too costly to the City, and will cause the City to raise taxes in the future, if the plans are not eliminated or scaled back; and
WHEREAS, these plans are very costly to administer (about $14 million per year), and pay out over $215 million per year in benefits, and yet the City does not in fact have clear control of the administration of these plans; and
WHEREAS, private employers have largely stopped using defined benefit plans, and instead use defined contribution plans to provide retirement benefits for their employees; and
WHEREAS, proposals have been made to the Charter Revision Commission to give the City such clear control, and to bar future accruals of benefits under said plans after 2013; and
WHEREAS, the City’s currently outstanding collective bargaining proposals, even if adopted, will not prevent such future tax increases, or resolve the problem of lack of City control;
it is hereby RESOLVED, that the City Charter should be amended as described above, the City should revamp its current collective bargaining strategy so as to demand greater employee concessions, and the Mayor and City Council should take all other necessary and appropriate actions to scale back and eventually eliminate
these 3 plans, and replace them with defined contribution plans.

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Concerned Taxpayers Resolution Against City Council Bill 2009-0940

Concerned Taxpayers Resolution Against City Council Bill 2009-0940

At the January 11th board meeting, the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County adopted the following resolution:

A RESOLUTION OF THE CONCERNED TAXPAYERS OF DUVAL COUNTY IN OPPOSITION TO CITY COUNCIL BILL 2009-0940

Whereas City Council Bill 2009-0940 exempts the Gerdau Ameristeel steel plant located near Baldwin from paying the public service tax on electricity for five years; and

Whereas the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County supports low taxes but only when they are applied equally to all businesses and individuals subject to the tax; and

Whereas the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County opposes City Council legislation that is clearly tailored to providing a benefit to an individual business thereby ensuring city government a role in determining the winners and losers in the local economy;

Now therefore be it resolved that the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County opposes City Council Bill 2009-0940.

The resolution was read to City Council members at their January 12th meeting.

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Resolutions By The Board Of Directors Of Concerned Taxpayers Of Duval County

The Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County Board of Directors passed the following resolutions at its February 9th meeting:

A RESOLUTION OF THE CONCERNED TAXPAYERS OF DUVAL COUNTY IN OPPOSITION TO THE NO BID TRAIL RIDGE LANDFILL CONTRACT

Whereas multiple companies have demonstrated an interest in waste disposal services for the City of Jacksonville; and

Whereas the competitive bid process predominantly offers the taxpayers of Duval County the most cost efficient services; and

Whereas the city’s current procurement policy requires that this contract be competitively bid unless it is waived by city ordinance;

Now therefore be it resolved that the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County supports a competitive bidding process as essential to achieving the best deal for the taxpayers in regards to the Trail Ridge Landfill waste disposal contract.

Be it further Resolved that the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County supports Trail Ridge landfill contract terms that do not exceed the life of any active landfill cell and that the decision to build additional cells requires a competitive bidding process and a new contract for the life of the new cell.

Be it further finally resolved that the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County urges City Council to abide by the city procurement policy and not waive the rules requiring that the Trail Ridge waste disposal contract be competitively bid.


A RESOLUTION OF THE CONCERNED TAXPAYERS OF DUVAL COUNTY IN SUPPORT OF THE CITY ETHICS OFFICE

Whereas good ethical behavior is essential to effective government operations; and

Whereas the City Ethics Office has been effective in improving ethical standards within Jacksonville city government;

Now therefore be it resolved that the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County fully support the City Ethics Office.

A RESOLUTION OF THE CONCERNED TAXPAYERS OF DUVAL COUNTY IN OPPOSITION TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF ANY CRUISE SHIP TERMINAL AT TAXPAYER EXPENSE

Whereas the Jacksonville Port Authority is promoting the construction of a new cruise ship passenger embarkation facility at great cost to the taxpayers during a time of economic downturn without any commitment by ship operators to use the facility;

Now therefore be it resolved the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County urge City Council to reject all calls to build a new passenger ship facility until economic improvements justify reconsideration of this proposed taxpayer expenditure.

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Recent Actions By Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County

On August 30th 2008, the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County mailed the 2008 platform as adopted by its Board of Directors to City Council candidates Reggie Brown, Joe Clements, Dick Brown, and John Crescimbeni. The CTDC is requesting formal responses from the candidates for City Council At Large Group 2 and District 10 to its platform and has extended them the opportunity to address the CTDC members at their next meeting. See the press release at http://jaxtaxpayers.org/pdfs/pressreleaseforCTDCCityCouncilPlatform.pdf.

On September 8th 2008, the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County endorsed the following candidates:

Sarah Lovett, Florida House District 14
Dave Smith, Florida House District 18
Victor Wilhelm, Soil and Water Conservation District Group 3
Jason Fischer, Soil and Water Conservation District Group 4
Jeff Hunt, Soil and Water Conservation District Group 2
John Winkler, Clerk of Courts

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Jacksonville City Government Tax and Spend Hall of Shame

  • Out of Control County Courthouse Costs
    The original cost of the new county courthouse was supposed to be $190 million, but it soon ballooned up to $400 million before it was finally approved at $350 million by the City Council.
  • Peyton's Three New Fees
    Following the property tax reductions enacted by the Florida legislature, Mayor Peyton and the City Council rolled back needed tax relief by imposing three new costly and regressive fees on Jacksonville taxpayers.
  • Shipyard Debacle
    What do you get when you join a poorly drawn up contract with lax oversight of the downtown riverfront project by the city? $36.5 million spent, no downtown park and riverwalk and a black eye for the JEDC.

Jacksonville City Government Tax and Spend Hall of Shame






Out of Control County Courthouse Costs

The original cost of the new county courthouse was supposed to be $190 million, but it soon ballooned up to $400 million before it was finally approved at $350 million by the City Council.

Peyton's Three New Fees

Following the property tax reductions enacted by the Florida legislature, Mayor Peyton and the City Council rolled back needed tax relief by imposing three new costly and regressive fees on Jacksonville taxpayers.

Shipyard Debacle

What do you get when you join a poorly drawn up contract with lax oversight of the downtown riverfront project by the city? $36.5 million spent, no downtown park and riverwalk and a black eye for the JEDC.