THE CONCERNED TAXPAYERS OF DUVAL COUNTY
904-351-8126
www.jaxtaxpayers.org

Paid electioneering communication paid for by the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County, Inc. , P. O. Box 2307, Jacksonville, FL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County (CTDC) unconditionally rejects the candidacy of Ray Holt, incumbent for District 11 and endorses Doug Moore.  On Friday March 4, 2011, it has come to our attention that Mr. Holt has been circulating direct mail pieces characterizing the CTDC as praising him for unspecified budget cutting actions.

While it is in fact true that our board of directors praised ALL the Jacksonville City Council candidates that voted against last year’s tax increase in a letter dated January 16th, 2011 presented to the City Council, it is also true that Mr. Holt voted for the very same budget necessitating said tax increase.  Furthermore, Ray Holt receives an abysmal 28% fiscal responsibility rating according to our candidate survey results.  A summary of Ray Holt’s voting record can be found on our website.

Mr. Holt’s flagrant disregard for the concerns of taxpayers in addition to his duplicitous representation of the facts led our candidate committee to UNCONDITIONALLY REJECT the candidacy of Ray Holt.  On Monday February 14th 2011, our board of directors endorsed Doug Moore for the City Council District 11 race.  More information about our endorsements and the report accompanying the recommendations of our candidate committee can be found on our website.

Additional information is available at www.jaxtaxpayers.org as well from the author of this press release, President of the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County Inc., Victor Wilhelm Jr., 904-351-8126.

The Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County, Inc. is a not for profit corporation and nonpartisan political committee dedicated to serving the community as a watchdog group to oppose corruption, waste, and tomfoolery in government.

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The board of Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County met on the day of love, February 14th, to approve our candidate endorsements for local elections taking place this spring. If anything, this shows our love for the Duval County taxpayers that we sacrifice time away from our significant others to select candidates who will fight for small efficient government free of corruption and special interest lobbyists peddling their pet projects to government officials and expecting the taxpayers to pay for it!

Our endorsements

Mike Hogan: Mayor

Dick Kravitz: Tax Collector

Jim Overton: Property Appraiser

David Taylor: Group 1, ANTI-Endorsed

John Crescimbini: Group 2

Juan Diaz and Jim Robinson: Group 4, Co-Endorsed

Robin Lumb: Group 5

Clay Yarborough: District 1

Bill Bishop: District 2

Mario Rubio: District 3

Stephen Hyers: District 5

Doug Moore: District 11

Joe Andrews: District 12

Henry Mooneyham and Kendall Bryan: District 14, Co-Endorsed

Honorable Mentions

Warren Lee: Mayor

Ryan Taylor: Tax Collector

Fred Engness: Group 5

Jim Davis: District 12

For more details, see the linked Adobe Acrobat documents below. All of these documents can be freely distributed as far and wide as you want.  If anything, we encourage you to do so.   Just click and print.

Press release
Candidate Survey Results
Detailed Candidate Endorsements

We are already in the press as the Florida Times Union picked up our endorsements.

Election time is upon us and aren’t we relieved that it is almost over! The Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County have taken the following stands on proposed amendments to the Florida constitution and local elections:

A RESOLUTION OF THE CONCERNED TAXPAYERS OF DUVAL COUNTY IN OPPOSITION TO CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS 4 ON THE FLORIDA NOVEMBER 2010 BALLOT.

WHEREAS The Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County, as part of the continuing non-partisan mission since 1987 against fraud, waste, abuse, tomfoolery, and cronyism in local government, has a great interest in insuring that Municipal Comprehensive Planning and Zoning is adhered to with the best interest of all concerned property owners in proximity to an alteration to the comprehensive plan in force at the time.

WHEREAS Florida Hometown Democracy, Amendment #4, which will appear on the November 2, 2010 ballot will serve both to insure that all parties impacted in a future change to the Comprehensive Plan are given ample due process to assess the total impact and needs of all residents and property owners of the surrounding area.

WHEREAS the above mentioned standards will include the necessity of taking a contested rezoning land use change before the voters for approval at specified periods in the voting calendar, at burdensome expense to the Taxpayers of Duval County and would greatly impede the timetable for changes to the Comprehensive Plan.

WHEREAS the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County believes that bill 2009-429, authored by Jacksonville Councilman at large, John Crescimbenni obviates the need in large part for Amendment #4 and that such amendment would only serve to create further unnecessary expense and delays in the rezoning process.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County opposes this unnecessary and somewhat redundant legislation that only serves to further impede fair due process.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County urges the voters of Duval County to vote no to Amendment #4. Due process should be given to all involved showing no bias to either developer, lobbyist, nor adversely affected property owners.
Read the full story

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.

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.

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.

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