My first observation was that Councilman Clay Yarborough had done his homework. He appropriately scrutinized all the bills. He questioned the legislation as if he was spending his own money. He expected government spending to be appropriate use of taxpayer money.
I was disappointed in City Council members Michael Corrigan and Daniel Davis for their cavalier attitude towards a Tangible Property Inventory audit that implied much lack of accountability in the Peyton administration especially in the Planning Department.
Corrigan and Davis said that they were not concerned about missing property (computers) because it was 8 years old. One item was identified as 22 years old and another was identified as a missing outboard motor. No one asked what the values of these items were when they were found missing. It was like “okay, stuff happens”.
I heard little about making sure that taxpayers assets were better protected in the future. Councilman Stephen Joost did make a mild attempt at questioning the inventory process.
Another problem is that the City Council is giving away millions of taxpayer dollars in interest free loans for housing and rehabilitation of existing housing. The testimony indicated we have already spent rehabilitation money on 3000 houses and have a little over 2000 on the waiting list.
The multi-year/multi-million dollar Trail Ridge Landfill no bid contract (2008-538) was deferred in both the Rules and Finance committees on November 17th.
Tony Bates, President
Concerned Taxpayers Duval County
