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Consolidation Opinion: ‘Model Government’ Jacksonville Raising Water & Sewer Rates 44%
May 21, 2009
Guest Column By Dale Perkins
The political action committee Escambia All for One has highlighted the City of Jacksonville as the model government in its efforts to move Escambia County away from constitutional government to consolidated government.
A presentation at New World Landing using Jacksonville officials would leave us to believe that Jacksonville is a panacea. The truth is that Jacksonville has horrible, financial, crime, inefficiency and ethical problems. The most recent of these is Jacksonville’s decision to raise water/sewer rates by 44%. (Florida Times Union, 5/19/09) That’s right, 44%, not 4 point 4%.
As a member of the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority, I (as well as my fellow Board Members) have worked diligently to keep rates as low as possible. At the same time we have made major and myriad environmental and infrastructure improvements. Among these is the permitting and construction of a new 330 million dollar wastewater treatment plant. This massive project is under budget, ahead of schedule and without scandal. Compare that to the attempted building of the Jacksonville Courthouse.
A major concern is that a consolidated form of government will utilize the citizen’s utility bills as just another way to get into our pockets. It has already been proposed in the form of an economic development utility surcharge.
Please, get on your computer, google information on the City of Jacksonville or go to the Florida Times Union Website. Once you do, you will see for yourself that we are once again being misled by a well financed and professionally coordinated campaign effort.
Dale Perkins is an elected Emerald Coast Utilities Authority Board Member, and holds a Masters degree in Applied Politics from the University of West Florida.
Comments
33 Responses to “Consolidation Opinion: ‘Model Government’ Jacksonville Raising Water & Sewer Rates 44%”
You said that florida law make’s it almost impossible to annex? Once again ‘ not our problem, if the city want’s to grow then learn and work toward that problem. The city can do it but it will take a lot of work. Now we do not care how hard they must work because it is the city’s problem. So deal with it! AND YOU NEED TO LOOK ELSE WHERE FOR YOUR CASH FLOW!!!! LEARN TO ANNEX LIKE MOBILE AND VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION.
Now why would I a person in the country want my cc to address a mayor! MY CC speaks directly for me! And then he will work with others IN the county to resolve our issue’s. We are currently not saddled with the debt or burden of what the city does. Now our system is not perfect, but it is much better than being under the rule of a tourist drive city that needs to reign it’s own spending. Pensacola needs to make the city a place where people wish to belong. Improve your service’s to a point that people will say yes I would like to join. Just like Mobile does. I repeat, We in the county do not wish to join your city, Because our voice will be dilulted, we will inherit the city debt, and we do not wish to be under city rule. LEARN TO ANNEX LIKE MOBILE! And until you do pensacola will not grow. But that is the city’s problem , not our’s or the county’s! LEARN TO ANNEX LIKE MOBILE AND VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION!
WE know what consolidation means, it seems that you do not, well Century know’s what it is and that is why they pulled their support. So answer this one simple question! Why will not the city work toward Annexing like Mobile? It works and ever one knows it. We no more want to tell city folk how to live, than we want them telling us how to live. But you do not get that do you? Nope , all you people see are dollar sign’s and power. Well it is not in our best interest, and we will vote no.LEARN TO ANNEX LIKE MOBILE AND VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION.
And still you will not address the question of why pensacola will not annex like Mobile, Is it because it is to hard, is it because the city is not willing to do the right thing and involve those who wish to be in the city. Your so called facts only benifit what you say and your agenda to fool the average voter by saying that our current government will not suit your vision of county control. We know that EAFO does not have our best interest at heart, but we also notice the fact that you will not address our direct questions. So until you do , you all are just blown smoke. LEARN TO ANNEX LIKE MOBILE AND VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION!!
Don’t be naive, I gave up on Bob a week ago. It doesn’t matter if you provide facts to address his argument. His repetitve argument about county residents paying for the maritime park, pensions and how he’ll be in worse position than he is now remind me of Green’s Law: Anything is possible if you don’t know what you are talking about. Just move along, there’s nothing else to see here.
Your “facts’ speak for their selves! And yet you still fail to anwser the burning question. Why will penscola not Annex like Mobile? VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION!!!!
You win, I will stop trying to intelligently discuss the issues with you. I have given you plenty of facts (SEE ALL the POSTS above). I just hope the majority of citizens in this county are willing to listen to the facts and have a good hones debate.
Inweekly, pensacola news journal, and WEAR-TV, are very pro- consolidation, and they endore’s it quite often. So what is you point? They may as well be the cheer leading squad for EAFO and consolidation. I take what they say with a grain of salt. LEARN TO ANNEX LIKE MOBILE AND VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION.
Reply to naive, Once again you dance around all the problems that the city has. These problems are not our’s at this time. What does consolidation mean? It mean to make one , it means to combine government in to one. Now no matter what you say we will inherit the debt and problems of the city, Learn to annex like mobile , you know the city that is our kicking our rear-ends in job’ and growth, seems to be working fine for them is it not? Seems to me Pensacola is drowning in debt, and needs a new tax base. Now I do not want to be governed by the city or their management maker’s. They have done a fine job of driving the city in to the ground, and I do not feel like they are the least bit qualifed to run the county. I do not care what the city does, or how it is run. That is their little red wagon. If the city wants people to move there then improve it, and quit wasteing money that they do not have in building a maritime park in a flood zone in a hurricane prone city. And no I do not care how hard it is to annex like Mobile, they need to get off their rear-end’s and quit whineing and just make it happen. Work to make it better for those who care about it, and show some real leadership. Because a lot of us in the county do not want to be part of the city or care about what they do!! LEARN TO ANNEX LIKE MOBILE, AND VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION
Another point regarding Mobile that you so often reference. The below was taken from Ricks Blog.. You would still have access to a CC and either you or the CC could speak directly to the CEO, unlike now!
However, the real turnaround of Mobile began in the 1980s when Mike Dow, a three-tour Vietnam veteran and co-founder of a successful tech company, QMS, led an effort with the Mobile Chamber of Commerce to develop an economic development strategy for the city. In 1989, Dow was elected Mayor of Mobile using that strategy, called the “String of Pearls,” as his platform. For the next 16 years, he worked on implementing that plan.
Interestingly, Dow was only the city’s second strong mayor since 1911. Four years earlier the city had switched from it city manager-weak mayor form of government.
I interviewed Dow for IN Your Head Radio last year. Dow said, “You have got to have leadership on a number of fronts. Mobile was blessed back in the mid-eighties to get a bunch of people to together and figure out what we wanted to be.”
“We went through a strategic plan process with the business community and the Chamber. I was the volunteer vice president for the Chamber at the time.”
Dow went on to say the planning process led to about 100 goals.
“Then ‘Boom,’ I am elected mayor and I have this phenomenal set of plans to work with. The city government, county government, state, feds and our community organizations came together and put together a real partnership.”
“The Chamber and city and county leaders would sit down regularly over 16 years and see where we were on that plan.”
Mr. Hudson, you have been told this on more than one occassion on this blog. The constitution prevents/prohibits existing debt and liabilities from being transferred to othe entities as part of a consolidation process. Therefore people that live in the county, including myself, would not be expected/required to pay for the CMP or the pensions of the city. Separate taxing districts are typically established to deal with that issue as well as the level of services provided. The folks in the most rural parts of the county would recieved less services and obviously pay less tax. Florida law makes annexation nearly impossible. Mobile doesn’t have that problem. By the way, Mobile has a strong mayor!! The existing structure of the BOCC (single member districts) inhibits leadership. This is painfully obvious by our lack of economic development. The existing BOCC does not have any plans to deal with the real possibility that Solutia, IP, GE, or the Navy pulls out someday. If those major contributors to our tax base left, what would happen to your taxes then? The citizens in the county are currently paying for the Maritime Park (through the CRA funds not going to the county). The problem with that is that we didn’t get a chance to vote whether or not we wanted that to happen. A consolidation form of government would allow all citizens a voice. To say that it dilutes your voice ignores the facts. You may be able to contact your CC but he or she is powerless to accomplish anything significant. Look around. We had one CC run against an incumbent in the last election with a platform that said he was less nuts than the incumbent. Four years from now we will only be able to judge that CC on that fact, which wouldnt be hard to prove. I would rather live in a community where the highly paid (80K plus) actually have to develop a agenda, run on that agenda and then be held accountable for that agenda.
I forgot one more thing , the county will inherit the city debt , and as new CITY RESIDENTS we will be expected to pay for it. That is what consolidation means!LEARN TO ANNEX LIKE MOBILE!! VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION!!
Reply to Naive,You must be with EAFO, as I can see by the way that you write about things. First the “elected CEO” translation” Strong Mayor” Will be in charge of the city and will be as easy to get ahold of as the guy who was handling your fema damage claim after a hurricane. I can hear it now, Would you like to make an appontment with the mayor? NO . I want to call my CC and talk to him right now and that is what I do! He is the one that represents me.ONE PHONE CALL!! Your statement saying ” this is’nt about the city running any thing” This is about the city running EVERY THING, THAT IS WHY THEY CALL IT CONSOLIDATION WITH A STRONG MAYOR! You tell me since when has ADDING more government ever solved anything? Let us talk about leadership, building a maritime park in a fema declared flood in a hurricane prone city ,and then wanting to BORROW 38 million dollars to build it, broken pension plan, people leaving the city, cannot fund their own ECAT system, can not fill your own pot holes. Now the city needs us to support their life style, and to fund all off their grand tourism projects! But we do not wish to join this broken city or be a part of your community! LEARN TO ANNEX LIKE MOBILE, Pensacola is not qualified to run the county. Consolidation is about the dilution of my voice in government and to be a faceless tax support of the city’s grand idea’s. WE do not wish to be part of your ” community” VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION!! LEARN TO ANNEX LIKE MOBILE!!
Dear clueless at ECUA, no one ever presented that Jacksonville or any other community is perfect and without issue. Run the tape. They have certainly had their share of successes and failures. The difference is that they have the opportunity to vote for a specific agenda every four years. Their votes count. The elected CEO there have to be accountable to all citizens not just their districts. The issue is having the opportunity for leaders to lead unlike now. This isnt about the city running anything. That is and continues to be an amazingly inaccurate statement. This is about all 300 plus citizens in our community having the right and the ability to determine our future, from the schools closing in the north end to whether or not to keep the port. Our current system prevents or at best inhibits leadership. The federal model, while not perfect, is the best system going. I want my kids and grandkids to have the opportunity to obtain employment here. Without a focused government that will work with the private sector to streamline economic development, we will continue to be one of the poorest counites in the state. It is difficult to understand how anyone can defend our current system with drawing the conclusion it is to protect their self interests. Mr. Perkins, you continue to lend credibility to that argument by throwing stones instead of working with the legislatively appointed commission to make our community better.
By presenting only one side of the picture (kinda like the original artist’s rendering in the maritime park brochure that was mailed to thousands ) in very rosy terms, leading people to believe that everything in Jacksonville is wonderful.
Dale, how did they mislead us? What exactly was misleading about their presentation?
Here is the link to Escambia County Political Action Committees
http://www.voterfocus.com/ws/wscand/candidate_pr.php?c=escambia&el=9
Repley to details’ I believe that you need to be addressing EAFO about telling the truth, we who are against consolidation , only want to make sure that the power hungry do not rob us of our money and voice. Now EAFO will say anything to convence the average voter that our form of government is not working, But look at pensacola and see who really is broke and ill- governed. We do not wish to be part of your city and do not wish to support the city life style. Learn to annex like Mobile and the learn to pay for your own tourist idea’s. Pensacola is not qualified to run the county. VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION
You can”t handle the truth, details. The truth is that EAFO spent $6,500 for a group from Jax to come mislead us. I encourage people to research Jax and the EAFO PAC contributor list ffor themselves, free of my interpretations. Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Dave Stafford has the. EAFO PAC report, perhaps he can provide a link to it.
You left out the a word in your last post to Perkins. “start” telling the truth Dale
Tell the truth Dale, and do not worry about what the pro- consolidation group has to say, I trust you far more than any of them. Thank you for the up-date. VOTE NO TO CONSOLIDATION.
Courtney,
Although I don’t completely agree with your observations they do seem reasonable to me. Please keep in touch as the process unfolds. I am not dead set against some form of consolidation. It would make sense in some areas and there may be opportunities we have not yet explored. Our area need to focus on own inherent strengths rather than trying to become something we are not. I just want to make sure the whole story is told. P.S. If you think you can get any of those other sources to run this editorial you have my permission to send it to them. Please keep in touch as I will value your input through out the process.
Mr. Perkins, to answer your question, as a member of the city’s ZBOA I would be happy to address the concerns of any city resident concerning this or any other issue. To explain why I asked you that question, I was interested in knowing why you chose to address residents outside of your district, particularly in North Escambia without sending the same letter to the PNJ, Progressive Pensacola or Rick’s Blog who target all citizens, but also those in Pensacola. I didn’t realize, of course, that you were asked by the editor to do so. It gives the impression that you are stirring the pot before any formal discussion can take place. I hope you consider publishing that letter in those publications.
I’m going to stand by my comments on the waste water treatment plant. I’m sure you could pull records showing work started before Ivan; however, that should have been done a long time ago. As for the rate increases, unless all of Jacksonville’s water system improvements were paid for by FEMA and the State of Florida, I don’t know why you would even mention their rate increase in the same letter since you and I both know we would be facing the same problems without the funding we stumbled upon as a result of Ivan: loans for a new water system with declining population and business to support it which would lead to……..rate increases. Again, it gives the impression that you’re stirring the pot by comparing unlike cases even if you do leave it open-ended like you did.
I’d like to ask Courtney Petersen, member of the City of Pensacola Zoning Board of Adjustment why she would take the time to specifically address North Escambia residents as opposed to her own City of Pensacola Zoning Board of Adjustment constituents with her comments?
Only fair isn’t it? The same question you asked me? Do you think it was fair to the readers here not to disclose that you are on the City of Pensacola Zoning Board of Adjustment?
Read the article. Just a few details left out by Perkins
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — JEA is proposing a 10 percent increase in its water and sewer rates in each of the next four years while also changing the way fees are structured.
The city-owned utility said the rate increase is needed to pay for loans taken to acquire and improve the water system from the city and private utilities over the past decade. With growth of the area slowing, resulting in fewer new customers, existing customers will be required to pay more.
JEA last raised its water/sewer rate 4.1 percent in October 2008.
To make sure lower-income customers are not penalized, utility managers are proposing that any home or business that uses more than 6,000 gallons per month pay a higher rate.
The board will discuss the proposal next month. A public hearing would be held before any rate hike is approved.
The fact remains that I DON’T WANT TO BE PART OF PENSACOLA! I don’t care what they are “selling”, I don’t want any part of it. Every time I go to Pensacola I thank God that I don’t have to live there, or be part of anything I see down there! Remember the old saying, “It’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there” ?? My concern is that we (in the North End) won’t be the only ones voting on this. Do we have enough voters in this end to sway the decision our way?? I only hope everyone who is concerned about this will get out on Voting Day and try to defeat this thing! And, above all, PRAY about it!! God can move mountains, He surely wouldn’t have any problem with Pensacola! Let’s just pray for His Will.
I forgot to comment on the issue of scandals. We’ve had those also Mr. Perkins. I’m sure I don’t have to do it for the regular readers of this blog. So, again, why are you insinuating that we haven’t and that consolidation will bring that?
Mr. Perkins your comments “At the same time we have made major and myriad environmental and infrastructure improvements” are absoulutely laughable and totally inaccurate. The vast majority of the funding did not come from ECUA, it came from FEMA, the county and the city of Pensacola. You have been an ECUA board member for 14 years. Don’t recall you pounding the table on the importance of moving the sewage plant prior to Ivan. If the hurrican was worse than it was your LACK of leadership on this issue could have devasted our area. How much would the ECUA bill increase if ECUA had to fund the enire project. You are the typical politician that is attempting to protect your own turf. You make $30,000 plus per year for a part time job. There hasn’t been one word written yet on the consolidation plan. Your input was asked for on how to make the system better. All you can provide is scare tactics and inacurrate statements. Our community is a victim of individuals like you that are self serving and unwilling to determine if there is a better way. Is sending the solid waste to Alabama net positive for Escambia County residents or just ECUA customers. This community needs more individuals looking out for the greater good of all citizens not just their own self serving agendas. Start being honest, Mr. Perkins and have an adult dialouge.
Thank You Ms. Peterson for your insightful questions, I will do my best to answer them for you. The fact is that Jacksonville has increased the water rates 44 %. These facts were reported in the Florida Times Union in a story this Tuesday, May 19th, titled “It’s Official: JEA water Rates Going Up. Here is the link.
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-05-19/story/its_official_jea_water_rates_going_up
The link you site is from some type of water conversation organization and probably not as recent as the Times Union link.
As to your second question, the ECUA had already made plans, already spent money and already designed engineering costs to move the WWTP plant prior to Hurricane Ivan. I can provide you minutes of the meetings to prove that if you do not believe it is true. Hurricane Ivan definitely helped increase community support to move the plant and to site it without major opposition due to a “Not In My Back Yard” (NIMBY) factor.
The reason I posted my letter to the North Escambia site was fourfold. First the pro-consolidation people have plenty of money, are very well connected and spend quite a bit on both print and media advertising. Given this fact, it is very unlikely that those media sources will print unpaid comments that raise questions about consolidation. Secondly, I initially posted on this site as a response to someone Else’s comment on a consolidation committee appointment and used the Jacksonville story. The editor suggested I write an opinion rather than just site the story and I agreed to do so. Thirdly, we are one community not just North verses South. I do my best to represent all people of Escambia County but the specific district I represent extends to just south of UWF, over to I 110 and South to Pensacola Beach. When someone calls me for help with an ECUA problem, I do not ask what district they live in, I simply do my best to help them. Finally northescambia.com is bigger than you realize. People from all over the area read it and are interested in the excellent coverage provided here.
As to your final question regarding my conclusion that consolidated government being the cause of Jacksonville’s many problems that is not my conclusion. I just want people to know that the rabbit pellets they are being fed by Escambia All for One regarding the Jacksonville experience are not jelly beans.
I hope this has answered your questions.
Dale
What will we be if consolidated. The city of Pensacola or the county of Pensacola? When people ask where you are from what do you tell them. I live 45 miles from Pensacola but we are in the city limits. I don’t think so. Pensacola is after the tax dollars out in the county. If they get what they want It will increase sales tax by adding the city tax rate to the state and county tax. Car tags , property, all sales taxes,including autos and mobile homes you buy . Sure they promise that things will be the same or better, but what happens 4, 8. or 12 years down the road when we vote in different politicians. They can change things to suit their agenda. And to Courtney’s comment, 10% times 4 years equals 40 %. It just sounds better when you strech it out over four years. How would you fill if your employer said, I will cut your salary by 10% each year for the next 4 years? You would be looking for another employer!!! People of the north end have voted down this every time and
Pensacola just keep trying. Pensacola wants Century in their tax base but to keep the new Pensacola from being split the are wanting the whole county to tie both together. There is a meeting at the Civic Center within the next couple of weeks to start this take over of the county, and people against consolidation need to be there and voice your concerns. Ask what will help us. Will they have all one police force, one school system, one fire house system, one total goverment. This just doesn’t sound the best over what we have now.
I’d like to ask Mr. Perkins, an ECUA board member for a district in Pensacola, why he would take time to specifically address North Escambia residents as opposed to his own district with this letter. I would also like to ask him why he would spin facts about Jacksonville to state that a “decision to raise water/sewer rates by 44%” when, in fact, they are PROPOSING a 10% rate increase each year for four years. They haven’t voted on it yet. See:
http://www.leakbird.com/public-works/water-is-going-to-get-expensive-jacksonville-florida-proposes-10-annual-water-rate-increases-over-next-4-years-news4jax
As for the waste water treatment plant, that should have been done a long time ago and now your insinuating it was part of a plan this whole time? So your plan was for a hurricane to knock out the plant downtown spilling sewage into streets and homes which led to citizen support and access to FEMA and state funding and a housing bubble which dropped the cost of construction costs allowing the project to come in under budget ? Right.
Even if Jacksonville does increase their rates, the fact is that they are doing this because of loans they took out to pay for upgrades to their water system and a decrease in demand because of a lack of growth. Given that the two areas, Jacksonville and Escambia would have faced the same problem sans Hurricane Ivan under two different forms of government I’m curious to know how you drew your conclusion that consolidation is the cause of their problems.
Thank you, Mr. Perkins. Yours is a welcome, civil, and informed observation.
THANK YOU Dale, It would seem that all is not well in the ‘Model City” I think that checking on how Jacksonville is doing is a very good idea. We are not going to get the truth out of EAFO, because there is to much power and county revenue at stake.If You will notice that those who blog heavily for consolidated government never want to focus on the real problem’s of the city, and they pretend that they have our best interest at heart when they want us to be better “represented” in this new government, when in fact our voice will be diluted.When has adding MORE government ever solved anything.? Dale is right , the city will be the new taxing authority, and It seem’s to take a lot of money to run a city. I do not wish to be taxed ,ruled ,or be in the city. And the county does not need to take on the city debt. When they start telling you how much better we would be, just take a very hard look at pensacola, and ask your self, Do I wish to be governed by this group and saddled with their debt and their grand idea’s of tourism? Well I do not.VOTE NO ON CONSOLIDATION!