Election Guide: City Council District 6 (Jacksonville 2011)

This guide is for City Council District 6 (Jacksonville 2011).

The three candidates and their platforms:

1) Matt Schellenberg (Republican)

• Supports selling JEA.
• "Raising [city] taxes and fees was the wrong decision."
• Supports improvements to Downtown Jacksonville as well as JaxPort but is currently "unprepared to support new taxes or fees to pay for these projects."
• Owner of Movers Claim Service, Inc.
• Graduated from Bishop Kenny High School.
• "Pro-life."
• Has lived in Jacksonville for 48 years.
• Has 10 brothers and sisters.
• Does not support the "added new fees to our garbage, storm water and JEA bills."
• A member of the JCCI.

Sources: http://www.votematt2011.com/votematt/Home.html

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=532959

http://www.news4jax.com/duval-county-elections/27039958/detail.html

2) Jack Webb (Republican)

• Currently president of the Jacksonville City Council.
• Partner at Brennan, Manna, and Diamond, P.A.
• M.A. in Business Administration (Finance).
• Supports port development and "continued emphasis on access to waterways and park improvements."
• Voted against the Waste Management contract extension.
• Voted for the property tax increase.
• Voted for the JEA utility Franchise Fee in 2007.
• Voted against the Stormwater fee.

Sources: http://www.ibackjack.net/index.php

http://www.news4jax.com/duval-county-elections/27039958/detail.html

http://thamanjimmy.blogspot.com/search?q=jack+webb

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-09-29/story/jacksonville-city-council-deadlock-property-tax-rate-hike

http://www.jaxtaxpayers.org/jack-webb/

3) Greg Youngblood (Republican)

• Graduated from Wolfson High School.
• Started "Tools For A Time, Inc. in 1995" and owns several pet food franchises.
• "Happily married" for 21 years.
• Against "double-billing" i.e. the numerous taxes we pay (stormwater, JEA, etc).
• Supports consolidating city offices.

Sources: http://www.voteyoungblood.com/

http://www.news4jax.com/duval-county-elections/27039958/detail.html

Jacksonville ethics board shrugs off Webb no-show

Jacksonville City Councilman Jack Webb didn’t appear before the Ethics Commission on Monday as invited, and commission members had no choice but to shrug off the no-show.

They said they need to focus on shoring up their own procedures before requiring public officials to appear before them.

The commission voted Oct. 26 to invite Webb to discuss his former business relationship with a major waste-disposal company, Republic Services, which raised questions about conflicts of interest and possible ethics violations. The goal was to hear his side of the story before deciding whether further action is needed.

Commission Chairman Gene Filbert on Monday blamed the panel’s lack of precedent for launching inquiries, not Webb.

Though city code gives the 17-year-old commission the right to investigate cases and issue reprimands, it has never done so.

Webb initially told the media he was eager to speak to the commission. Monday, he cited the lack of an invitation or formal procedures as his reason for not attending.

“I’m not on the agenda,” Webb said. “I haven’t been invited. There is no reason for me to be there.”

Jack Webb wins 10-9 vote for Jacks

At the end of the day, the election came down to the wire: 10 council members voting for Webb; nine for Joost.

After losing the battle for the presidency, Joost was challenged by Bill Bishop for the vice president position. Joost won on an 11-8 vote.

The following council members voted for Webb and Bishop: Webb, Bishop, John Crescimbeni, Ronnie Fussell, Daniel Davis, Clay Yarborough, Glorious Johnson and E. Denise Lee.

Voting for Joost both times were Joost, Clark, Art Graham, Art Shad, Kevin Hyde, Michael Corrigan, Reggie Brown, Johnny Gaffney and Warren Jones.

Don Redman and Ray Holt voted Webb for president and Joost for vice president.

Stephen Joost, Richard Clark apologize to council and constituents for steak dinner

Former Jacksonville City Council President Richard Clark and current Vice President Stephen Joost issued apologies today, saying they used bad judgment in leaving Tuesday night's council meeting early to meet up with Jaguars officials for a pricey steak dinner.

Joost's statements, released to media outlets: "I made an error in judgment. While I do not believe there was any impropriety, I created an appearance that reflects poorly on me, and on the government I serve. I apologize to my constituents, this community, and my colleagues. I learned a tough lesson."

Clark's letter, sent to council President Jack Webb:

"At our last council meeting I requested permission to leave early. I had a very busy day at both my business and at the Council and had not taken the time to eat. By 7:30 pm I had a 12+ hour day with no food and I was exhausted.

I stayed for the bulk of the action items on our agenda and then quietly took my leave. I had intended to get something to eat and go home but while leaving I ran into others who were going to get something to eat and I joined them.

I apologize for my poor judgment in accepting the offer to join them and for its appearance of impropriety. I assure you that it will not happen again."

Webb said he accepted both apologies on behalf of the council and considers the issue resolved. However, he said, he will remind the entire council that excused absences should be requested sparingly and only for illness or other pressing matters.

"Let's be mindful of our obligation to our colleagues and constituents to be present at council," Webb said.

News / Metro * Comment * Email * Print * Blog This * * Follow Metro River health rates high on new Jacksonville City Coun

Jack Webb said his year as Jacksonville City Council president will focus on the health of the St. Johns River, fiscal reform and revising the city charter.

Webb said signs that an algae bloom was forming in the river and recent fish kills should worry all Jacksonville residents. The government should be encouraging water conservation, environmentally friendly landscaping and low-impact development, he said.

“If we value our quality of life and the economic prosperity that the river provides to us, we must each do our part to preserve its health,” Webb said.

City buys Jacksonville Jaguars tickets again, but will give them to charities

The city will pay $43,000 to purchase Jacksonville Jaguars football tickets this year and use the tickets primarily for local charities.

Staff from two elementary schools that jumped two letter grades on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test will go to tonight's preseason home opener against the Miami Dolphins as guests of the mayor. City Council President Jack Webb donated tickets to the Police Athletic League.

The tickets were sliced from the budget last year, but Webb said not having the city buy tickets sends a bad message about Jacksonville's commitment to the team.

The council and the mayor's staff will split 48 tickets and eight skybox passes for each home game, as they have every year but last since the team started play in 1995.

"It's an investment in the team," said Adam Hollingsworth, Peyton's chief of staff.

Peyton helped convene a group of business leaders last year when poor attendance made Jacksonville the national poster child for empty seats and television blackouts. That group has help create Team Teal, led by former Jaguar star Tony Boselli, to sell season tickets and build excitement around the team.

A New York Times article last fall coined Peyton "cheerleader in chief" and the city kicked in $150,000 to help throw "the ultimate tealgate party" for a December game against Indianapolis. A ticket drive for that matchup made it the lone game shown on local television.

Peyton visited the Jaguars' practice this month to promote season ticket sales and the team announced this week it was about 3,000 short of eliminating blackouts for the season.

In a new naming rights deal with EverBank, Peyton agreed to waive the city's $4 million take and allow the Jaguars to keep the money.

The city owns the stadium, now called EverBank Field, and its agreement with the team gives it access to a suite. Last year, council President Richard Clark led the charge to stop buying the tickets in an effort to cut the city budget.

Clark said Friday that now that he is more familiar with the Jaguars operations and given the civic push to sell season tickets, he supports the

Q&A with Jacksonville City Council president Jack Webb

Both you and Vice President Stephen Joost have said pension reforms must be made. Negotiations are ongoing between the mayor’s office and pension fund trustees. What should be the council’s role in pushing for both sides to come to an agreement?

I think the role of the council is to remain observant of the fact that in the absence of some modification, in 10 years the $250 million that we spend on parks and on everything but police and fire and public safety will be gone, because it will be swallowed up by these increasing pension obligations. So we need to remain mindful of the long-term consequences of not insisting upon pension modifications.

What is the council’s role in helping the city keep the Jacksonville Jaguars?

I think we’ve got to perhaps control the dialogue with respect to the Jaguars. With respect to the Jaguars, we control our own destiny. It ain’t nothing to it but to do it. You sell out, they ain’t going anywhere. And again, that’s got nothing to do with anybody from Los Angeles or St. Louis or anywhere else in the country. … I’m willing to do anything it takes as a leader of the council to facilitate that dialogue.” (Webb said plans to buy two season tickets prior to the start of the season.)

The council recently approved spending money for parking at The Jacksonville Landing and several other projects around downtown are ongoing. What other steps, if any, should the city be taking to improve downtown?

Ultimately the answer is you’ve got to get people living downtown. You get people living downtown, you’ll get people spending downtown. Once you get people spending downtown, you’ll have more businesses and that will further attract more people to downtown. … I know that in the past [gave incentives to] developers to come downtown. I wonder if it might be worth exploring [giving incentives to] purchasers to come downtown.”

Jacksonville councilman retreats on moving Halloween to Saturday

Jacksonville City Councilman Don Redman said he was only attempting to respond to constituents’ concerns when he filed a bill last week that, if approved, would have urged Duval County residents to celebrate Halloween on Saturday instead of Sunday.

Instead, he asked council President Jack Webb to allow him to withdraw that request, citing the conflict with Saturday’s Georgia-Florida football game among his reasons.

The vote in Tuesday’s council meeting to withdraw was unanimous.

Redman’s last-minute request, which would have been nonbinding, was widely panned as being short-sighted and an unnecessary distraction from more serious council business.

Webb was one of the first to cite the Georgia-Florida conflict as a potential roadblock to Redman’s bill. Initially, Redman had asked that the bill be considered as an emergency item Tuesday.

Men's Health magazine says Jacksonville's bad for kids

Jacksonville is in last place out of 100 in the September edition's list of America's "Safest Cities for Children."

The article's first paragraph even takes a shot at the city, saying, "Some places are just too dangerous for children: crocodile ponds, stores that sell barbed wire, Jacksonville."

Nancy Dreicer, state Department of Children and Families regional director, said the latest numbers for Jacksonville show it is one of the best in the state for lowest re-abuse of children. So the magazine's bottom-rung listing is "incorrect" and "absurd."

"It is probably old data, if it exists," Dreicer said. "We are below the state average in terms of average abuse. We are taking less kids into foster care in Jacksonville than just about any place in the nation, and we are proud of that."

Jacksonville City Council President Jack Webb, father of three, said readers shouldn't "believe everything you read."

"We can always do better. But are kids safe? I have lived here for 15 years, and are my kids safe? Yes," Webb said. "They [the magazine writers] don't get around much, do they? Apparently they didn't check out the Bronx."

The survey lists Madison, Wis., as America's "Safest City for Children," 20th best in accidental deaths, second best in car-seat inspection locations and sex offender listings, and 46th in abused children protection. Jacksonville listed under 99th place New Orleans, 100th in car-seat inspection locations, 86th in accidental deaths, 53rd in sex offenders and 68th in abused children protection.

The magazine used public databases to tally various perils posed to children. It included the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for accidental death rates for children 5 to 14 and 2008 percentages of abused children protected from further abuse gathered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Jacksonville City Council races: Will anti-incumbent mood strike voters?

The candidates

Below is the complete list of people who have filed to run for one of 19 Jacksonville City Council seats. *Incumbents

District 1
Lindsey Brock (REP)
Darryl Fleming (DEM)
Clay Yarborough (REP)*

District 2
William H. “Bill” Bishop, III (REP)*
Stephen Heckel (REP)

District 3
Richard Clark (REP)*
Mario Rubio (REP)

District 4
Brett Foster (NPA)
Tillman Kasper (REP)
Don Redman (REP)*

District 5
Lori Boyer (REP)
Jack Daniels (REP)
Steve Hyers (REP)
Robert “Fritz” VanVolkenburgh (REP)
Derek Washington (DEM)

District 6
Matt Schellenberg (REP)
John D. “Jack” Webb (REP)*

District 7
Johnny A. Gaffney (DEM)*
Marc McCullough (DEM)

District 8
E. Denise Lee (DEM)*

District 9
Warren A. Jones (DEM)*

District 10
Reginald L. Brown (DEM)*

District 11
Tom Baine (REP)
James “Big Jim” Breland (REP)
Ray Holt (REP)*
Doug Moore (REP)

District 12
Joe Andrews (REP)
Lagarall Bates (DEM)
Doyle Carter (REP)
Jim Davis (REP)
David A. Taylor (REP)

District 13
Danny Becton (REP)
William “Bill” Gulliford (REP)
Dave Smith (DEM)
Vanessa Williams (REP)

District 14
Kendall G. Bryan, Jr. (REP)
Jill Dame (REP)
Shelton Hull (NPA)
Jim Love (REP)
Ron Petts (REP)
Greg “Hollea” Rachal (REP)

At-Large Group 1
Steve Burnett (REP)
W. Randall Gallup (REP)

At-Large Group 2
John Crescimbeni (DEM)*
Paul Martinez (REP)
Tom Patton (REP)
Vince Serrano (REP)
Eric Tuff (REP)

At-Large Group 3
Stephen C. Joost (REP)*

At-Large Group 4
Greg Anderson (REP)
Juan Diaz (REP)
Jim Robinson (REP)

At-Large Group 5
Fred Engness (REP)
Don Foy (NPA)
Dane Grey (REP)
Sean Hall (REP)
Robin Lumb (REP)
Michelle Tappouni (REP)

Council members balk at Peyton's landfill deal

"In its initial vote on Mayor John Peyton’s Trail Ridge landfill proposal, Jacksonville’s City Council recommended to itself Thursday that the controversial plan be withdrawn."

"Meeting as a “committee of the whole,” council members voted 11-7 against allowing the city to extend its contract with Waste Management. At least two of those seven voted against the measure because they wanted more discussion, not necessarily because they supported the mayor’s plan."

"Peyton wants the council to waive procurement rules and allowed Waste Management to continue operating the landfill for the next 35 years or so, a deal worth an estimated $750 million. The recommendation for withdrawal will go before the full council for a final vote at Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting."

"How they voted
The Jacksonville City Council members, meeting as a “committee of the whole,” voted 11-7 Thursday to recommend to itself the withdrawal of the mayor’s proposal giving Waste Management a contract extension worth an estimated $750 million over the next 35 years. Here is how each member voted:"

Yes
Bill Bishop
Richard Clark
Michael Corrigan
Daniel Davis
Ronnie Fussell
Johnny Gaffney
Art Graham
Kevin Hyde
Glorious Johnson
Denise Lee
Jack Webb

No
Reggie Brown
John Crescimbeni
Ray Holt
Warren Jones
Stephen Joost
Don Redman
Clay Yarborough

Not present
Art Shad

Jacksonville City Council Approves New Millage Rate and Budget

The city council has approved the budget, and in its second vote on the city's millage today also approved a 10.0353 millage rate by a vote of 10-8 vote.

The vote means an 8 percent increase from the 9.27-mill property tax rate currently in Jacksonville.

The council took its first break of the morning around lunchtime today, following a vote on the millage rate increase which ended with a deadlock of 9-9. But Councilman Reggie Brown changed his vote to break the stalemate.

The budget, which includes the millage, passed 11-7, and is balanced.

Council President Jack Webb said the budget that passed was $4.3 million lower than the one proposed by Mayor John Peyton, which was $995 million.

Jacksonville City Council actions

Issue: City Council salaries
What it means: The council is expected to deny a bill introduced by Councilman Art Shad that would cut salaries in half from $45,000 for council members and $60,000 for the council president. Shad says the pay is too high for part-time employees. Bill No. 2009-645
Action: Denied, 16-1

Issue: Tentative budget process
What it means: The council is expected to pass an ordinance that would create a tentative budget process that would precede the formal budget process that begins in mid-July. The bill would require the mayor to supply projected revenues and expenditures to council members by May 1, and the council must provide feedback by June 30. Bill No. 2009-701
Action: Approved, 17-0.

Issue: City elections
What it means: Councilman Jack Webb is asking to withdraw a bill that would have started the process of moving city elections to fall 2011. The move wouldn’t save any money but would allow city leaders to transition in January, months ahead of the summer. Council members have indicated they want to let voters weigh in. Bill No. 2009-716
Action: Withdrawn, 17-0.

Issue: Sports complex renovations
What it means: There will be a public hearing and vote on a bill that would funnel additional bed-tax dollars to help fund maintenance at the sports complex. Now that the Prime Osborn Convention Center renovations are complete, the $5 million a year in bed-tax revenue it receives can be redirected. Bill No. 2009-817
Action: Approved, 15-0.

Jacksonville City Council action

A look at some of the issues Jacksonville's City Council considered in its meeting Thursday:

Issue: Electronic changing signs

What it means: The council was asked to allow electronic signs to change messages every eight seconds. Supporters said that allows businesses to advertise effectively, but opponents said it promotes visual clutter and could distract drivers.

Bill No. 2010-900

Action: Deferred. Although two council committees approved the bill last week, council President Jack Webb's office announced a public meeting will be held April 6 at 5 p.m. in the council chambers for further discussion.

Issue: Landscape regulation

What it means: The council considered requiring Florida-friendly landscaping and watering measures in new housing subdivisions. The standards are similar to those used in commercial development, but allow more latitude.

Bill No. 2011-74

Action: Approved.

Issue: City ethics

What it means: New legislation would create an Office of Ethics, Compliance and Oversight that would include the city's ethics officer and general inspector. Existing, funded jobs would be transferred into the office, without creating new jobs.

Bill No. 2011-197

Action: Bill introduced and assigned to Rules and Finance committees.