Since the city is spending $200,000 annually on dues for membership in three organizations, there should be some benefit.
And there should be people designated to promote the city’s interests at the organizations’ functions.
That’s the concept behind legislation being drafted that would provide $20,000 a year for City Council members’ travel expenses to attend meetings of the Florida Association of Counties, Florida League of Cities and the National Association of Counties.
The organizations function as lobbying firms to make sure issues involving city and county governments are at the forefront in the state Legislature, and in the case of the national association, in Congress and the federal government.
City Council President Lori Boyer, Vice President John Crescimbeni, Finance Committee Chair Anna Lopez Broche and council member Matt Schellenberg met Monday with mayor’s office staff, city attorneys and auditors to begin drafting legislation to appropriate the additional travel expense fund.
Council members currently are entitled to up to $3,000 a year for travel. But that’s not enough to cover travel to Florida Association of Counties meetings, said Schellenberg, who’s been volunteering as Jacksonville’s representative to the group for nearly four years and using his council travel fund to cover expenses.
“The additional funds would allow us to get the most out of our memberships,” he said.
Annual membership in the counties association is $100,000, for the cities league it’s $50,000 and $40,000 for the national county association, he said.
“You shouldn’t spend the money for dues if you’re not going to spend the money to participate,” Schellenberg said.
“If these organizations are that valuable, we need to be participating,” Crescimbeni added.
Schellenberg said attending the group’s regular meetings is more than a weekend at a nice hotel in Orlando or Tampa. It’s how counties make sure issues important to their interests are at the forefront for lawmakers.
In addition to the annual statewide gatherings, a lot of business is conducted through conference calls, particularly during the legislative session each year.
“It’s a lot more work than I thought, but it’s important for Duval County,” said Schellenberg.
Boyer said she would support assigning four council members to be the city’s voice in the organizations — two would be second-term members and two would be serving their first terms to give the effort continuity.
Having the same people represent Duval County for the long term would be an advantage, Schellenberg said, because a lot of what he does is build relationships with the organizations and the representatives from other counties.
Broche proposed allowing the council president to appoint the representatives, who would be confirmed by the council as a whole, as is the procedure for council members who serve on other organizations, such as boards and commissions.
Boyer said she has a sense there are council members who would be interested in being appointed, but she made it clear the council’s business must remain the priority for whoever is appointed.
She also would be looking for active representation but, added, “I’m not going to think less of a council member who is engaged in council business who misses a conference call with the Florida League of Cities.”
The 2016-17 city budget includes $20,000 for the plan Crescimbeni said is “floating out there somewhere.”
Deputy General Counsel Peggy Sidman said if an ordinance defining the plan is enacted, travel expenses could be set up as a separate fund in the 2017-18 general fund budget.
She said she can have a draft ordinance prepared this week that could be introduced to council at its next meeting on Feb. 14.
That would allow it to be enacted near March 7, when the Legislature will convene for its annual session.
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