Upcoming Dates

2010/2011 Budget Hearing Meeting Dates

Notice is hereby given that Finance Chair, Daniel Davis will meet with the Finance Committee members in Council Chambers located at 117 W. Duval St., 1st Floor, St. James Building on the following dates to discuss the 2010-2011 Budget.

Thurs., 8/12/10 – 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (break from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

Thurs., 8/19/10 – 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (break from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

Thurs., 8/26/10 – 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (break from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

The 2010 City Budget Workshops have concluded and the Final Report can be downloaded from the Resources page.

Terms and Definitions

Negotiating the complex budget required to properly fund a city the size of Jacksonville can be daunting.  But knowledge of some budget-specific terms may help prevent getting lost in the maze.  The information below focuses on commonly-used terms and is not a complete definition of all budget items (for that see the city’s Web site).

Budget
The budget includes proposed expenditures and proposed revenues the city needs to operate for the fiscal year.  The budget also includes fiscal information on the current and previous years so policy makers can make informed judgments based on historical data. 

Budget Workshops
Six community workshops set for February, March and April where residents will meet with city officials to discuss budget issues and priorities for Fire & Rescue, Planning, Libraries, Public Works, Sheriff’s Office, Environmental and Compliance, Community Services, JEDC, JCC, Recreation and Housing.

Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)
A five-year program adopted annually and used for planning and controlling capital improvements and major capital outlay projects (those estimated to cost $100,000 or more, and which have useful lives of at least ten years). 

City Council Finance Committee
A nine-member committee that, with the help of the City Council Auditor, reviews the mayor’s proposed budget, makes adjustments it deems necessary and makes recommendations to the full City Council.

Fiscal Year
The annual period applicable to the annual operating budget.  The city's standard fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30. 

Fund
A fund is a self-contained set of accounts that includes revenues, expenditures and other accounting categories. A fund allows budget writers to keep various records and money separated, based on legal requirements and the nature of the activities involved. 

General Fund
Virtually all revenue from taxes, licenses, state-shared revenue distributions and charges for municipal services go into the General Fund.  The General Fund is the primary source of money for the day-to-day operating budgets of all city departments. Property taxes account for nearly half of the revenue in the General Fund and Public Safety accounts for slightly more than half of the expenditures from that fund.  The General Fund represents 53% of the total city budget.

Information Technology Plan
A five-year technology spending/funding strategy focused on equipment replacement and system development.

Mayor’s Budget Review Committee (MBRC)
A standing executive committee comprised of five voting members made up of the Chief Administrative Officer, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Director of Administration and Finance and Administrative Aides to the Mayor.  The MBRC receives departmental budget proposals from the Budget Division and makes its proposal to the mayor who, after conferring with staff and reviewing the latest financial information, is ultimately responsible for the budget proposal given to the City Council.

Millage Rate
The ad valorem (property) tax rate expressed in terms of the levy per thousand dollars of taxable value.  1 mill equals $1 per $1,000 of taxable value.  In Jacksonville’s fiscal year 09/10 budget, the county’s millage rate is 9.2727 or about $9.27 per $1,000 of taxable value.

Operational Budget
Budget requests prepared and submitted by departments during March and April to the Budget Office.

Property Appraiser
The Property Appraiser, an elected official, certifies the preliminary taxable value of all real, tangible personal and centrally assessed property by July 1 of each year.  That process guides the mayor and city council by determining how much revenue will be available from property taxes each year.  After the City Council passes and the mayor signs the millage ordinance in July, the property appraiser mails Truth in Millage (TRIM) notices to all property owners.

Public Hearings
In September, two public hearings are held on the proposed millage rate and the proposed budget during regular City Council meetings. 

Taxable Value
Taxable value of a property is the assessed value of property less allowable exemptions and is the amount to which the tax rate (millage rate) is applied to determine property taxes due.

Truth in Millage (TRIM)
The Florida Statutes (200.069) require the property appraiser to mail each taxpayer in the county a notice of proposed property taxes for all units of government.  Taxpayers have 25 days to appeal their proposed taxes to the Value Adjustment Board.

Property Tax Revenue
Although the city receives revenue from a variety of sources, Property Tax or Ad Valorem revenue is the largest single source of revenue for the city and constitutes approximately 50 percent of the revenue available to the General Fund and 35% of all revenue available for the entire budget.