The chair of a Jacksonville City Council subcommittee key to setting the annual budget said legislators are looking to add projects to the city’s Capital Improvement Program.
The CIP covers maintenance, like funding for road repairs and resurfacing, major purchases like new fire engines, and replacing park equipment.
Council Member Richard Clark is chair of the City Council Finance Committee CIP Subcommittee, which is reviewing the proposed CIP budget.
At a meeting of the subcommittee today, Clark said the city has let maintenance of many parks slip for years, meaning a major influx of CIP projects will be necessary to get them back in shape.
He added that the council should establish a long-term capital investment plan for the parks system, and stick to it.
Council members were sharply critical of Mayor Alvin Brown’s proposed budget because it included no money for roadway resurfacing, sidewalk and curb repair, and several other capital projects for the coming year.
The full Finance Committee is scheduled to address the CIP budget on Friday.
Clark said proposed improvements to EverBank Field, including the addition of what would be the largest video scoreboards of their kind in the world, will likely be discussed then.