Mayor Brown reorganizing JEDC which promotes economic developement , films, and sporting events
Focus of reorganized JEDC to be on downtown developement
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Downtown Jacksonville's recruiting organization, the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, is set to be overhauled.
Rep. Lake Ray is filing a bill in the state legislature that will give the city the authority to amend or repeal the portion of the charter dealing with the JEDC.
Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown has a task force studying the development arm of the city, which started in 1997.
Its goal is to bring business to the city. The JEDC has had successes, but a recent City Council audit was critical, saying the JEDC lacked oversight and failed to verify if jobs were indeed created using incentives granted to businesses that moved or expanded into Jacksonville.
The mayor wants the agency to report directly to him. Currently there is a board which advises the city council.
The focus of the new agency will be much more on Downtown said Don Shea, who serves on the Jacksonville Civic Council and is advising Brown on economic development.
"The long term goal is that we have once and for all a well funded and well organized downtown development agency that wakes up everyday worrying about how to make Downtown better, and can actually deliver some change and some improvement in the economics of Downtown."
Brown campaigned on having a vibrant downtown and it is one of his primary issue.
Shea said the new reorganized JEDC, by whatever name it is known, should be in operation by early spring.
First Coast News