Community Benefits Agreement inches ahead with money for neighborhoods

The Out East community and other neighborhoods got a bit closer this week to receiving money from the Jaguars stadium deal.

A committee set up to give recommendations to City Council on the remaining portions of the Community Benefits Agreement wrapped up much of its proposal Monday. The recommendations are expected to go before City Council on Sept. 10.

Special City Council Committee Chair Raul Arias said the group, after four meetings, feels confident they’ve balanced the needs of the county — specifically the Out East community closest to the stadium — in a “fiscally responsible” way, while also allocating money for each of the 14 City Council districts.

“I’m proud to say that we have fully funded the CBA at $150 million,” he said as the meeting came to an end. “We funded $94 million to get the $32 million from the Jaguars matching dollars. We were fiscally responsible. The city protected its assets. …  It’s a big win for not just the city, but for the East Side as well.”

The Jaguars initially offered $100 million for community benefits but pledged to add $50 million if the city matched the total — or $1 million for every $3 million the city invested.

Of the $150 million city contribution, city leaders had already dedicated $56 million to countywide parks initiatives in June, which brought the Jaguars’ total to $118.7 million. The $94 million recommended by the special committee unlocks the remaining $31.3 million from the Jags.

Among the new recommendations from the committee:

• Raise the amount dedicated to the Eastside by $10 million for a total investment there of $40 million for workforce development, homelessness services and affordable housing over seven years. Council members agreed to increase the amount and stretch out the timeline, changing from an earlier plan that was less money over a three-year span. In increasing funds over a longer period, council members also recommended allowing the city to fund the full amount in a shorter period if at all possible.

• Countywide, the group agreed to dedicate $40 million over 33 years and $6 million in the current budget year. Additionally, $14 million would be divided equally among each of the 14 City Council districts, with the funds to be directed by each individual district.

• The group agreed to make an annual contribution of $4 million toward the Eastside and $1 million annually toward countywide districts, subject to a possible override, if necessary. In other words, on the suggestion of Councilman Nick Howland, council members agreed to include a stipulation that if the city coffers were not healthy enough in any given year to increase funding for the Community Benefits Agreement, the city would not be mandated to add funding, but would still have the option to make the $1 million payment.

• The group will recommend City Council explore options for a tax increment financing agreement with the Jaguars. (Tax increment financing is a method for governments that allows a Community Redevelopment Agency to use the incremental increases in property tax revenues from redevelopment.) This recommendation is expected to be written up by the General Counsel’s Office and reviewed by the team.

• Council President Randy White promised to create another Community Benefits Agreement special committee to discuss options for tax increment financing, as well as other elements of the agreement in the future.

“I think we all feel proud about this,” Arias said.

Eastside timeline shift

While the committee increased the funding for Eastside by $10 million, there were concerns among council members and the mayor’s office that stretching out the timeline might lessen the benefit of the funds.

“I want to be clear and make sure that we don’t dilute our investment to the point where it doesn’t make an impact,” said Joe Inderhees, deputy chief of staff for the mayor’s office.

Inderhees asked the committee to make sure language was included in the agreement that would allow the city to use the entire $40 million earlier than the seven-year timeline, and City Council members agreed.

In an email Tuesday, city spokesman Phil Perry said the mayor’s office is grateful to the committee for fully funding the city’s commitment to the deal with the Jaguars, but also encouraged a faster timeline.

“The goal of this agreement was always to make a significant early impact with the city investment while the Jaguars funding sustained these programs over the life of the lease,” Perry said. “Put another way, the city investment is the seed money with the Jaguars’ contribution providing ongoing care and maintenance.”

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