JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Senior administrators with the city of Jacksonville discovered they have more than $1 million to spend.
Action News has learned city officials have a new plan to spend $1.3 million in grant money they never distributed.
According to a city spokesman, the city plans on spending $160,000 on cutting the grass along streets. It will also spend $260,000 on maintenance for city parks. Both of those were cut in last year's budget. The city will shell out the remaining amount, $934,000, to remove all extraordinary lapses that were placed in the fiscal year 2012-2013 general fund budget. That's money that will help alleviate any revenue shortfalls or budget reductions.
The president of the Jacksonville Fire Fighters Union, Randy Wyse, says city leaders need to put a priority on public safety.
"I think you really ought to look at the priorities of what city government is about," said Wyse. "Cutting grass is important but also public safety and I don't think people realize, there are some serious cuts that are being threatened by the fire chief on public safety."
City council finance committee chair, John Crescimbeni, says council members will carefully examine every penny to ensure the best bang for the taxpayer buck.
"Our city budget is always a balancing act and we try to address priorities and we have a wide spectrum of priorities. I think that public safety was pretty adequately covered in this year's city budget."
Any decision on how the money will be spent must be approved by the full city council.
