River City Rising
Why This Documentary? Why Now?
In the four decades since Jacksonville's consolidation, much has changed – for better and for worse. For some, too much has remained the same. Today, as Jacksonville's stakeholders take pride in our progress, our diverse community continues to struggle toward consensus and resolution of issues consolidation was intended to address. Meanwhile, municipalities across the nation have moved toward consolidation as a viable solution to financial and administrative ills.
Enduring – and imminent – Importance
Many Jacksonville leaders and residents today consider consolidation the single most important factor in the city's, and perhaps the entire Northeast Florida area's economic development and its growing global reputation as a top business expansion and relocation destination. The move streamlined permitting and other business processes, significantly reducing costs for business owners. Factors of the consolidation plan and the Blueprint for Improvement also sought to remedy the city's environmental and education ills. To those ends, much has been accomplished. But much remains to be done.
Jacksonville is the only one of Florida's 67 counties to successfully consolidate its city and county governments. Ours is considered among the nation's most successful consolidation efforts. Over the past century, more than 110 consolidation attempts by municipalities nationwide, including Florida's Daytona Beach, Tampa, Gainesville, Tallahassee and Palm Beach, failed. And while sweeping changes made four decades ago clearly set Jacksonville on a path for success, changes made during subsequent mayoral administrations have weakened or removed focus from many of the ideals set forth by the architects of consolidation and authors of Blueprint for Improvement:
- Despite environmental and health risks, nearly half of Jacksonville's homes, including those in new, upscale developments, use septic tanks. And areas that lack adequate water and sewage infrastructure lack the potential for commercial development.
- For years, consolidation helped improve police coverage. But some law enforcement officers say that the improved measures have failed to keep up with Jacksonville's population growth, that the city's 841-square-mile sprawl makes it tough for police to adequately cover their beats. Today, Jacksonville has the state's highest per-capita murder rate, which grew 21 percent from 2005 to 2006. To put those numbers in perspective, statistics show that Jacksonville has 10 percent of New York City's population, but 25 percent of its murders.
- This year, 54 percent of Jacksonville's public school 10 graders failed the FCAT reading test. Meanwhile, technological changes that allow for improved global communication and the trained labor shortage left by retiring Baby Boomers make qualified human capital an increasingly important factor in business expansion and relocation decisions. In fact, according to a 2006 study, Duval County Economic Diversification Plan: Action Plan & Implementation Strategy, an educated workforce has surpassed location, roads and utilities infrastructure as a top deciding factor. If Jacksonville's education is compromised, so is its economic development potential.
These and other factors warrant a renewed look, a thorough analysis and an honest discussion about the successes and shortcomings of Jacksonville's post-consolidation efforts. Is it time for a re-commitment to consolidation's tenets and functions, or are new approaches in order?
National Influence
Jacksonville's story truly is a national story. River City Rising will explore the Jacksonville/Duval County consolidation in today's terms and show how Jacksonville continues to serve as a model for other municipalities that recently consolidated or are considering consolidating their own city and county governments. Officials from Louisville, KY and Nashville, TN consulted Jacksonville officials prior to their consolidations. Consolidation of the Greely County and Tribune, KS governments will be implemented in 2009
Historical Significance
This project will also help preserve Jacksonville's story. Many eye witnesses to Jacksonville's most pivotal time in history have passed on: late Jacksonville Mayor and Florida Governor Haydon Burns; railroad magnate Prime F. Osborn, who led the Duval County Taxpayers Association; Duval County Schools Superintendent Cecil Hardesty; Lex Hester, Chief Administrative Officer under three Jacksonville mayors, and Executive Director of the study commission that created the 1966 Blueprint for Improvement, laying the foundation for Consolidation; J.J. Daniel, Chairman of that commission; Florida Senator John E. "Jack" Mathews, who helped ink the legislation that allowed for the creation of the study; influential City Council and civil rights leaders Sallye Mathis, Mary Singleton and Earl Johnson; and of course, former Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Chairman Claude Yates, whose unwavering faith in Jacksonville's potential started it all.
Following the initial PBS airing of River City Rising, raw footage of these interviews will be made available as needed to local government, civic, educational and media organizations for credited use in in-house, non-commercial media projects. This footage, recorded in high-definition, digital format for long-lasting, optimum quality, will become an important archival treasure for all of Jacksonville.
Awareness & Education
As awareness opens doors to progress, this documentary is designed to spark further improvements to Jacksonville's education, environment, infrastructure and economic development initiatives. Additionally, through targeted distribution channels, River City Rising also will help to educate Northeast Florida's next generation about its past, help them understand its present and inspire them to get involved in its future.
*Photos courtesy State Library and Archives of Florida / Devan Stuart
