Sleiman leads ad campaign to protest city tax increase

[Patricia M. McBride]

Sleiman leads ad campaign to protest city tax increase

TV and radio spots urge residents to call City Hall by Tuesday.

Posted: September 24, 2010 - 7:47am

By Matt Galnor

Shopping center magnate Toney Sleiman is putting his money and muscle behind an ad campaign against the proposed property tax rate increase the Jacksonville City Council will vote on next week.

The 15-second television ads started Thursday, with minute-long radio spots beginning today.

The council has already tentatively approved the tax rate - a 9 percent increase that Mayor John Peyton says is needed to keep the same amount of money coming in as last year. The final vote in the roughly $1 billion budget is Tuesday.

The commercials urge taxpayers to call the council and come to City Hall for Tuesday's meeting.

"What we have proposed this year is what we believe is the responsible middle ground," Peyton spokeswoman Misty Skipper said.

The owner of The Jacksonville Landing, Sleiman said he is part of a group of people who decided to get the campaign together, but he signed a confidentiality agreement and declined comment.

"All I can tell you is look at TV and listen to the radio," he said.

The ads discuss last year's 9 percent property tax increase and fees the city installed since 2007, including a garbage fee that's now more than $150 a year.

The gist of the ads is "Vote no, stop the taxes, don't give us another 9 percent increase," said Paul McCormick, owner of agency that produced the ad.

McCormick said there are dozens of contributors and declined to said how much has been raised, though checks were still coming in this week.

Sleiman lobbied council members hard before the Sept. 14 vote tentatively approving the tax increase. The council passed it 14-4.

Sleiman has publicly feuded for years with Peyton over parking and the city's role at the Landing.

This spring, the council approved $6 million for Sleiman to buy a surface parking lot - $3.5 million up front and $2.5 million from parking validations over the next 20 years. The city is obligated to pay Sleiman once he builds a parking garage and Peyton didn't feel the money needed to be spent now, so he vetoed the bill.

The council overrode Peyton in June. The contract is still being finalized and Sleiman hasn't received the money yet, Skipper said.

Peyton's office did an analysis Thursday on about 20 of Sleiman's commercial properties across town and found the total tax increase would be about $4,000 - less than 4 percent.

Since getting Peyton's proposed budget in July, the council has made some changes, including drastically cutting travel and training while restoring some library hours that were cut.

But no significant movement has been made on the tax increase.

Last year, led by then-President Richard Clark, the council tried to cut $53 million to avoid a tax increase. After cuts that included special events and senior programs, the reductions weren't enough. Clark negotiated with Peyton and the council approved the increase.

This year, council President Jack Webb said city leaders began working on the budget in November and there isn't anyone on the council who wants to vote for a tax increase. He's willing to listen to any suggestions, but Peyton has said not raising the tax rate will require cutting another $45 million.

"If they've gotten real smart over the past 12 months," Webb said, "let's hear it."

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