By Ken Underwood and Dave Van Saun
Last year, our Mayor testified with ease before the BRAC commission that "through the advantages of consolidated government" the City could convey Cecil Field property to the Navy. Commissioner Skinner then asked if the Mayor was prepared to turn over title to the United States government by the end of the year, the Mayor, under oath, responded, "Yes, sir, that's correct."
Fast-forward one year.
Even though there has been no ownership change of Cecil Field, the Mayor now claims it would be "impossible." In fact, that's the main argument the city provided in their failed efforts to keep the voters' referendum off the ballot.
Don't believe the Mayor and the developers who are responsible for the Mayor's abrupt flip-flop.
For example, the city uses Clay County's property as an insurmountable obstacle when, in fact, there are no property records that show the 641 acres was owned by the Navy when the base closed, and therefore, no requirement to return it. Property records show it was owned by the U.S. Department of Interior. Thanks to the recent Clay County resolution, the property will continue to serve as a buffer zone for the 1,000 military aircraft flight evolutions that currently operate each week at Cecil Field.
There are six Cecil property owners with Vystar Credit Union being the only non-governmental entity – owning one acre out of 17,000. If Vystar is asked to convey the acre to the City for fair market value, I'm confident it will sell and get an opportunity to serve 12,000 Navy personnel that will come back to Cecil Field.
The Florida Department of Transportation and Florida Community College at Jacksonville are the second and third owners…in other words, it's property that's owned by the state. Please note: it's the State of Florida that BRAC law requires to convey the property to the Department of Defense. Obviously, since the state owns the property and remains committed to providing it to the Navy, as Governor Bush has repeatedly stated, this property can be conveyed with the stroke of a pen.
The Jacksonville Airport Authority and the Jacksonville Electrical Authority, two governmental entities whose budgets - or lack of budgets - are controlled by the City, are the fourth and fifth property owners. Last year, these entities, under the Mayor's leadership, agreed to provide the property for free. This year, the Mayor makes the absurd assertion that it will cost $1.7 billion. If the Mayor was able to get the land for free last year "through the advantages of consolidated government," he can do so this year.
That leaves us with the last property owner…the City of Jacksonville. Again, the property can be conveyed with a simple stroke of the pen.
So, if it's so easy to convey the Cecil property, why has the city misrepresented to the Court and to the citizens of Jacksonville that it's "impossible?" Especially since the Navy's return will be the biggest economic boon to hit Florida since Disney World – that's right - Disney World.
According to results of a study commissioned by Enterprise Florida, and its Chairman, Governor Jeb Bush, the Master Jet Base means 31,000 new jobs and provides an economic impact that is 50% of Disney World's impact and salaries that are 87% of Disney's payroll. Nothing in Florida comes close to providing this much economic opportunity for one single community.
We don't know the reasons for the City's ongoing, egregious misrepresentations. However, we do know Daniel Davis, while serving as both the Director of the Northeast Florida Builders Association and City Councilman, has been a driving force in raising money for our opposition.
It's time for Jacksonville's media to wake up and stop giving our elected leaders a free pass on the most important economic issue to hit Florida since Disney World. But more importantly, it's time for Jacksonville voters to send a message to City Hall, stand up for Jacksonville's economic future, and vote "yes" for Cecil Field.
Ken Underwood is a former Navy Pilot and co-founder of VoteJacksonville.com. Dave Van Saun is former Commanding Officer of Naval Station Mayport, served as senior staff to the BRAC Commission and is co-founder of VoteJacksonville.com.