Well Written. Interestingly, I really didn't appreciate Chris Hand as Chief of Staff, largely because he served under Alvin Brown (who I thought despite some positive things did an overall subpar job as mayor).
Personally, I think Consolidation can work and I think it's better than what's going on in Atlanta, where unincorporated suburbs of Atlanta are forming their own governments (Sandy Springs and Brookhaven as two examples). But, it doesn't handle well the balance between suburbs and downtown. Most cities don't have the abundance of vacant land within their city limits that Jacksonville does, and because traffic is really not that bad here businesses can open outside of downtown pretty easily.
Additionally, it doesn't handle the dynamic of density vs. geography. For example, COJ had to open a new fire station near Nocatee. This isn't because there were that many people out there that it called for a new fire station. It's because fire rescue has a SLA to respond within X number of minutes (makes perfect sense for what they do). You can also find examples of this with things like Parks, Police, Utilities, and other Public Works.
I still think Consolidation can work. But those things need to be fixed. Hand's editorial was a good high level overview of the concept of what should be done but without the details (something COJ has struggled with).
This whole pandemic opens up the opportunity for some infrastructure spending and planning....if done right. It can't be a boondoggle, but there are plenty of genuine needs to deal with. The sewer lines are a great example - replacing all of the septic tanks. I think the challenge here is getting city council to endorse a spending plan is a challenge because 90% of the city has sewer lines and people's natural feeling is, "what's in it for me." This principle is why the Better Jax plan passed....Delaney planned it well in that most people could connect with at least a couple things in the plan, so it resonated with them. Now, this isn't the time to try to to add another 1/2 cent sales tax for a "BJP 2" - I don't envy the challenge DCPS has with this right now (side note I think that's why Curry "endorsed" it....he doesn't think it will pass). But, I do think there are ways to get creative with funding and business support (something else COJ has done a bad job with), to put together some infrastructure plans for sewers, parks, etc.
JEA leading the charge on infrastructure help might also help with their reputation.
