Latest news with #904LEAN
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Better quality of life': Jacksonville Mayor touts new government efficiency initiatives
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan uncovered new efforts to improve government efficiency. On March 11, she spoke about the city's 904 LEAN Initiatives. The City partnered with the LEAN Competency System (LCS) last year. It's a nonprofit organization known for making businesses more streamlined. The City said in a news release that its goal with this partnership is to reduce waste 'while maintaining the quality of services Jacksonville residents rely on.' The City says it streamlined the permitting process, digitized contract approvals, and automated expense reports. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Read: Tenikka's Books for Kids is back for Year 8! 'This means faster response times, less bureaucracy, and better services for the public,' Jacksonville Mayor Deegan said in a news release. 'When our people are spending less time on paperwork and administrative duties, that gives them more time to fix a pothole; to help deliver meals to the food insecure; to help a business owner get their permit faster; and to save lives at the Fire Department. 904 LEAN means a better quality of life for every Jacksonville citizen.' In addition to the updates on 904 LEAN, Mayor Deegan announced that Jacksonville is one of the first cities in the nation to leverage AI and advanced financial modeling to improve its budgeting process. To lessen the tax burden on residents, it partnered with C3 AI to help it catch redundant spending and hold vendors accountable. Mayor Deegan also announced that her administration is working on new legislation to 'ensure fairness and accountability for your taxpayer dollars and how they are spent.' 'These innovations aren't just numbers on a spreadsheet—they mean a better quality of life for every Jacksonville citizen,' Deegan said. 'More efficient budgeting means more resources for critical services like public safety, infrastructure, and community programs. It means reducing waste, while also maintaining the quality of services people rely on.' To learn more about 904 LEAN, click here. Read: Trump signs a bill funding the government for 6 months, avoiding a shutdown [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Duval DOGE' meeting sparks protests as mayor urges council members to avoid 'chainsaw' approach to cost cutting
Public outcry preceded the first meeting discussing the new 'Duval DOGE' effort as dozens of protesters gathered outside city hall ahead of the meeting. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Michele, who declined to give her last name out of fear of 'being doxed by MAGA people', told Action News Jax she believes local Republicans want to cut critical services. 'Probably they will be more than happy to retain funds for law enforcement, but beyond that, yeah anything that helps people, they want rid of,' said Michele. Moments prior, Mayor Donna Deegan held a meeting in the atrium of City Hall, highlighting her administration's success cutting more than 216,000 employee hours by improving efficiencies through the 904 LEAN program. The mayor also said her office is planning to utilize artificial intelligence while crafting her next budget proposal. She explained the technology can help identify redundant and or unnecessary spending. 'These changes are practical, proactive and not political,' said Deegan. But the approach council members are taking with the 'Duval DOGE' initiative is looking to cut costs more directly. Council auditors advised members to look at cutting capital projects that haven't seen activity for over a year, reducing the mayor's transfer authority to boost reserves and analyze city departments and programs where spending growth has outpaced the county's population growth. Finance Chair Ron Salem (R-Group 2 At Large) suggested with the city looking at budget deficits exceeding $100 million in the coming years, there's a need to reduce spending in advance of the storm. The initial proposal would be to reduce the budget by two percent, by cutting controllable expenses. 'We've got a DIA and an economic development department in the City of Jacksonville. Why do we have two? Could we merge those together? Save some efficiency,' said Salem. The mayor encouraged the council to be deliberate in its cost-cutting efforts. 'We don't want to take a chainsaw to something that really needs a finer instrument. We want to make sure we're preserving our quality of life,' said Deegan. The next 'Duval DOGE' meeting will be held next week. Salem told Action News Jax the next step will be the establishment of a special committee, so council members can officially get to work. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
