Daily Record Financial News &
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Vol. 103, No. 037 • One Section
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
How Curry decided on Plan A
Proposal extends BJP tax to fund pension liability Mayor Lenny Curry knew when he took office July 1 of the financial burdens in front of him. The biggest? Figuring out how to pay down the city’s almost $2.7 billion in unfunded pension liabilities. The debt and required annual pay-down drains money that could be used for quality-of-life improvements, infrastructure and Curry’s top priority, public
safety. After months of private discussions, he went public with his plan Monday. Curry wants to extend the Better Jacksonville Plan’s 1/2-cent sales tax, scheduled to expire in 2030, for up to 30 years. He wants to move future employees, including public safety members, to a 401(k)-style defined contribution plan. And he wants this decided by elected officials, not by voters in a referendum like when the infrastruc-
ture tax originally was put into place in 2000. It was a problem he began reviewing during his transition. And this course, his Plan A, is one he decided on in the summer, shortly after taking office and meeting with his senior staff for possible solutions. The plan starts with the Legislature. In December, he recruited two Northeast Florida legislators with a recent history of success on state pension reform. “If Northeast Florida can’t
get its financial house in order, it will have implications,” said state Sen. Rob Bradley. “This can fairly be described as a financial crisis that needs to be addressed.” State Rep. Travis Cummings will be House sponsor of a bill expected to be filed by the end of the week. The Clay County legislators said they know it will be difficult to move the idea through Tallahassee. Pension continued on Page A-3
“I Want the Wide American Earth: An Asian Pacific American Story” tells the story of how Asians have contributed to American life. It’s on display through Feb. 28 in the fourth floor atrium at the Main Library Downtown.
Tracing story of Asian immigrants
Smithsonian Institution exhibit at Main Library through Feb. 28 By Max Marbut Staff Writer An exhibit created for the Smithsonian Institution’s Asian Pacific American Center in Washington, D.C. is making a stop Downtown at the Jacksonville Public Library. “I Want the Wide American Earth: An Asian Pacific American Story” debuted last year at the Smithsonian and then was adapted as a traveling exhibit to be shown at cultural centers, museums and libraries. The exhibit is on the fourth floor of the Main Library near the Special Collections area through Feb. 28. The story begins in 1492 with Christopher Columbus, for whom the idea of a trans-Atlantic voyage to establish a trade route to Asia led to his discovery of what would become the United States. From there, the exhibit tells the stories
Public
of the earliest Asian immigrants through the present. Asian immigrants panned in the Gold Rush, laid track for the Transcontinental Railroad and fought on both sides in the Civil War. On plantations in Hawaii and farms in California, Asians helped build America’s agriculture. Contributions made by Asian Pacific Americans in government, arts and culture are highlighted. The exhibit also details the challenges that have faced Asians in America, such as prohibition on immigration, Civil Rights violations and the detention of 120,000 Asians during World War II in response to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Asians account for 5.6 percent of the American population. From 2000-10, the Asian population grew by 46 percent, Exhibit continued on Page A-3
legal notices begin on page
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Curry
Caliber Collision opening 6 sites
Photo by Max Marbut
By David Chapman Staff Writer
Schedule of programs Saturday: 3 p.m., opening celebration, Main Library Jan. 16: 8 p.m., Shen Yun Performing Arts, University of North Florida Jan. 17: 2 p.m., Shen Yun Performing Arts, University of North Florida* Jan. 24: 2 p.m., Panel discussion: Arts and education, Main Library* Feb. 6: 10:30 a.m., Conversational Chinese Part 1, Main Library Feb. 7: 2 p.m., Panel discussion: Business and civic engagement, Main Library Feb. 13: 10:30 a.m., Conversational Chinese Part 2, Main Library Feb. 20: 3 p.m., Conversational Japanese Part 1, Pablo Creek Regional Library Feb. 27: 3 p.m., Conversational Japanese Part 2, Pablo Creek Regional Library Feb. 28: 2 p.m., Exhibit finale. Main Library * For ticket information, call (888) 974-3698 or email syjaxshow@gmail.com.
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Lewisville, Texas-based Caliber Collision, which calls itself the largest collisionrepair company in the country, intends to open six Jacksonville locations by the end of the year. Caliber Collision Centers filed for business licenses for two locations and a third is under concurrency review. The first two are at 13051 Beach Blvd. and 8320 Dames Point Crossing Blvd N., Building 100. The third is planned along Golden Wings Road in the Timuquana Commerce Center, across Roosevelt Boulevard from Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Caliber Collision Vice President of Operations Carl Deaton said the Beach Boulevard location would open this month. The location formerly was an American Carstar Auto Body Repair Experts. The Dames Point Crossing center in Arlington should open about Jan. 25, he said. “It was a vacant building. We are helping develop the area,” Deaton said. He said the locations average 17,000 to 20,000 square feet and employ 17 to 20 people. A concurrency application filed with the city shows an almost 17,000-square-foot Caliber Collision on 2.36 acres at 7208-7216 Golden Wings Road. Deaton said that location would open late this year, probably in the fourth quarter, pending permitting. Caliber Collision is building that location. The company operates 353 repair centers in 13 states. The closest of its 20 Florida locations is in Palm Coast. Deaton said the company is entering the Jacksonville market because there is a demand for high-performing collision repair centers. Deaton said Caliber Collision started in the Florida market in September 2014. Mathis continued on Page A-2
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