Mike Weinstein retiring after high-impact career at Jacksonville City Hall

Sept. 18--Mike Weinstein, whose long and unconventional career as City Hall's financial guru put him in the thick of some historic initiatives -- the Better Jacksonville Plan, the city hosting the Super Bowl, and a voter referendum for pension reform -- is retiring as the city's chief financial officer.

Weinstein, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2003 and served as finance director for three different mayors, got plaudits Monday from Mayor Lenny Curry and City Council members who said his impact went far beyond the numbers. His retirement will be the most significant departure so far from the top ranks of Curry's staff.

"He's been instrumental in a lot of big changes in local government," City Councilman John Crescimbeni said. "He's a person who doesn't stand in the forefront. He's kind of a behind-the-scenes guy."

Crescimbeni said Weinstein and veteran city administrator Sam Mousa, who is the chief administrative officer for Curry, have probably been directly involved in more high-stakes issues over the years than anyone other than mayors and City Council members.

Most recently, Weinstein came up with the idea for using future revenue from a half-cent sales tax to help pay for the city's pension obligation, a concept that Curry embraced and carried to a successful outcome by winning support from voters in a 2016 referendum.

"There was no simple solution," Weinstein said. "We owed billions of dollars, and we couldn't solve it without some effort. I think it was the least painful, smoothest solution that we could come up with."

Financial rating analysts aren't completely sold on the approach. Fitch Ratings said in an August report that securing a dedicated funding source for pension debt is positive for the city. But Fitch said the city's assumptions for future sales tax growth are "somewhat optimistic" and could affect city finances down the road.

Weinstein said so far, sales taxes are growing at a faster rate than projected. Investment returns for pension funds also have beaten targets. The half-cent sales tax for pension costs will start bringing in money when the half-cent sales tax for the Better Jacksonville Plan terminates by the end of 2030.

Weinstein said the Better Jacksonville Plan sales tax could end one or two years earlier than 2030, in which case the money will start flowing sooner for pension debt. When the cash starts coming in, Weinstein said, "I think everyone will be even more comfortable" with the city's approach, which shifts a chunk of the pension obligations into the future.

"It was outside the envelope, and that's why so many of the reviews of it are somewhat cautious, but it's working," Weinstein said.

His own career in city government has likewise been "outside the envelope."

He actually is an attorney and logged 20 years in the State Attorney's Office. When former state attorney Ed Austin won election as mayor in 1991, Weinstein was among the young lawyers who moved with Austin to City Hall, where Weinstein was chief of staff for a year. Weinstein then left for private practice until Austin convinced him to return to City Hall as chief financial officer.

"I like and enjoy figuring out how to make big, complicated things happen," Weinstein said. "I'm more of an idea person than a number person."

Weinstein worked with Austin on the River City Renaissance Plan. When John Delaney won election as mayor in 1995, Weinstein continued as the city's finance director and worked on the Better Jacksonville Plan, which voters approved with a half-cent sales tax in 2000.

Weinstein, 69, came out of retirement in 2015 when Curry hired him as finance director. Weinstein said he originally offered to work as a volunteer on pension reform when he met with Curry to talk about tackling the city's huge pension debt by extending the existing half-cent sales tax from the Better Jacksonville Plan. Curry asked him to come back full-time to City Hall.

"I said 'no' a couple of times and finally said 'yes,'" Weinstein said.

Curry on Monday called Weinstein a "trusted adviser and friend."

"His expertise and depth of knowledge helped me prepare balanced budgets that met our city's priorities, create a solution to the pension crisis, and set Jacksonville on a sound financial path," Curry said in a statement. "It's hard to imagine many people who have such a wide range of experience and success as a public servant."

Weinstein's career intersected with Jacksonville's arrival as an NFL city. He was part of the city leadership that negotiated terms for bringing the Jaguars to Jacksonville as a new franchise, and he served as president of the committee that overcame the odds in 2000 to convince the NFL that Jacksonville would host the Super Bowl in 2005.

He was the original director of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, serving there from 1996 to 2001. A year ago, he stepped in as the first director of the Kids Hope Alliance to help get that organization set up.

Weinstein ran for mayor in 2003, finishing third in the campaign won by John Peyton. Weinstein said if he had won, he had planned to appoint a deputy mayor to handle the ceremonial trappings of the office so he could focus on what he really likes to do, which is the inner workings of government.

Weinstein later won election to the state House of Representatives, representing District 19 from 2008-2012. He lost a bid for the state Senate.

His retirement pegs his last day at the office as Sept. 28. His last official day on the city payroll will be Nov. 9. He said city Treasurer Joey Grieve will replace him as part of a the succession plan for filling that post of finance director.

City Council President Aaron Bowman said he wouldn't be surprised if Weinstein re-emerges again from retirement in some way.

"I'm convinced, as well as I know Mike, that even if he doesn't show up every day, he's not going to walk away from it all," Bowman said. "He will continue to be a big part of the city."

David Bauerlein (904) 359-4581

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