The local rag in Jax, The Florida Times-Union, with it’s website, Jacksonville.com, are occasionally taken to task by smaller organizations for being too close and soft on business and political leaders in Duval County.

But, credit where credit is due, someone over there has their teeth into Mayor John Peyton’s rear-end and is shaking loose a host of sweetheart contracts awarded to friends and associates, including a $48,000 no-bid contract to an efficiency consultant.

Now, I have no idea if this person earned their money; I do know that a $48,000 no-bid contract in every business I’ve been associated with (Revenues ranging from $4M to $9Billion) would never fly. As someone that has been involved in selling products and services to the federal government for most of his career, I can say sole-source contracts exist when the government knows there is no viable alternative in the market.

This all comes on the heels of revelations of similar shady deals for a provider of IT consulting services, owned by a former Peyton staffer.

It is my opinion that IT consulting services and organizing-consulting services do not meet this threshold. Neither is unique, neither possesses technology nor skills that couldn’t be found elsewhere, and frankly, neither business has high barriers to entry.

Mayor Peyton has been a vocal opponent of property tax reform in Florida, warning that city services would have to be cut. When the reform package was passed and signed into law, Peyton submitted a budget that included heavy cuts in city services and new/increased fees for basic services.

A single instance, ok, you can forgive as a lapse in judgment or “slip”. But, it’s beginning to look like there is a pattern of corruption at Jax City Hall, and the mayor wants the taxpayers to foot the bill.