Among the items Mayor Alvin Brownhas asked the City Council to fund in his proposed budget for the next fiscal year is a director for an Office of International Trade, a role the city hasn't had for years.
What his budget proposal doesn't seem to contain is funding for that new director to travel internationally - something the mayor's office said is too soon to talk about.
"It is premature to speculate on what kind of travel budget, if any, that International Trade Officer will have," Chief of Staff Chris Hand wrote in an email. "His or her need for travel, if any, will be determined in consultation with the head of the Office of Economic Development."
When pressed, both Hand and MayorAlvin Brown would not detail how the director would be able to conduct his or her job if there was not room in the budget to travel. Brown - who spoke in a phone interview with the Business Journal - said that he has been innovative in the past, and the proper funding needed for the position will be there.
Brown added that although he is focused on the big picture until the position is authorized, he has a vision for the position and the new office.
He said the Office of International Trade will partner with major stakeholders - such as the Jacksonville Port Authority, the chamber of commerce, the Global Cities Initiative and local universities - to forge a plan to help Jacksonville become more relevant in the global community.
That plan will not be detailed until the position is filled, said Hand, who said it will be up to the new director to determine short and longer-term goals.
"Now the office has been established," Hand said, "its the new director's job to sit and determine the goals, and what are the metrics to establish those goals."