Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton Calls for 9 Percent Property Tax Increase

Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton, who came to office in 2003 calling himself a conservative and pledging not to raise taxes, will present to the City Council a proposal to raise property taxes by 9 percent on Wednesday. While Peyton is cutting back on library hours and city employee salaries, he is also looking to keep public funds going to after-school programs, arguing that they have helped reduced crime in Jacksonville.

Peyton is term-limited and will be replaced in 2011 -- and, like so many other recent Jacksonville mayors, has nowhere to go politically (its why so many of them like Jake Godbold and Tommy Hazouri end up running for their old job). Still, one thing is clear -- Peyton will have a hard time selling himself as a conservative to Republicans after promising not to raise taxes. While Peyton has been mentioned as a possible running mate for Rick Scott or Bill McCollum, its fair to say he wont be chosen. Political pundits always bring up Ronald Reagans 11th Commandment: Thou shall not attack your fellow Republicans. Peyton should take a lesson from the man who served as Reagans understudy as vice president for eight years, and the problem George H.W. Bush had reeling in conservatives back in 1992 after breaking his famous read my lips pledge. The 12th Commandment : Thou shall not raise taxes after promising not to and expect support from conservatives.