Mayor Brown quiet on budget issues

Mayor's staff keeps him away from Channel 4 reporter

Mayor Alvin Brown talks about his budget proposal.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – During this week of budget woes for the city of Jacksonville in which the sheriff says he is being forced to lay off officers and cut programs because of the city budget, Mayor Alvin Brown has been quiet on the issue publicly.

Channel 4 asked this week though Brown's press office to talk with him.

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During two events Friday, the mayor made public appearances and addressed the issue of summer jobs for youth and and his Learn to Earn program. The mayor was happy to talk about that, but when Channel 4's Jim Piggott wanted to address other issues like the budget, his staff kept him away.

"The mayor is running away from us. We've been trying to get him all week," Piggott told staff member Aleizha Batson.

"We are here to talk about the summer jobs program," Batson said.

"And he can't talk about problems facing the city?" Piggott asked.

"We are here to talk about summer jobs," Batson said.

"So the mayor is running away from us," Piggott said.

Brown presented his budget last week. Sheriff John Rutherford said Monday he was not aware that the mayor's staff cut $6.1 million more than he was aware of when he first talked with the mayor.