JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A new generation of street lighting may lighten the load for local taxpayers.
City Councilman Warren Jones is proposing the Mayor's Office look in to converting the city's street lights to LED lights. He says it could cut the city's $9.6 million energy bill in half.
John Winkler, with Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County, said it's about time. "Obviously, this is the kind of potential cost savings that the city needs to investigate."
"To urge the Mayor's Office to study whether or not we can save a lot of money in energy consumption with a different kind of street light makes perfect sense," said Winkler.
It's a move several other cities are already making. Action News told you a few months ago, how the City of St. Augustine converted the lights in the Downtown parking garage to an LED system. It saved $3,000 in a single month.
LED lights last longer and require less maintenance. And concerned taxpayers like Winkler say they can actually back this bright idea. "It would be nice to get something of a clawback here so that we have a savings rather than just out-go," he said.
Action News did learn this conversion isn't as simple as changing a light bulb. JEA, which owns city street lights, said the entire fixture would need to be replaced. And that could be costly.
However, the resolution includes choosing a vendor which would bear the initial cost.
The issue goes before the City Council tonight.
