A.G. Gancarski
Jacksonville mayoral candidate Lenny Curry took calls on First Coast Connect on WJCT-FM Tuesday. Aside from the expected question about expanding Human Rights Ordinance protections to the LGBT community, there weren’t many points of contention or surprise in the questions, which allowed Curry to introduce to this particular audience many of the themes he has used this campaign season.
The first question had to do with how Curry would fight crime in Jacksonville. Curry contended, as he has been, that he would restore the police officers that had been cut by Alvin Brown, and that he would bring back the successful Jacksonville Journey programs instituted by John Peyton.
When asked how he planned to pay for programs, such as pension reform, the port and the restoration of police officers, Curry cited the city’s “billion dollar budget” and how Council Member Lori Boyer “found tens of millions of dollars” that had previously not been accounted for. Thus, he supports a 90-day emergency audit.
Regarding plans to expand the capabilities of the port, Curry said he will provide a workable plan to Gov. Rick Scott, and will get the necessary cooperation needed from the state level.
To a question on education, Curry discussed his proposed reforms. They included ensuring that “teachers get stipends who engage in after-school activities like academic clubs,” and pushing “voluntary Pre-K programs toward excellence.”
The inevitable question came about the nondiscrimination ordinance, supported according to the UNF poll, by 62% of residents. Curry held to his previous position that “the people of Jacksonville do not discriminate” but that, if discrimination existed, he would talk to the stakeholders “if and where discrimination exists.”
“I reject the premise that the people of Jacksonville are a discriminatory people,” he said.
A caller asked about a recent spate of shootings. Curry reiterated his intention to restore the lost police officers to help with community policing.
“The right number of officers on the street,” he said, “would allow for relationship building” between police and residents. He again reiterated his commitment to Jacksonville Journey prevention programs, as well as re-entry programs for reformed convicts.
To a question about cutting cultural service grants, Curry described himself as a “patron of the arts” including being a Jacksonville Symphony patron, and committed to not cutting budgets. He added he would cut the current mayor’s security detail.
Curry was then asked which neighborhood he wanted to improve beyond downtown. Curry reiterated his commitment to all neighborhoods’ needs, and proposed a tracker on the COJ website so residents can track infrastructure improvements throughout town.
A caller from East Arlington asked Curry when he will get to Districts 7, 8, and 9, “some of the most neglected areas in the city.”
“I’ve been knocking on doors all over this city in the course of this campaign. People are disappointed that crime is up, that the values of their homes continue to decline” even as their tax bills go up, Curry said.
Then permitting, and streamlining the process for small business owners came up.
“One of the things I’m going to do is move a high-performer into the mayor’s office as a small-business facilitator,” he said, reiterating his commitment to “fast-track one-stop permitting” and remove redundant processes and regulations.
The final question came from the Northside and had to do with immigration — an out-of-the-box question for a mayoral candidate.
“What’s clear is that the federal government has failed us on this issue,” he said, adding that “we have this issue because the United States is still the best country in the world” and that “people want to be here” for increased opportunity.
