A.G. Gancarski
One of the primary policy initiatives of the Lenny Curry administration in Jacksonville has been the reinstitution of the Neighborhoods Department. As of April 15, however, the search is on for a new permanent head, as Acting Director Derek Igou has tendered his three sentence resignation letter.
Igou wrote Curry that while he wanted to thank Curry for the opportunity to serve as Acting Director, effective April 15 he would no longer serve in that capacity.
Kim Scott will take over as Acting Director, pending the selection of a permanent replacement.
In an attempt to put a “stronger focus on neighborhoods” and to impose “cost controls,” the Jacksonville City Council passed 17-0 comprehensive reorganization legislation in March that created a Neighborhoods Department.
The legislation has been a priority of the Curry administration from before the inauguration, and would mitigate the effects of a reorganization in the previous administration that eliminated the department. The ordinance, among other outcomes, removes several department heads from reporting to the mayor directly, instead requiring them to report to Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa.
Parking enforcement, in the plan, moves from the Office of Economic Development to the Downtown Investment Authority, allowing the DIA to address the long-standing problem downtown of public parking.
The administration offered no comment. However, Rules Committee members on Council were frustrated by Igou not meeting with them for pre-confirmation meetings.
The full story on the Igou resignation, with one day notice, no doubt is an interesting one.
In March, he told the Jax Daily Record that “I just want to be part of it. I think we can do some good things.”
Just two weeks later, the man described as a “former deputy chief administrative officer and longtime City Hall veteran” had second thoughts.
