A.G. Gancarski
On Monday, Jacksonville City Councilman John Crescimbeni attempted to get fellow Democrat Reggie Brown to join “Team Crescimbeni” and support his bid for council vice president.
That support did not manifest. Instead his signature on a pledge letter, Brown offered a critique of institutionalized racism in council leadership.
“It’s a broken system,” Brown said. “It’s been broken for years.”
Brown said he stopped signing pledge letters “three or four years ago,” citing conversations with former councilman Art Graham, who, like Brown, is African-American.
“I originally thought it was partisanship why I couldn’t get leadership,” Brown said, before explaining his change in mindset. “I decided that if the system isn’t going to be inclusive, I wouldn’t participate. That’s pretty much been my stance.”
Crescimbeni attempted an emotional appeal to Brown, noting that in 2008, “we were putting signs on the same lots.”
It didn’t work.
In many other years, Brown not signing on with a candidate wouldn’t matter. With this year’s pledge count stuck at 7 to 6 between Crescimbeni and Doyle Carter, every vote closer to the 10 needed to win counts.
Whatever the pledge count, the binding vote is May 24 during a meeting of the full council. The new council leadership takes over July 1.
