A.G. Gancarski
On most warm, sunny Saturday mornings at Jacksonville Beach, the sands were jam-packed. Equally jam-packed on this Saturday morning: the Lenny Curry Beach headquarters where Curry supporters convened and stood elbow to elbow as the space was transformed into what the Curry campaign hopes will be a “game changer” for their campaign.
A leit motif of the morning: the lack of communication between Beaches elected leaders and City Hall. Neptune Beach Councilman Scott Wiley said, “Lenny understands the governments we have at the Beaches,” a place where localism isn’t just a buzzword but a way of life.
“The Beaches have their own governments that we operate and do a good job with,” he said, adding that Duval County hasn’t upheld its end. “Lenny Curry vows that Jacksonville will honor its commitment to the Beaches.”
Former Jacksonville City Council President Elaine Brown continued on that theme. “Leadership is what this is all about,” she said, adding that the Beaches “can make the difference in getting this man elected,” a “mayor that would once again represent the Beaches.”
Yet another former city council president, Beaches Councilman Bill Gulliford, began his remarks saying his current nemesis on council, At Large Councilwoman Kim Daniels, is “anti-Beach” and “coming out and dissing the Beaches.” Gulliford pointed out her Group 1 opponent, Anna Brosche, who was in attendance, and strongly endorsed her.
Gulliford then excoriated Alvin Brown as “someone not there in terms of leadership,” who doesn’t “understand [or] care” about resolving key issues with Beaches leaders.
“The Addministration is pretty doggone weak,” Gulliford continued, dropping issues such as Atlantic Beach tipping fees and getting a free roof installed on the pier by a contractor willing to do it gratis. The Beaches suffer, he said, “because of all the ineptitude in the Administration.”
“We’ve had an empty mayor’s office for the last four years,” a problem because a “strong mayor” is a big part of consolidated government. Gulliford contended that “this mayor’s been nonexistent.”
The question of existence is probably best left to metaphysicians. However, said Gulliford, “the city faces great challenges. We desperately need leadership.”
That leadership, Gulliford said, can come from Curry.
“Even though Lenny Curry and I will come to blows” negotiating some issues, “he will at least listen.”
Gulliford added that the Beaches Watch forum illustrated a “graphic difference” between the incumbent and challenger.
“The mayor never touched on anything,” offering “no answers to specific questions,” instead relying on his “I kept my promises” refrain, “whatever those promises were,” Gulliford said. The forum, he said, was “very demonstrative of the differences between the two candidates.”
In his remarks, Curry affirmed that Gulliford is a key resource for him on many issues, before reiterating his contention that the Beach communities have been “undervalued, underappreciated, and ignored” for too long. He again vowed to “meet with mayors immediately” after being elected regarding the interlocal agreements.
“When it’s time to govern, we’ll do the right thing,” Curry said. “You’ll see me out here frequently.”
In a comment received before the event, Yianni Varonis, spokesman for Brown, claimed the mayor had beaten Curry to the punch at the Beach: “More than two weeks before Lenny Curry, Mayor Brown showed his commitment to the Beaches by opening an office in Jacksonville Beach. The office gives Mayor Brown’s energetic volunteers the opportunity to fight for his re-election and share with voters his vision for strengthening the Beaches community as well as reducing crime and creating jobs throughout Jacksonville.”
A complete list of Curry endorsers is below:
Atlantic Beach
Jimmy Hill — Commissioner Seat 4
Jacksonville Beach
Christine Hoffman — City Council Seat 1
Phil Vogelsang — City Council Seat 2
Neptune Beach
Scott Wiley — City Council Seat 2
Kara Tucker — City Council Seat 3
Jacksonville City Council
Richard Clark — District 3
Bill Gulliford — District 13
Elaine Brown — Former City Council President & Two Term At-Large Member
