A.G. Gancarski
The real story in Jacksonville’s City Council on this committee week goes deeper than the bills under consideration, extending to a radical shift coming in both committee leadership and how business will be conducted.
On Monday, Council President-Designate Anna Brosche announced her new committees starting after this legislative cycle.
The next Finance Chair, Garrett Dennis, had some interesting remarks that same morning in a committee regarding a bill he sponsored, to move $200,000 from general fund monies for swimming lessons.
Dennis kept jabbing at Councilman Bill Gulliford, a veteran Republican who will not be on any standing committees starting in July, saying that as the “student”, Dennis “learned so much” from Gulliford, the teacher.
The changing fortunes of Dennis and Gulliford animated the normally drowsy committee, with Dennis clearly exulting in being in control of the most important committee on Council, while Gulliford will be left out in the cold.
Dennis’ bill got through committee on Monday, and made it to Rules Tuesday afternoon — where a Gulliford bill to earmark $1.5M for opioid treatment also had its second committee stop.
The Dennis/Gulliford show looked poised to dominate committee business on Tuesday going in. However, the conflict went deeper than just those two principals, exposing fissures on the City Council of the sort that have not been seen in years.
Gulliford noted that Dennis would be “excited” about funding coming from a different source than council reserve, and noted that Dennis’ own bill for swimming lessons would come from the same source, so “it’s a win/win.”
Questions emerged as to why the program wasn’t just held over to be part of the budget, but Gulliford noted that the urgency is now and the magnitude of the program is enormous.
The discussion stayed focused and subject-matter oriented for the most part, with deep dives from various panel members about the specifics of the program.
For the most part.
Chatter got chippy at the end, courtesy of Finance Vice Chair in waiting Danny Becton, who referred to the opioid program as “taking dollars and throwing them out at something that is not clearly defined.”
“We’re supposed to just say yes to the bill sponsor, but two weeks ago I was getting schooled [by him] … on doing this through the budget process,” Becton said, referring to his bill putting 15 percent of future budget increases into pension relief that got torched in Finance a fortnight ago.
Becton’s bill was re-referred and deferred until July, when he will be in a better position to get it through committees, despite strenuous opposition from Mayor Lenny Curry.
Gulliford was stunned by Becton’s comments, in light of the gravity and the depth of the overdose crisis, which brings “five times as much [death] as homicides.”
“Becton’s response to this of not being an emergency,” Gulliford said, was ironic given that Becton’s own district contains the Zip Code with the sixth highest rate of overdoses.
Rules Chair Dennis, meanwhile, expressed concerns.
“Are we tracking the source? Once we bring the individual back from the doorstep of death, we need to ask where the drugs are coming from,” Dennis asserted, noting that the Sheriff’s Office needs to be included in this effort.
Gulliford noted that Chinese fentanyl can be bought online, and of course, fentanyl and its derivatives are the death driver.
“I don’t think we can stop the flow when you can buy it over the internet and it gets mailed to you,” Gulliford said.
The bill passed, but not without Becton echoing Dennis yesterday, in making it clear to Gulliford that he and others would be positioned to drive the Council agenda going forward.
Dennis’ swim lessons bill was brought up at the end of the agenda, and questions emerged about the program — which Parks and Recreation would manage.
When asked how parents would find out about this program, which wouldn’t be funded until at least late June, Dennis noted that funding would allow reaching more kids and extending swim season past Labor Day.
“It does us no good if nobody signs up for it,” Greg Anderson remarked.
Councilman Tommy Hazouri (like Gulliford, left out in the cold for the next Council year during the purge of those who supported John Crescimbeni for President) questioned the timing of doing this at the end of a fiscal year as an emergency measure.
“We’re going into general revenue dollars,” Hazouri remarked. “We’re waiting until the last minute to come up with something. I can’t support this. I don’t like the fact that we’re coming up with dollars that exist because of leftover money … as much as we love kids, I’d like to see a plan … This gets old after a while.”
CFO Mike Weinstein said flatly that “we don’t have a plan” and until there is a plan, there would be no way to spend the money.
“The councilman may have a plan,” Weinstein remarked.
Councilman Scott Wilson — another Crescimbeni supporter in the Presidential race — also questioned the logistics of the bill.
“Are we able to put $200,000 in the street and make it work? I guess no one here has any answers,” Wilson remarked.
Dennis, bristling at the questions, called drowning an “epidemic,” saying that he’s “disappointed that we’re going down the road of turning our back on kids.”
“You said it was an epidemic? If it was an epidemic, it was six months ago. If you don’t have a plan,” Hazouri said, “I don’t want to continue to fund-fund-fund at the last minute, piling on with new programs and pilot programs because it’s the last day of school.”
Dennis also suggested that there was “interesting” commentary from budget night regarding his budget proposal.
“I hope it’s for the merit and not for the person that’s introducing the bill,” the next Finance chair said about his critics.
Wilson, meanwhile, was “offended” by the implication that criticism was personal rather than policy driven. And Dennis apologized.
But after two days straight of personal attacks on Council members, the damage was done by the Rules Chair, who jabbed at Hazouri once more before adjournment.
“Maybe one day you’ll become chairman,” Dennis said to his fellow Democrat.
For Hazouri and other veterans, who will be sidelined during such as the budget process in August, these are interesting times in City Hall.
For those who are now newly installed in positions of leadership, the story to watch will be how well they handle their new prerogatives and prestige, and whether or not they will function amicably with those on the outside looking in.
If they can’t work it out, it’s going to be interesting coverage — yet questionable policy.
Mayor Lenny Curry‘s team ultimately is in charge of executing contracts. And the Mayor ultimately has the veto. If there are gaps between the will of the Council and the philosophy of the Executive Branch, who wins that fight?
Stay tuned.
