A.G. Gancarski
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry was very clear in urging the Jacksonville City Council to make a decision whether to move a controversial monument.
“The Jax City Council should take a yes or no vote on the removal of monuments that represent the oppression of people. The people of Jax, that elected you, deserve to know where you stand. They elected you to make decisions,” Curry tweeted Tuesday, as a series of speakers in favor of maintaining a Confederate monument in Springfield Park supported a referendum on the topic.
The referendum “City Removal of Historic Monuments and Markers On City-Owned Property” would pose the question: “Shall the City of Jacksonville remove historic monuments and markers, defined as fixed assets that are identifiable because of particular historic, national, local or symbolic significance, on City-owned property?”
The public hearing Tuesday night was a precursor to the referendum bill potentially moving into committees next week and then on to the full City Council.
Curry’s proposal to move the monument was rebuffed last year by City Council committees, before being withdrawn ahead of a likely “no” vote by the full Council.
The Mayor’s Office said $1.3 million would be necessary for the safe removal of the ‘Monument to the Women of the Southland’, and Council members balked at the price tag.
City Councilman Matt Carlucci introduced a resolution last month compelling a new plan for monument removal by July 26, capping the cost for monument removal at $500,000, with “alternative funding” sought to cover inevitable cost overage. He said that filing was the “next step in moving Jacksonville forward.” That bill is stuck in committee.
Curry moved one monument out of what is now James Weldon Johnson park in 2020, and vowed the others would come down.
“I’ve heard people … I’ve evolved,” the Mayor said. “The others in the city will be removed as well.”
But the Council holds the power of the purse and has yet to be moved by his arguments on this issue.
6 comments
Dr. Oz
April 26, 2022 at 8:38 pm
Lenny must have had a bit too much Botox this week to come up with this drivel.
glenda wingerter
April 27, 2022 at 3:11 am
IF ANY MOMUMENTS COME DOWN THEN IT’S ONLY RIGHT THAT ALL PAINTINGS ON ALL BUILDINGS GET PAINTED OVER TOO!!!! ! YOUR WANTING TO TAKE AWAY OUR HISTORY BAD AND GOOD SO IF YOU REMOVE ONE YOU HAVE TO REMOVE EVERYING FOR GOOD!!!!!
Slimeball Curry
April 27, 2022 at 5:40 am
LET THE PEOPLE VOTE, OR. YOU WILL BE VOTED OUT.. AND CURRY IS A SLIME BALL, THE PEOPLE CANNOT STAND HIM, THAT IS WHY HE IS NOT RUNNING FOR CONGRESS. WORST MAYOR IN THE HISTORY OF JACKSONVILLE.
TJ
April 27, 2022 at 7:34 am
Shouldn’t the people of Jacksonville decide? Let bring it to a vote whether we should burn tax dollars to destroy historical monuments. It may represent a very dark time of our history but it is still history.
SherryP
April 30, 2022 at 11:30 am
Excellent point! This city has wasted enough money and robbed hard working, dedicated city employees of their pensions to try to recover funds wasted on nonsense.
If it’s a part of this city’s history, good or bad, leave it.
Those involved are still holding grudges anyway, so why not?
MK
April 28, 2022 at 12:52 pm
TAKE THEM DOWN. Good job Mayor Curry. If these monuments are so great or even historical them move them to the St. Johns Town Center see if they want them.
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