GOP-dominated committees will offer Jacksonville City Council counterweight to Donna Deegan

Jacksonville City Hall.

Incoming Jacksonville City Council President Ron Salem has selected his committees, finally clearing up which members of the incoming legislative body will do what in July.

Given the 14-5 Republican supermajority, GOP registrants dominate the committees, offering a counterweight to incoming Democratic Mayor Donna Deegan.

The impact will be especially felt on the Finance Committee, which will be chaired by Republican Nick Howland, and which has just two Democrats: former Rick Scott appointee Ju’Coby Pittman and recently-elected Reggie Gaffney, Jr. GOP members include newly-elected Raul Arias and Will Lahnen, along with Council Vice President Randy White and Kevin Carrico.

Finance will get a first look at Deegan’s budget, and changes are almost a given.

Rules will be chaired by outgoing Council President Terrance Freeman and will include White, Michael Boylan and newly elected Republicans Ken Amaro, Joe Carlucci and Chris Miller. The committee has one Democrat: newly elected Rahman Johnson. All told, four of the seven members of the committee were just elected this year.

Moving to the lesser committees, Boylan will chair Neighborhoods. Republican members include Matt Carlucci, Freeman, Lahnen and newly elected Mike Gay. Democrats include Tyrona Clark-Murray and newcomer Jimmy Peluso.

Democrat Pittman will chair the Transportation, Energy, and Utilities committee, with Clark-Murray and Peluso as the other two Democrats empaneled. Matt Carlucci, Gay, Howland and Miller represent the GOP.

Carrico will chair Land Use and Zoning, which is another 5-2 GOP panel. Amaro, Arias, Joe Carlucci and Rory Diamond are the Republicans; Johnson and Gaffney, the Democrats.

Neighborhoods and Rules are the Monday committees. Finance, TEU, and LUZ are the Tuesday slots.