Staff Reports
Jacksonville officials are still debating the manner by which the city’s last Confederate monument was removed.
The City Council will meet for a workshop to discuss the matter further, starting at 10 a.m. Thursday in the Council Chambers in City Hall.
“The purpose of this workshop is to continue to review the Office of General Counsel legal memorandum issued Jan. 16, 2024, regarding the process to remove the Confederate monument from Historic Springfield Park.
“General Counsel Michael Fackler and several members of his staff, including Mary Staffopoulos, Craig Feiser, Lawsikia Hodges, John Sawyer and Jason Teal, will attend to answer any questions.”
Expect questions to abound.
While the City Council selected Fackler unanimously (some have said it’s because he’s the son-in-law of local power broker and defense attorney to the stars Hank Coxe), they have not been unanimous in his sanctioning of the Mayor’s Office decision to remove the controversial tribute to the “Women of the Southland” from what was previously called Confederate Park.
Questions abound, including issues regarding the procurement process (which the Mayor’s Office deems moot), a draft memo from the OGC being used to justify the removal of the statue after Christmas, and what is being called a “vigorous debate” in the OGC about whether the Mayor could make the move independent of City Council input even though donated money was paying for the job.
The Mayor expressed frustration that the Council wasn’t willing to move the monument, so she did it herself.
That appears to be the simple part, though.
Legislation in Tallahassee is eyeing punishments for localities that remove the monuments also, including potential retroactive sanctions contingent on any party that feels wronged filing a cause of action.
Committees have not heard local Rep. Dean Black’s version of the bill.
Speaking of Black, he’s the chair of the Duval County Republicans. And his party is rallying supporters against the Mayor’s controversial relocation action.
“Members of the Deegan Administration lied to media regarding the existence of legal opinions that showed her lack of authority to remove the Springfield Park Memorial,” read an email to supporters.
“The Mayor’s staff only acknowledged the existence of the opinions after lying not once, not twice, but three times! If it’s a day that ends in Y, you can count on Mayor Deegan and her administration to tell another lie!”
Though Black’s bill has not moved, Martin’s bill got through its first committee Monday, but not without objection from Sen. Tracie Davis.
“Is this more about celebrating the people who fought for the continuation of slavery and not about history?” she asked in the Governmental Oversight and Accountability committee.
After a moment to figure out his words, Martin said, “Absolutely not,” adding that if that had been the intention, it would have been in the bill explicitly.
“You took a minute to answer that question. I think I expected an ‘absolutely not’ a little quicker than that,” Davis responded.
Davis asked Martin about using private funds to remove a monument, as Jacksonville did. Martin said his bill, if passed, would allow the removal of the Mayor; she removed the monument after that.
“I’d hope for the people that live in your community that they have access to American history on the streets,” Martin said, and that elected officials “would do everything they can to protect history and make sure it’s present” by maintaining monuments, such as the Jacksonville structure erected during the Jim Crow era to reinforce historic racism and racial divides that still haunt the city to this day.
Uneasy listening
Speaking of unresolved racial issues, a new podcast from a man very familiar to Jacksonville audiences sheds some light on Duval County’s.
“Last summer, Reveal host Al Letson returned home to Jacksonville, Florida, to find a changed state. The Republican Legislature had passed a slate of laws targeting minority groups. Educators could now face criminal penalties over the material they teach regarding gender and sexuality, and schools across the state were banning books about queer families, transgender youth and Black history. There were also repeated instances of racist and antisemitic speech, including Nazis waving swastikas in front of Disney World. All of this contributed to the NAACP issuing a rare travel advisory stating that ‘Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.’ Then on Aug. 26, a White supremacist killed three Black people at a Dollar General in Jacksonville,” reads a paragraph explaining what the show is about.
But wait, there’s more.
“Letson digs into the policies DeSantis and the Legislature have passed in recent years and their effects on Black Floridians and other people of color. He speaks with a history teacher who says the new laws have made it harder to educate students, as well as a mother who describes books being removed from her daughter’s classroom and rules barring students from sharing books with friends at school.”
Letson, who hosted WJCT’s First Coast Connect this summer after the departure of original host Melissa Ross, examines redistricting in the state.
“In 2022, DeSantis vetoed maps drawn by the Republican Legislature, and the governor’s office instead drew new maps that got rid of two Black-dominated districts and increased the number of Republican-leaning districts. Those maps, which were subsequently passed by lawmakers, are now being battled over in both state and federal court.”
Check out Black in the Sunshine State.
No competition
A Northeast Florida Republican won’t have to worry about the August ballot after all.
U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean’s sole opponent, Robert Alvero of Orange Park, has withdrawn from his race to challenge the incumbent from the 4th Congressional District.
“After careful consideration and reflection, I have decided to withdraw from the race for Congress until 2026. While it was a difficult decision to make, I believe it is the right one for me at this time. I have always been committed to serving our community and advocating for positive change, and I am confident that this decision will allow me to better dedicate my time and energy to other pressing matters. I believe that taking this step back will enable me to come back stronger and more prepared in the future,” Alvero said Tuesday.
Alvero, a first-generation Cuban immigrant who came to the U.S. around 15 years ago, is a firefighter in Jacksonville and a member of the Florida State Guard. When he announced his decision to run last year, he expressed worries about a belief that “liberals” were creating in the U.S. a “replica of what happened in Cuba” and the “transgender” movement.
The district was drawn in 2022 to suit Republican interests, with Gov. Ron DeSantis phasing out the old minority-access district that included much of Jacksonville that elected Democrat Al Lawson to three terms. The district replaced other maps that elected Democrat Corrine Brown for 12 terms of her own.
Bean won the election easily back then. It appears the race will be easier now.
Ineffective, loud, and wrong
A Jacksonville Democrat was one of just three members of the Florida House to vote against legislation defining antisemitism.
And her Primary opponent is making it clear she wouldn’t cast the same vote that Rep. Angie Nixon did if she were in the Florida House.
“It’s unfortunate that Nixon continues to be ineffective, loud, and wrong on matters so important to our neighbors and state, especially our Jewish neighbors,” asserted Brenda Priestly Jackson this week.
“Rep. Nixon’s vote against HB 187 is unfortunate and signals her lack of understanding, compassion and empathy for our Jewish neighbors and the world community’s understanding and definition of antisemitism and the harmful impact and outcomes to our neighbors and state, especially our Jewish neighbors. It further signals her continued ineffectiveness, errors and posturing that she chose to be one of three no votes on a measure that is unifying, collaborative and bipartisan at this most crucial time for Floridians and our Jacksonville neighbors too,” Priestly Jackson added.
Nixon had also pushed legislation calling for an Israeli cease-fire in its war with Hamas last fall. That got two votes with 104 nays.
The measure (HB 187), which pends approval in the Senate, would define antisemitism in state statutes as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews” and rhetorical and manifestations “directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals, their property, community institutions and religious facilities.”
HB 187 lists many examples of antisemitic rhetoric, including “dehumanizing” stereotypes that Jews hold disproportionate institutional power and secretly control the world economy, Holocaust denial and double standards when criticizing Israel, the world’s only Jewish-majority country.
Millage movement
On Monday, the House Ways and Means Committee advanced legislation by a 15-7 party-line vote that would impose extra requirements on millage hikes. The bill moved forward with a Senate committee poised to take up the same issue later the same day.
HB 1195, which would ban localities from raising property tax without a two-thirds vote by the local legislative body, is being carried by Rep. Sam Garrison.
The bill would go into effect in July, imposing the supermajority requirement for any millage increase after this year should it become law. Democrat Dianne Hart asked to push the effective date back to 2026, but Garrison had no interest in that.
Garrison noted that in 2018, voters approved a constitutional amendment requiring a legislative 2/3 majority to raise taxes.
“We’ve honored the people’s will and operated under the constitutional premise that tax increases should only be considered as a last resort and require broad, oftentimes bipartisan consensus. This is consistent with our state’s tradition of limited government, low taxes and responsible fiscal stewardship,” the House sponsor said.
Garrison added that his bill “applies this principle to the areas of local government, close to the people, specifically our counties, municipalities and special districts, by prohibiting an increase in the millage rate from going into effect unless and until it’s been approved by a two-thirds vote of the governing body authorizing the increase.”
The sponsor noted that he “represent(s) local governments for a living” and this bill is “against (those) professional interests,” reflecting a “philosophical” belief on his behalf that localities should be forced to live under the same rules the state Legislature does regarding “burdensome” property tax levies that now “can be raised by a simple majority.”
Garrison also suggested the bill would discourage local governments from raising property taxes to compensate for a decline in property values, in the event of a down cycle for real estate.
The original filing of the Clay County Republican’s bill contemplated a two-thirds vote in a referendum to be held during the General Election, but that version was withdrawn, and the language now aligns exactly with the Senate product (SB 1322) being carried by Blaise Ingoglia of Spring Hill.
Garrison’s bill still has the State Affairs Committee and the Local Administration, Federal Affairs & Special Districts Subcommittee ahead of it.
Roof down
A local roof replacement program is poised for a second round of funding after acute interest exhausted funding in just a couple of hours.
Jacksonville City Council member Matt Carlucci tells WJXT TV that he wants more money to be allocated to the city’s Home Roof Rehabilitation program, and he is filing a bill to allocate another $446,000 — topping off the Council’s original spend of $500,000.
“I told the council they would sign up very quickly, and I did not support holding $400,000 back,” Carlucci said.
The additional money could mean 90 people are ultimately helped, which is still just a third of the demand. Help is capped below $15,000 per home; money is distributed via a five-year interest-free loan.
Eligible families include those with 80% of the area median income for Jacksonville.
This was one initiative that came from the work of Deegan’s transition task force. And based on the response, it was wildly popular.
Fraud found
Pandemic spending often came without checks and balances, including in Jacksonville, where the Emergency Rental Assistance Program is under scrutiny from the Office of the Inspector General.
The city appropriated $72.3 million of these funds between 2021 and 2023, during the Lenny Curry administration.
Yet the oversight was missing.
“As a result of these cases not being previously reported to the OIG, COJ, or law enforcement, our office referred five fraud cases involving $314,614.25 of ERAP funds to state and federal prosecutors for criminal prosecution,” the Inspector General report reads.
The city “failed to adequately assess the sub-recipients to determine if they were able to provide the services in accordance with the terms and conditions of the City Contracts due to their staff size and physical location. COJ also failed to adequately monitor the sub-recipient’s performance and maintain funds for record retention,” the report notes.
“Further, the OIG determined that the sub-recipients failed to establish an adequate fraud detection system to identify cases of fraud. The sub-recipients also failed to report suspected and identified fraud cases to the OIG, COJ, or law enforcement.”
Compounding the problem: a glitch in document retention protocols that affected the current administration.
“The most notable fraud case involved a singular landlord (Landlord 1) associated with 49 submitted ERAP tenant applications. Of these 49 tenant applications, 13 were approved, resulting in Landlord 1 receiving ERAP funds totaling $217,389.25. Of these 13 tenant applications, nine were paid by Jewish Family & Community Services (JFCS), Downtown Ecumenical Services Council (DESC) paid one, and three were paid by Civitas before identifying the potential fraud and halting any additional payments,” the report reads.
Contractors expect to implement fraud detection systems and to keep PDFs going forward, and legislation would be required by the City Council.
CEO selected
OneJax has picked the former chair of the Duval County School Board to lead it forward.
Elizabeth Anderson will lead the nonprofit forward, notes OneJax Board Chair Mobeen Rathore.
“After an extensive national search for the right person to lead OneJax into the future, we found her in our own backyard,” said Rathore. “Actually, we found her in our own board room, as Elizabeth joined the OneJax board in July. When the position became available this past fall, she decided to throw her hat in the ring, and we’re delighted that she did.”
“We see Elizabeth as a catalyst for positive change, championing initiatives focused on social equity, resource accessibility, and the common good. She is dedicated and comes to this position with a great sense of purpose. Her multidimensional involvement with community initiatives speaks to her values and her vision. This is a great way for OneJax to kick off a new year,” Rathore added.
Reno bucks
Continuing the home improvement theme, the Governor’s Office is slotting $247,365 to the city of St. Augustine via the Florida Small Cities CDBG program.
Since 2019, my administration has invested more than $95 million in community development projects in Florida’s small cities.
We are building on our investment with an additional $2.8 million for infrastructure in rural communities.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 19, 2024
The money will go “to renovate five 100-year-old homes and repair up to nine other homes for homeless families,” per a news release.
St. Augustine is the only Northeast Florida city to get funds from this release.
Gov. Ron DeSantis says the money will “improve infrastructure in Florida’s small cities to attract new businesses, expand development-ready infrastructure, and support workforce housing.”
“Through investments like this, we are strengthening future opportunities for Florida’s rural communities and the families that live there,” he added.
“Under Gov. DeSantis’ leadership, FloridaCommerce repeatedly invests in projects that support infrastructure enhancements, which strengthens communities and makes Florida the best place to live and raise a family,” said Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly. “FloridaCommerce is proud to support our communities, as we continue to communicate with local leaders on the needs of their residents.”
Seasick, yet still docked
Cruisers leaving Jacksonville returned this week with stomach bugs, notes First Coast News, with gastroenteritis bringing a sense of deflation to the Carnival Elation.
“Guests on Carnival Elation have been advised to follow our protocols to manage gastroenteritis after we saw a number of guests report to the ship’s medical center with various symptoms. There are no reports of serious illness and we have implemented enhanced cleaning procedures and asked our guests to be diligent in frequently washing their hands. When Carnival Elation returns to Jacksonville on Monday, the ship will undergo an extra layer to our vigorous cleaning procedures ahead of guests embarking for the next cruise,” the cruise line promised.
As FCN notes, there are two ways to get this stomach bug: contact with contaminated food or with people who simply don’t wash up after relieving themselves.
In theory, removing sick people will help, besides removing potentially questionable food.
That 70s Show
Whether you’re a fan of Lou Reed or not, the Museum of Contemporary Art has an exhibit launching this week that may take you back to his bygone era.
“A Walk on the Wild Side Opening Celebration” is slated for Thursday night at the downtown location.
“The museum will kick off the year with an exciting exhibition exploring the dynamic culture of New York in the 1970s that spurred a decade of collaboration and innovation between artists working in a variety of genres. The exhibition, A Walk on the Wild Side: ‘70s New York from the Norman E. Fisher Collection, features a special collection within the museum’s permanent collection paired with loans from around the country and features artists like Andy Warhol, Philip Glass, David Bowie, Yoko Ono, Robert Mapplethorpe, and others.”
Can’t make it in person? No worries — there is an online component.
Join the livestream of the conversation between MOCA Jacksonville Senior Curator, Ylva Rouse and Jessamine Fiori starting at 7:15 p.m. Zoom link here.
— New partner —
Melissa Langley Braude has moved up to Partner at the top Northeast Florida lobbying firm The Fiorentino Group.
A Jacksonville native, Braude joined the firm in 2014 to lead fundraising operations and quickly advanced to support lobbying efforts in Jacksonville and Tallahassee, becoming a Principal before her promotion to Partner this week.
“We are thrilled to officially welcome Melissa as a Partner,” said TFG president Marty Fiorentino. “She has consistently demonstrated the strategic acumen and unwavering commitment to her community that define a Fiorentino Group leader. I have no doubt she’ll continue to be an invaluable asset to our firm.”
Melissa graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. She is also involved in community service as a member of the Rotary Club of South Jacksonville and serves on the Board of Directors for The Allison Brundick Haramis Foundation, also known as Angels for Allison, a nonprofit that works to provide financial support to parents who have lost a child.
“Melissa is an indispensable member of The Fiorentino Group,” said Allison Carter, Chief of Staff to House Speaker Paul Renner. “I’ve watched her career blossom year after year in the legislative process, as she has become a trusted adviser to her clients, colleagues, and elected officials alike. It’s exciting to see her many talents being recognized at TFG, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for her.”
— Port push —
Northeast Florida’s main port operations will soon expand cargo capacity on 79 acres of riverfront property near downtown Jacksonville after a substantial public-private partnership was announced this week.
JAXPORT, Jacksonville’s port authority, approved a 30-year lease agreement with logistics company Enstructure LLC. The terms call for a notable $136 million lease payment to JAXPORT over the length of the agreement.
The deal clears the way for the development of a substantial 79-acre tract of land in the Talleyrand Marine Terminal on the St. Johns River, just northeast of downtown and within eyeshot of EverBank Stadium, which is home to the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.
Enstructure Co-CEOs Matthew Satnick and Philippe De Montigny issued a prepared joint statement on the deal, noting the company has a long-standing association with JAXPORT dating back 27 years. Enstructure is the parent company of shipping firm Seaonus Stevedoring, which already has operations on an existing 35 acres of land at the Talleyrand facility.
“We are excited to build upon our partnership with JAXPORT and invest further into the high-growth Jacksonville market,” said Satnick and De Montigny. “Expanding our Talleyrand Marine Terminal operations is a strategic priority for Enstructure, and we look forward to working closely with the JAXPORT team to further diversify our cargo mix.”
While the lease was approved this week, it goes into effect in 2025 after the current tenant on the 79-acre site, Southeast Toyota Distributors, moves its operations to what’s known as JAXPORT’s Blount Island Terminal. That’s several miles northeast of downtown Jacksonville and only a few miles from the mouth of the St. Johns River.
— More changes coming to Jaguars? —
The big news from the Jaguars this week was the hiring of Ryan Nielsen as defensive coordinator.
Nielsen, 44, comes to Jacksonville after one season as the defensive coordinator in Atlanta. Before his time with the Falcons, he spent six seasons on the defensive staff in New Orleans.
While not a household name for most fans, Nielsen has a solid reputation as a defensive coach. In Atlanta, the Falcons ran a 3-4 defense, as the Jaguars ran the past two seasons under then-defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell. The difference in Nielsen’s approach — one that would seem to translate with the Jaguars personnel — was in the secondary. Atlanta predominantly ran man-to-man coverage schemes. With cornerbacks Tyson Campbell and Darious Williams on the roster, the Jaguars could benefit from a similar approach. Under Caldwell, the Jaguars played a lot of zone behind the front.
Ultimately, the hire will be judged on how the defense improves in Jacksonville. Throughout the 2023 season, Jacksonville’s inability to stop the run was exposed. The defensive line is an area the Jaguars are expected to address in the offseason via free agency or the draft.
Just who will make those decisions is a bit of a question after CBS Sports senior NFL writer Pete Prisco mentioned on a podcast a rumor that Jaguars’ general manager Trent Baalke might not be deciding for the Jaguars this offseason.
On CBS Sports’ “Pick Six Podcast,” Prisco said, “There are rumblings that maybe he is going to walk away, but I don’t know if that’s true.”
While there are always rumors and innuendoes in the offseason for teams who failed to make the playoffs, the question of Baalke’s future is reasonable to debate.
In the Jaguars’ last three drafts, Baalke selected some key components, including Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, Campbell, and Andre Cicso, all starters selected in the first three rounds of the 2021 Draft. 2022 selections included Trevon Walker, Devin Lloyd, and Luke Fortner. The 2023 draft was highlighted by first-round pick Anton Harrison, who started every game at right tackle as a rookie. Other contributors selected in the last three drafts include offensive lineman Walker Little, tight end Luke Farrell, linebacker Chad Muma, and defensive back Buster Brown.
It’s not a terrible draft record. Lawrence appeared to be on the verge of becoming a star this season but fought injuries over the last half of the year. Etienne’s production decreased this season behind a struggling offensive line, including Fortner, who took a step back in his second year in the league.
Perhaps the biggest knock on Baalke was how he saw the Jaguars offensive line during last offseason. The only addition made to the line was the selection of Harrison in the draft to replace Jawaan Taylor, who signed with Kansas City in free agency.
It wasn’t until mid-season that another move was made, the trade for guard Ezra Cleveland. Most reporters thought the offensive line was a weakness heading into the 2023 offseason, but Baalke did not do enough to address it.
To be fair, most thought the pass rush was a weakness as well, but Josh Allen set the Jaguars single-season sack record and Walker recorded 10 sacks, including 6.5 sacks in the final eight games of the season.
With draft and free agency planning already underway, it would be an odd time for the Jaguars to be searching for a new general manager. It’s worth keeping an eye on.
