Kevin Carrico officially selected to lead Jacksonville City Council

Members of the Jacksonville City Council have officially chosen Republican Kevin Carrico as the body’s next President.

The outcome was not a surprise given that a majority of his peers pledged to back him months ago. The election was held before Tuesday’s regular meeting, setting the stage for the nonprofit executive to take control of the gavel in July.

Carrico noted his “collegial … leadership style” in his victory speech, while noting he was “ready to get down to brass tacks” when appropriate as well.

He spoke to how young he was when he first arrived on the City Council in 2020, after winning a Special Election at 37 years old.

While he wasn’t ready for leadership then, he said he is now.

Former President Terrance Freeman called Carrico a “man of action” with a “heart to serve” who had risen to various challenges on the Council, including helming the powerful Land Use and Zoning Committee.

Only Matt Carlucci voted against Carrico, with Michael Boylan absent.

The Vice President election had no more drama than the top of the ticket, with one nominee.

Council members advanced Nick Howland, with Raul Arias noting that Howland had “knocked doors” for colleagues when they ran for office, and had helped him and others in myriad other ways, including as Chair of Finance.

“He was not only organized in structure, but he also had a balanced approach to even the most hotly contested items, and we had many of them,” Arias said.