A.G. Gancarski
One of the few Democrats on the supermajority Republican Jacksonville City Council will have no committee assignments this year.
Jimmy Peluso, who was assigned only to the Transportation, Energy, and Utilities (TEU) Committee by Republican President Kevin Carrico, skipped Tuesday’s first meeting of the panel.
And now he’s been excused from the rest of the meetings, Carrico affirmed.
“Committee assignments are a privilege granted at the discretion of the City Council President, not an entitlement,” Carrico said Tuesday.
“The decision to boycott the TEU Committee signals an unwillingness to show up and do the work on behalf of your constituents. Accordingly, you are hereby removed from the TEU Committee, effective immediately. It’s hard to argue for more responsibility by refusing to fulfill the responsibilities already entrusted to you.”
Peluso, a staunch supporter of Mayor Donna Deegan, confirmed his boycott of TEU in response to Florida Politics’ inquiry.
“Today I will be boycotting the first meeting of the Transportation, Energy & Utilities Committee because of the inappropriate actions and poor council leadership. At a time when we should be banding together, our new leadership is finding ways to drive us apart,” Peluso wrote Tuesday.
“There is no leadership for women, and a super minority of democrats on key committees, for multiple years now. It’s time we banded together and stood up against leadership that continually looks to sideline important voices in the room. I will be excusing myself from the TEU committee and I ask all of my Democratic colleagues and anyone who recognizes the clear disrespect our constituents received to also excuse themselves.”
Carrico said Peluso “cried about under-representation of minorities and women in committee leadership,” noting that the record belies the claim given that Raul Arias chairs Finance, Ken Amaro chairs Waterways, Terrance Freeman is the Vice Chair for Rules, and Ju’Coby Pittman is the Vice Chair of TEU itself.
“Given the man ‘feared for his life’ because of Matt Carlucci, perhaps he is ill-equipped to properly articulate how I’m acting,” Peluso said Tuesday.
He then rejected Carrico’s argument.
“I am concerned that his current behavior is unbecoming of the role of President, and I am holding him to a high standard. That list still sidelines female representation, and the real issue is the lack of minority representation in the urban core. Most of those committees are heavily seated by members who don’t live or work in the old city limits.”
Democrats are marginalized on committees but had a majority on TEU until Peluso’s removal. Until another member is picked, rotating members will fill in as the seventh person empaneled.
Fights over committee assignments have happened before. Back when current Jacksonville CFO Anna Brosche was Council President, Republican Bill Gulliford said he wouldn’t accept a committee role in her administration, but eventually relented, serving on lower-profile committees than the former Council President usually did.
