JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville City Council members will press the city’s General Counsel during a special workshop Thursday to get more answers on Mayor Donna Deegan’s decision to remove a Confederate monument from Springfield Park.
The move is widening the rift between the mayor and City Council President Ron Salem.
Meanwhile, Deegan has made it clear: She believes there is a double standard considering how the council reacted to a similar decision under former Mayor Lenny Curry.
The General Counsel has already said the statue’s removal, using private donations. was within her authority.
It’s been nearly a month since the Confederate monument was removed from Springfield Park.
“I went to the General Counsel, asked if I had the permission to do that and was told yes, I do. Now we’re stuck in the weeds of a bunch of stuff that honestly we’re held a double standard frankly to the last administration,” Deegan said.
At Thursday’s meeting, Salem said he plans to bring up his concerns.
“I’m not ready to move on. I think there’s some major policy issues here that I think we need to get through,” Salem told News4JAX.
MORE | Surprise removal of Confederate monument garners strong, mixed reactions from Jacksonville residents
Salem said they need to vet the process that was used to remove the monument.
“I would be more than willing to have a discussion with the mayor or anybody about how we handle these monuments,” he said.
One thing they both agree on — they want to move past the issue.
Salem is pushing for legislation that would prevent private funds from being used similarly in the future.
News4JAX will attend Thursday’s meeting, which begins at 10 a.m., and we will bring you more updates on this ongoing discussion.
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