The legislation will be formally introduced during the city council meeting on Jan. 9.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville City Council President Ron Salem has released legislation that would prevent the mayor of Jacksonville from using private donations or any funding for any city project without council approval.
The legislation, which was obtained by First Coast News, prevents the Mayor of Jacksonville from using any monetary funding to “alter, demolish, relocate, transform or in any way modify any city-owned or managed property, object, thing or anything else of substance without prior Council approval and appropriation.”
City Council President Ron Salem took up the issue after Mayor Donna Deegan used her executive authority and $187,000 in private funding to remove a Confederate monument from Springfield Park on Wednesday.
Before removing the statue, the mayor’s office consulted the Office of General Council. Attorney Michael Fackler drafted a legal memorandum that concluded: “The mayor has exclusive authority over city parks…through the use of non-city budgetary funds, the mayor can remove and relocate a monument from the city park.”
The removal follows years of what Councilman Matt Carlucci says was inaction on the part of City Council to use $500,000 in budgeted funds towards the Women of the Southland statue in Springfield Park.
During a Rules Committee meeting Tuesday, Carlucci argued the mayor was right for taking things into her own hands.
“The mayor took action that the council had four or five years to take action on, she took action, she took the right action,” Carlucci said.
However at that same meeting, Salem called the process flawed and brought up concerns about transparency.
“Having a strong mayor is good, in my opinion, the mayor overstepped herself in this particular case and I think we can have that debate and all 19 of us need to be concerned about that,” Salem said. “We should be protecting our influence and power. This has nothing to do with monuments, this is about the influence of the Jacksonville City Council and a strong mayoral form of government.”
Fackler took questions on the draft memorandum during the Rules Committee meeting. He defended his conclusion, although said some of the language could have been changed.
The legislation will be formally introduced during the city council meeting on Jan. 9.
