JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – All 19 members of the Jacksonville City Council will be formally sworn-in Thursday night, including the body’s newly elected president, Ron Salem, and vice-president, Randy White.
The Jaguars’ stadium renovations are just one of the many issues this new council will need to tackle. There’s also the roughly $1.5 billion city budget. Plus, ongoing issues like the Confederate monuments and affordable housing in Jacksonville.
In addition to Salem and White, Ken Amaro, Mike Gay, Will Lahnen, Kevin Carrico, Joe Carlucci, Michael Boylan, Jimmy Peluso, Reggie Gafney Jr., Tyrona Clark-Murray, Ju’Coby Pittman, Raul Arias, Rory Diamond, Rahman Johnson, Terrance Freeman, Nick Howland, Matt Carlucci, and Chris Miller will be sworn in as well.
Incoming council president Salem has said a priority for him is to relocate the Duval County jail from its current location on East Bay Street, a process that could take several years.
This new council makeup will be a Republican supermajority of 14 to 5.
“It’s an interesting combination,” Salem said. “I’m looking forward to getting those new people acclimated and training and those kinds of things so that we can get them up to speed on all the issues we’re facing.”
In May, News4JAX talked to Salem about the new council and about the dynamic with Democratic Mayor-elect Donna Deegan.
“That all depends on how much she changes the budget that the Curry administration has provided her,” Salem said. “I think we will support many things that are in that budget and if there are differences, we’ll have to have that debate.”
Deegan is confident she and this city council can make a difference in the city.
“I’ve been here a long time, many of them have as well,” Deegan said. “I have relationships with a lot of our city council folks, and I feel very, very comfortable that we will be able to work together. My entire message in this campaign is ‘We’ve got to bring everybody in and create a city that has all of our voices in the room.’ I believe that we’ll work together to do that.”
Thursday night’s installation of the council is open to the public, and it will be at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts.
The doors will open at 5 p.m. The ceremony starts at 6 p.m.
