JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Many Jacksonville city leaders told Action News Jax Tuesday a $5 million lawsuit filed by Florida’s attorney general is unfair to taxpayers.
“I think a lawsuit at this time is at best premature,” said Councilman Rahman Johnson.
“I just don’t think it’s fair; I don’t think it’s proportional,” said Councilman Matt Carlucci.
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the 11-page lawsuit against the city of Jacksonville Tuesday in a video posted to X.
“We are requesting judgement against the city of Jacksonville for $5 million,” he said in the video.
The lawsuit claims a law enacted in 2004 prohibited the creation and maintenance of lists, records, or registries of firearms or their owners. It goes on to say logbooks in the city of Jacksonville for city buildings were compiled and maintained with the knowledge or complicity of city management.
“This started under the last administration, and this administration wasn’t doing it with any malice or intent,” said Councilman Jimmy Peluso.
In December of last year, we told you investigators concluded that the logbook incident stemmed from poor communication and a lack of legal review, not deliberate misconduct.
The investigation also stated that the directive was never reviewed or approved by “any senior official in either the Curry or Deegan administrations.”
Now, the state says it was approved by the city’s deputy chief administrative officer, a curry appointee who served in the Deegan administration for its first few weeks.
"It would strain the city’s finances. And if this guy really cared about, you know, protecting the taxpayer, he wouldn’t do this the way he is," said councilman Jimmy Peluso.
City councilman Rory Diamond says he stands by the law.
“I absolutely support the law. I think it’s tragic that Jacksonville is running into this and the court of law is going to decide whether we violated it, but it sure looks like it to me,” said councilman Diamond.
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