JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Young Republicans have asked Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier to issue an advisory opinion on residency requirements for district-elected school board members, citing questions surrounding Duval County School Board Member Darryl Willie’s recent change of address.
In a letter signed by chapter President John Scott, the group asked AG Uthmeier to clarify which district boundaries govern residency eligibility when lines are redrawn during an incumbent’s term, whether state constitutional requirements track original or redrawn boundaries, and which governmental entity holds final authority to determine whether a sitting member has abandoned their district home address.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
The request follows reporting by Action News Jax that Willie changed his voter registration address in December to a home outside his current District 4 boundaries. Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland later clarified that Willie remains in compliance because the new address falls within the boundaries that were in place when Willie was elected in 2022. A local ordinance provides that redistricting “shall not affect any term of office in existence at the date of such redistricting but shall be applicable only to the next succeeding school board election”.
Holland said Willie is “100 percent legal where he’s registered to vote.”
The Duval GOP initially accused Willie of abandoning his community and violating state law, but had not issued an updated statement after Holland’s clarification.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Willie has not responded to media requests for comment.
The Young Republicans argued in their letter that, because similar redistricting scenarios could arise statewide, a formal opinion from the attorney general’s office would benefit election officials and local governments across Florida.
Read the full letter from the Jacksonville Young Republicans, below.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
