Mayor Deegan’s pick for general counsel withdraws candidacy amid pushback from city council

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mayor Donna Deegan’s pick for General Counsel, Randy DeFoor, has pulled her name from consideration for the position.

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“My support for this Mayor, and my belief that we must as a city unite in support of her is undiminished; we must rise above politics to create a better environment for all of us,” DeFoor said in a statement.

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The announcement of DeFoor’s withdrawal comes just two weeks after Mayor Donna Deegan’s pick to head the Neighborhoods Department, former Republican Councilmember Al Ferraro, also withdrew his name from consideration.

“It certainly smells like a little political blocking, if you will,” UNF political science professor Dr. Michael Binder said.

Binder noted neither appointee supported Republican Daniel Davis in the mayor’s race, and DeFoor even crossed party lines to endorse Deegan’s candidacy.

Additionally, council and the mayor’s office have recently been at odds over the creation of a new Jacksonville Chief of Diversity and Inclusion, after a council committee pulled funding for the position from the mayor’s budget last month.

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“I think it really highlights what happens when a party wins a mayor’s race when the other party is in a majority control of council, and when a large group of those folks, that even in that majority, were vociferous endorsers of the candidate that lost,” Binder said.

But Council President Ron Salem (R-Group 2 At-Large) attributed the failure of the DeFoor and Ferraro nominations to other issues.

“There are 19 people up here that all think differently,” Salem said.

Salem noted Ferraro lacked a college degree, a requirement for department heads, and a handful of council members raised concerns regarding DeFoor’s temperament.

“And I get a little insulted when, it’s as if someone is up here pulling my string or like I’m a puppet. I’m an intelligent guy and I can weigh the evidence,” Salem said.

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Salem added he’s optimistic council and the mayor’s office will be able to come to an agreement on a General Counsel candidate in the near future.

“And we can rally around that candidate because we all want a full-time General Counsel in that office and managing that department,” Salem said.

Mayor Deegan echoed that sentiment.

“I’m grateful that Randy was willing to continue serving the city we both love. I stand by her impeccable character and qualifications. Randy has the support of all the city’s independent authorities and a large, bipartisan coalition of community and business leaders. Jacksonville needs a General Counsel who has her vast experience, commitment to service, and belief that unity is our only path forward. We will continue moving ahead with those qualities in mind,” Deegan said in an emailed statement Wednesday.

President Salem and Binder both agreed DeFoor and Ferraro aren’t likely leaving city government anytime soon.

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Both may very well find themselves appointed or hired onto other positions that don’t require council approval.

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