JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — City leaders in Jacksonville are once again butting heads over proposed legislation that the Mayor’s Office previously described as a “power grab.”
A newly issued memo from the Office of General Counsel Michael Fackler states that the City Council does not have the authority to appoint members to the boards of the Kids Hope Alliance (KHA) or the Library Board of Trustees.
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According to the memo, that appointment power currently rests solely with the Mayor.
“The issue presented therefore is whether the Ordinance is consistent with the Charter. The short answer is ‘no,’” said the memo.
In a special meeting on Tuesday, Council Secretary/Director and former OGC Jason Teal said that City Council has the option to the sue the city if Mayor Donna Deegan vetoes the legislation – assuming it passes council.
Councilman Ron Salem has resubmitted legislation that would give the City Council appointment selections. The bill had previously been withdrawn in November by fellow City Council member Raul Arias.
Salem also cited previous memos and opinions by Fackler that sided with the mayor regarding a dispute with Meridian Waste and the removal of Confederate monuments as reasons why he’s pushing back against Fackler, who Council previously gave a vote of no confidence in 2025.
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Councilman Jimmy Peluso questioned Teal’s role as the legislative counsel and recommended a charter amendment to decide the board issue.
Councilman Matt Carlucci simply said “we’re dysfunctional.”
Under the proposed legislation, the Mayor’s office would appoint four members to the Kids Hope Alliance board and City Council would pick three members, while the Mayor’s office would select seven members to the Jacksonville Public Library Board of Trustees with council getting five picks. Currently, the mayor selects all members of both boards.
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Action News Jax first reported in October that the original bill was filed just two weeks before the KHA board voted to fire then-CEO Saralyn Grass. That decision came after transparency and communication concerns were uncovered at the children’s services agency.
Following her termination, Grass accepted a consulting position with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, an organization that receives more than $12 million in grant funding from KHA.
Last week, Grass received an ethics waiver allowing her to perform work for the Boys & Girls Clubs despite the funding relationship.
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