“Spot on”: Mixed reactions from locals over Jacksonville Mayor’s comments on city

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry took to national television in a pre-recorded interview Saturday night discussing comments stated by Fox and Friends host Brian Kilmeade, who called the city a “mess.”

It all started on March 31 when Fox and Friends host Brian Kilmeade called the city of Jacksonville a “mess,” He further went on to state how the city needs to be revitalized and how there is potential in the area overlooking the water.

After these comments were addressed, Mayor Curry appeared on the show to discuss those remarks directly with Kilmeade Saturday night.

Mayor Curry told the audience that Kilmeade was accurate in his observation stating it was “spot on,” admitting the city has a lot of unfulfilled potential.

The choice of words on both sides of the conversation is sparking mixed feedback from local Jacksonville residents.

Several residents state that Curry did not quite defend the city in the national spotlight.

“I think he shouldn’t think that way about his own city. Because if you want to represent your city then you should say good things about it” one individual stated in an interview.

Another individual expressed, “do you think there was just some truth into what he said on tv then? The way it used to be, yes. Jacksonville has come a long way.”

Mayor Curry after his statement goes on to discuss all the downtown expansions in the works, including the major development along with Riverfront with the upcoming Four Seasons Hotel and the revamp of the old Jacksonville Landing.

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