The Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee on Monday approved a resolution (20250695) expressing the council’s support for local J Bill J‑1, which would amend the city charter to allow the Duval County School Board to retain its own independent general counsel. The committee approved the resolution by a recorded vote of 6 yeas and 2 nays.

Supporters said the change would help the school board recruit attorneys with specialized education-law expertise who report directly to the board. “This resolution would express city council's support for local bill j 1, which amends the charter authorizing the school board to retain independent general counsel,” said John Scott, a Southside resident, during public comment.

The school board’s elected members also urged support. “Independent counsel ensures that our board can act with clarity, accountability, and confidence,” said Melody Balduke, a member of the Duval County School Board. Vice chair April Carney said Duval County is currently the only county in Florida that cannot hire its own board counsel and argued the change would align Jacksonville with statewide practice.

Charlotte Joyce, chairwoman of the Duval County School Board, told the committee the board opened a search after the long‑time board attorney resigned and received only four applicants — none board certified in education law. Joyce said board attorneys historically have been board‑certified experts such as her predecessor Ray Poole, and she argued the charter change and the state retirement issue (Florida Retirement System) are limiting recruitment: “We have 47 board certified education attorneys in the state of Florida, and not 1 of them applied for this position,” Joyce said.

Joyce also cited a court decision, Duval County v. City of Jacksonville (Fourth Judicial Circuit), in which the court found the Duval County School Board operates as an independent county constitutional agency. She said the board does not have its budget approved by the city council and that, as a constitutionally elected body, it should be able to hire counsel that reports to the school board.

Some council members raised procedural and charter concerns. Council Member Michael Boylan suggested an alternative in which the Office of General Counsel (OGC) would appoint a board attorney but require school‑board approval and a supermajority removal process; he asked the school board to consider parallel options. Visiting Council Member John Carlucci and Council Member Matt Amaro warned the change could weaken consolidation and create two sets of legal authority; Carlucci said he would consider supporting the measure only if OGC retained “binding authority” over legal interpretations. Others, including Vice Chair Terrence Freeman, Council Member Mike Gay and Past President Ron Salem, supported the board’s incremental request for a single attorney and framed it as a recruitment and governance improvement.

The committee’s action was procedural: there was a motion and a second on the resolution and the committee approved it 6‑2. Committee members said the resolution is a statement of the council’s position; the charter amendment itself must proceed through the local J bill process in Tallahassee.

No ordinance or charter amendment was enacted at the meeting; the vote recorded was the council committee’s approval of a resolution expressing support for the local J bill, which proponents will pursue at the state level.

The council record shows the action as: motion and second on resolution 20250695; tally 6 yeas, 2 nays; outcome: approved.