Advisory committee votes to invite city general counsel to discuss staffing and turnover

A member of the Community Planning Advisory Committee asked the commission to invite Jacksonville's general counsel, Mr. Fackler, to discuss staffing and recent departures in the Office of General Counsel. The commission approved the request by voice vote.

The commissioner who proposed the invitation said he had heard concerns that the Office of General Counsel had lost several attorneys and suggested the commission seek an update on staffing, retention and whether the office is resourced to handle its current caseload. "If it's the general counsel's office can't keep qualified people now because they no longer has the pension and they can't pay competitive wages, somebody needs to make that statement," the commissioner said.

A motion to invite Mr. Fackler was made, seconded and approved by voice vote. No roll-call counts were recorded in the transcript; the chair called for members in favor and received "Aye" responses and no recorded opposition.

What the invitation requests

The motion requests that the general counsel appear before the commission to explain the state of the office, including staffing levels and the reasons for recent departures. The commission did not adopt a formal resolution; members agreed verbally to request the appearance and directed staff to ask the general counsel to attend a future meeting.

Context

The request followed members' remarks about losing experienced counsel and a discussion about recruitment and pay parity. Commissioners noted that the topic can be politically sensitive but said a factual briefing from the general counsel's office would inform the commission's understanding.