Staff survey finds low leadership scores; personnel committee moves to appoint Jason Teal as council secretary

The Jacksonville City Council Personnel Committee heard a presentation from Beyond Feedback on a staff culture and engagement survey and then voted to appoint Jason Teal as council secretary, authorizing the council president to negotiate salary within the current range and directing the Office of General Counsel to file a one‑cycle emergency resolution for full council confirmation.

George Taylor, managing partner of Beyond Feedback, told the committee the survey was launched Jan. 13 and closed Jan. 24; 43 employees were invited and 37 completed the instrument, an 86% participation rate above the national local‑government benchmark. Taylor said the council staff's engagement composite was 66.7% versus a national norm of 81.1%, and the leadership effectiveness composite was 33.5% compared with a 76.3% national norm. Taylor summarized open‑ended comments as centered on three themes: lack of written documentation for procedures, perceptions of favoritism, and limited channels for staff feedback.

Taylor recommended actions including a director‑level leadership change, a transparent candidate search and communication plan, an interdivisional collaboration plan for legislative services, regular team‑building activities, and biweekly one‑on‑one meetings between leaders and staff to improve communication and recognition.

Committee members reacted strongly to the low leadership scores. Several members said the findings were concerning and called for prompt action; one member noted the survey's favorable result on workload and said that signal required careful interpretation. Members discussed doing a follow‑up survey in six months; Todd Norman told the committee funding for the six‑month follow‑up was already included in planning.

Following the presentation and discussion, a committee member moved to appoint Jason Teal as council secretary/director, authorize the council president to negotiate salary within the existing pay band, and direct the Office of General Counsel to prepare a one‑cycle emergency confirmation resolution for the full council. Public commenter John J. Newney expressed support for Teal.

Jason Teal addressed the committee, acknowledged the survey results and described an approach he said would prioritize staff support rather than micromanagement. Teal said he would review raw survey data to identify problem areas and work with employees to develop improvements. Several members asked whether a council secretary coming from OGC could provide legal advice; staff and members clarified that the charter designates the Office of General Counsel as the official legal adviser and that the council secretary role must not replace OGC legal services. Teal said he would provide historical context where appropriate but would respect OGC's charter role.

The committee took a voice vote and the chair declared the motion to appoint Jason Teal passed. The committee also approved a motion authorizing the council president to discuss a compensation adjustment for Chief of Administrative Services Yvonne Mitchell and to report back; staff said there may be procedural details to address because the council secretary position remains technically filled while the prior incumbent is on administrative leave.

The committee directed OGC and employee services to coordinate on timing and billing language for the appointment resolution so that a prospective start date can be included if needed. Members asked for the full survey appendix and raw data to be made available to the committee for planning and follow‑up work.