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Personnel committee confirms Heather Pellegrin as Value Adjustment Board division chief, contingent on ordinance
Summary
The personnel committee voted to confirm Heather Pellegrin as the division chief for the Value Adjustment Board (VAB) contingent on a pending ordinance; committee members discussed workload increases, cost savings from a recent attorney RFP and cost‑sharing with the school board prior to the vote.
The Jacksonville City Council Personnel Committee voted to confirm Heather Pellegrin as the division chief for the Value Adjustment Board, contingent on the full council's approval of the pending ordinance transcribed as "20 25 1 0 8." The confirmation was taken by committee voice vote after a brief public comment period and committee discussion.
The committee heard that an RFP for the VAB attorney reduced costs substantially; a committee member said the RFP process "cut the cost in half," producing savings the speaker characterized as about $5,560,000. Members noted the city and the Duval County School Board share VAB costs (described in the meeting as a split "to fifths"). Committee members also described rising workload for the VAB: petition filings rose from roughly 3,000 four years ago to about 4,500 last year and were projected at about 5,600 this year, a cited indicator that the position's responsibilities have grown.
Public commenter John J. Newney spoke during the public comment period before the vote and expressed support for the appointment while urging that valuation considerations include local bodies such as the St. Johns River Water Management District.
After receiving questions about salary and workload and hearing committee discussion about cost savings and petition volumes, the chair called for a voice vote. The chair declared the motion passed.
The committee recorded the confirmation as contingent on the ordinance becoming effective; staff were directed to prepare the necessary confirmation resolution for the full council's consideration.
Officials said details of the pending ordinance and the exact salary adjustment tied to the position were not fully specified in the committee discussion and will be finalized when the ordinance and the confirmation are processed by the full council.
