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Jacksonville council debates OGC memo that says board appointments rest with mayor
Summary
Council members reviewed an Office of General Counsel memorandum concluding appointments to boards and commissions are executive powers belonging to the mayor; legislative counsel disputed that reading, outlined legal options including litigation or charter amendment, and councilors debated whether to pursue a lawsuit, a veto fight, or send a proposal to voters.
Jacksonville City Council members spent a meeting reviewing a memorandum from the Office of General Counsel (OGC) that concluded the power to appoint members to boards and commissions is executive in nature and therefore rests with the mayor.
Jason Teal, legislative council for the City Council, told members the memorandum — prepared by deputy counsel Regina Ross and confirmed by General Counsel Michael Fackler — takes a dictionary-style approach to define "executive" appointments and concludes those powers belong to the mayor. Teal said that interpretation conflicts with historical practice and other charter language: "The charter only expressly assigns the mayor sole appointment power over the directors and authorized deputy directors of each department and the various division chiefs," he said, adding that council appointments to boards have a long history dating to consolidation in 1968.
The disagreement centers on whether the charter and ordinance code leave appointment…
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