Jacksonville council members not new to city, politics

Rob Thomas (third from left) and Mark Sorrill (second from right) attend a City Council workshop meeting.

Bridgette Fox/Journal-Courier

The newest Jacksonville City Council members aren’t new to city politics, and they cited close friendships as elements that helped them get on the council.

Mark Sorrill, who has taken over retired Alderman Don Cook’s seat on the council, used to work at Benton Engineering.

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Sorrill said he accepted the job after Mayor Andy Ezard approached him the week prior “essentially because we’re friends, and we’ve worked together for years.”

“He basically knows what I’ve worked on throughout the years, 45 years, because the city of Jacksonville was one of my main clients, and my expertise was basically water and wastewater,” Sorrill said.

The former engineer retired from Benton in 2020. Benton Engineering is one of the two engineering firms Jacksonville most often uses for its projects, the other being Hutchison Engineering, which doesn’t take on the same kinds of projects as Benton.

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Mark Sorrill takes his seat before the start of a City Council meeting.

Bridgette Fox/Journal-Courier

Sorrill said some of the biggest projects he’s helped work on are the wastewater treatment plant, the water plant, putting a new water tank on Massey Lane, and the design of a booster station.

“He (Sorrill) was very helpful on numerous projects, and his expertise, obviously in the engineer, field that just overall appeals and is good common sense, it’ll carry that ward, Ward 5, forward and see what happens in future,” Ezard said.

The other council member is Rob Thomas, who said he first heard about the position because his longtime friend, Alderman Eren White-Williams, resigned in April. Thomas is a landlord and the owner of DTE Technologies.

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He said White-Williams let him know about leaving the council when she was turning in her resignation letter — they’d been known each other since they were teenagers.

“I literally messaged Andy (Ezard) that day that ‘If there’s nobody else that wants it, I would really, really like the position,'” Thomas said. “I really want to help the interests of Ward 1. The square is a vital part of Ward 1 and needs to be protected and preserved.”

Thomas ran against Darcella Speed in 2021 for a Ward 1 seat, which he lost.

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“We know how to play nice,” Speed said with a smile on her face to an also-smiling Thomas and a giggling council chamber.

City Council is made up of five wards, and two council members represent each ward. Sorrill will represent Ward 5 alongside Mary Pollock.

“Rob’s (Thomas) attended plenty (meetings), he’s very versed, he is knowledgeable in the community, he’s been through a lot personally, so his skill set is all over the board, he is a current technology guy, but he’s a good guy too,” Ezard said before the attendees burst into laughter during the council’s workshop meeting on Monday.

Rob Thomas walks into a City Council workshop, awaiting his appointment to council.

Bridgette Fox/Journal-Courier

The last comment Thomas made as a citizen during council meetings was in 2025 about how Jacksonville would have to be deliberate about fine forgiveness in relation to the new ordinance that intends to fine primarily homeless people for sleeping outdoors.

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“If I’m sitting there, and I have somebody cash in hand ready to go, and they’ve got a decent credit history, am I more apt to wait on the city (to waive a different candidate’s fines)? Probably not. I will if I can,” Thomas said in December.

Sorrill said he hasn’t given much thought to his goals or plans yet, and Thomas said his goals were to “be effective.”

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Both new council members were sworn in Monday. Thomas’ term ends in May 2027, and Sorrill’s ends in May 2029. Thomas said he will be running to keep the seat next year.

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