Jacksonville City Council members have picked first-term Republicans Nick Howland and Joe Carlucci to lead the city\u2019s legislative body for the next year as president and vice president, respectively.<\/p>\n
Council members voted unanimously Tuesday to name Howland president-designate to be installed to succeed current Council President Kevin Carrico on June 25.<\/p>\n
Howland enters the council presidency after a year marked by political angst<\/a>, both among council members and with Mayor Donna Deegan\u2019s administration.\u00a0<\/p>\n He\u2019s likely to inherit an ongoing investigation into the city\u2019s public utility, JEA<\/a>, that includes toxic-workplace and racism allegations raised by Carrico, and probes by the State Attorney\u2019s Office looking into Carrico<\/a>\u2019s withdrawn appointment to the utilities board. Howland will also inherit a council operating in an era of strain between the city government and Tallahassee.<\/p>\n Howland\u2019s term will also likely include debates over plans to move the Duval County jail<\/a>, continued requests for developer incentives to build up Downtown and a projected revenue deficit<\/a>.<\/p>\n Democratic Council member Rahman Johnson was the first to nominate Howland for the role.\u00a0<\/p>\n After the vote, Howland acknowledged the politics of the last year and upcoming budget strain. He pledged not to play \u201cretribution politics.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn a time of revenue uncertainty and fiscal pressure, we must stay focused on the core \u2013 public safety, infrastructure, (and) essential city services \u2013 while also advancing strategies that make this the best city in the Southeast to relocate a business and for families to live, work and play,\u201d Howland said Tuesday. <\/p>\n Carlucci\u2019s path to the vice presidency wasn\u2019t as certain during the special meeting. He narrowly topped at-large member Chris Miller, the district director for U.S. Rep. John Rutherford, R-FL5, in a 10-9 runoff vote.\u00a0<\/p>\n The council also nominated two of its members to be next year\u2019s vice president, which historically is a favorite for the council presidency the following year. Republican Ken Amaro and Johsnon received enough nominations to put them on the first ballot.<\/p>\n President-designate\u2019s priorities\u00a0<\/p>\n Incoming Council President Howland, a U.S. Navy veteran and the current executive director of the veteran-suicide prevention nonprofit The Fire Watch, was elected in 2023<\/a>. He\u2019s lived in Jacksonville since January 2007 when he relocated with his family for body armor manufacturer Armor Holdings, Inc.<\/p>\n Howland says as president he\u2019ll prioritize job creation through strengthening Jacksonville\u2019s economy and less from government investment. He also promised to get the city\u2019s Citizen Planning Advisory Committees (CPACs) more involved in policy making.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLooking for options to keep growing without using taxpayer dollars,\u201d Howland said. \u201c\u2026We\u2019ll also prioritize accountability and transparency so all voices are heard, and so government works better for the people it serves.\u201d <\/p>\n The president of the Jacksonville City Council plays a major role in setting policy priorities for the year. They also choose who chairs and serves on the council\u2019s standing committees.<\/a> Those include the Finance Committee, which vets the mayor\u2019s proposed budget and authorizes subpoenas, and the Rules Committee, which reviews appointees to the city\u2019s boards and commissions.<\/p>\n