Sam Newby chosen to lead Jacksonville City Council
1st time in Jacksonville history Black council members will serve as president, vice president
News4Jax staff
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City of Jacksonville photo.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville City Council on Tuesday elected current Vice President Sam Newby to serve as Council president beginning summer 2021.
The Council also voted to elect Terrance Freeman as the vice president-designate. The vote was 10-9 over Randy DeFoor.
Newby had no opposition.
It’s the first time in Jacksonville’s history that two Black council members will serve simultaneously as president and vice president.
Mayor Curry tweeted a congratulations to Newby and Freeman, saying he’s looking forward to working together.
The Jacksonville City Council on May 19 earmarked $132 million for the 30-mile Emerald Trail network in a bill that would increase Duval County’s local option gasoline tax.
The Council’s 13-6 vote moves the legislation from the Committee of the Whole, setting up a final vote at a special meeting May 26 on Mayor Lenny Curry’s proposal to increase Duval County’s gas tax from 6 cents to 12 cents per gallon to pay for nearly $1 billion in infrastructure projects.
Council member Matt Carlucci, who proposed the amendment to fund the Emerald Trail, said the $132 million would be enough to complete the park project that would connect neighborhoods throughout the county to the urban core.
Jacksonville City Council modifies gas tax hike, sets stage for full council vote
Jacksonville council member vote to include Emerald Trail in $1 billion infrastructure program
Lexi Suda, Producer
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Councilwoman Randy DeFoor speaks at special City Council meeting discussing proposed gas tax increse to pay for infrastruction projects. (COJ.net)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville City Council, meeting Wednesday as a committee-of-the-whole on the proposed $1 billion gas tax increase, approved amendments to include $132 million for the Emerald Trail and to set aside $250 million in gas tax spending for direct contracting to local small, emerging or disadvantaged businesses.
Council on Wednesday did vote down an amendment that would have put the 6-cent hike in the gas tax to a voter referendum. Members then voted 13-6 to advance the bill to a full vote at a special council meeting set for next Wednesday morning, according to reporting from the Florida Times-Union�
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority s request to use $379 million from a proposed gas tax increase for the Skyway took a $132 million hit when City Council members voted Wednesday to reduce it by that amount.
JTA did not fight the amendment by City Council member Ron Salem and council passed it on a 16-2 vote.
Salem s amendment did not specify moving the $132 million to any other projects, but City Council member Matt Carlucci has another amendment that would shift that amount of money into construction of the Emerald Trail of multi-use paths for walking and bicycling.
Council did not get to Carlucci s amendment during the Wednesday meeting and will take it up next week.
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Gilberto “Gil” Balli was named assistant special agent in charge of the FBI Jacksonville Resident Agency branch. He will oversee all operations in seven FBI offices in Daytona Beach, Ocala, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Panama City, Fort Walton and Pensacola.
• Orange Park Medical Center, an HCA Healthcare affiliate, named
Pete Long-Innes as chief operating officer of Orange Park Medical Center. He most recently was COO of Frankfort (Kentucky) Regional Medical Center, also an HCA affiliate. He has 12 years of experience within HCA Healthcare.
• At-Large Group 1 City Council member
Terrance Freeman joined Read USA as its first full-time CEO. Read USA is a nonprofit that has provided a quarter of a million free books to more than 73,000 children in Duval County since 2011.