Metro Jacksonville

It's hard to keep up with all the "agenda's and plans" of the Mayor.  Here is one that could easily slide by unnoticed but deserves the attention and concern of citizens and tax payers.  Some time back the Mayor indicated that he wanted the ability to "name and appoint" the Director of Jacksonville's Children's Commission. This drew resistance from members of the commission's board and city officials. 

The previous Director Linda Lanier left the position after Brown took office.  It is well known that some folks had not wanted Lanier in that position due to her previous job with Planned Parenthood, some years back.  They claimed that she supported abortion.  That position was held by her before she became Director of the Sulzbacher Homeless Center.  Beyond the objections of some citizens the Mayor's friend and pastor Rev Rhim (the fellow he wanted to name a street after certainly was not happy with Lanier as Director of the Children's Commission.  Rhim also was quite vocal with the mayor about the GLBT community and his disapproval. Whatever the full story, Lanier left the job.  It was supposed that the Mayor could than select a director for the commission that was anti abortion.  In any case, the board of the Children's Commission is in the process of finding a new director.  This apparently did not fit with Brown's agenda which now changed from selecting a new director himself to now wanting control of the Children's Commission in it's entirety.  He contacted councilman Reggie Brown and gave him his marching orders.  In short order, councilman Brown introduced a bill which will attempt to give control of the entire department to the Mayor.  Interestingly,  the Children's Commission has a sizable budget of $60,000,000.00.  A third of that provided by city taxes.  This power grab would comes in tandem  the newly submitted potential budget.  You see in times past, when Peyton was in office he managed to use some Children's Commission funds to pay for some of his department and agenda needs.  Perhaps the mayors finance folks have some ideas of their own? 

This is not going to be an easy sell to council.

QuoteBy Topher Sanders   

Smack in the middle of the Jacksonville Children’s Commission’s search for a new executive director, City Councilman Reggie Brown introduced a bill Wednesday that would strip the commission’s board of its power to hire and fire its top leader.

The day after Brown’s bill was introduced the commission’s search committee continued its search by interviewing its three finalists for the position.

Brown’s bill would require the commission’s board merely to make a recommendation for the position to the mayor, who would then appoint the director. The individual would then have to be confirmed by the council.

The position would serve at the mayor’s pleasure and the mayor would set the position’s salary, the bill states.

The commission receives a third of its $60 million budget from the city.

Brown, who is the City Council liaison for the commission’s board, did not notify the board that he planned to submit the bill, said Ken Willson, chair of the commission’s board.

Brown’s cellphone voicemail was full and his assistant said via email that Brown was out of his office.

“I am extremely disappointed,” said Wilson, who added that Brown often doesn’t attend the commission’s meeting. “Very unprofessional and very disappointing.”

Wilson said he has not talked with Brown about the bill.

“I was shocked because Reggie is the city council liaison for the commission and he’s supposed to be here at these board meetings,” he said. “You would think as the liaison he would sit down and talk with us about what he intended to do.”

Wilson said the autonomy of the Children’s Commission needs to be maintained. Wilson said he has had multiple conversations with the mayor and he is confident the commission has the mayor’s full support.

Last year, Mayor Alvin Brown proposed a similar plan that would make the commission’s executive director position a mayoral appointment. His plan did not include a recommendation from the commission’s board.

Mayor Brown changed his mind on pursuing the change after push-back from the commission’s board and some city council members.

Incoming City Council President Bill Gulliford opposed the plan in 2012 and opposes Brown’s bill now. He also questions the amount of support the bill will get from the council.

“I frankly think it should retain a certain amount of independency,” Gulliford said of the commission. “I don’t know that there’s going to be strong support.”

On Thursday the commission board’s search committee interviewed Jon Heymann, head of Communities in Schools of Jacksonville and former candidate for Duval School Board; Shannon Perry, former deputy executive director at the Children’s Commission and current president of the Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Florida; and Renee Sutton, who was the CEO of the Miami Children’s Initiative from 2010 to 2012.

Each candidate touted experience working with children and for nonprofits for making them suited for the job. All three also said the organization needs some structural changes to make it more efficient and improve its impact in the community.

The commission’s full board will meet Wednesday to select a date for a special meeting where each candidate will again be interviewed. Wilson has said he wants a decision by mid-August.

Meanwhile, Brown’s bill has been assigned to the rules, finance and public health and safety committees.

A public hearing for the bill is schedule for June 25.

topher.sanders@jacksonville.com

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-06-13/story/councilmans-bill-gives-jacksonville-mayor-power-over-childrens#ixzz2WEAesyrv

Could easily entitle this thread "mayor wants control of everything"

Quote from: MEGATRON on June 14, 2013, 06:04:30 PM
Could easily entitle this thread "mayor wants control of everything"

Indeed!

This bill is being introduced by Reggie Brown, not *Johnny* Gaffney. Reggie Gaffney is a different person entirely (Johnny Gaffney's brother).

Thanks for straightening that out Tacahale.  I will adjust the information! Generally I know the difference between the Reggies and Browns, but slipped up this time.
:)