Councilman, influential groups ask city council to postpone vote on Confederate monument removal

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville City Council subordinate on with the president of the Jax Chamber and a erstwhile Jacksonville politician are calling for the metropolis assembly to postpone an upcoming ballot to region a Confederate infinitesimal that is inactive lasting successful a Springfield park.

After legislation was introduced by Mayor Lenny Curry to person the statue removed, three assembly committees voted past week against paying $1.3 million to person the statue removed and the afloat assembly is expected to travel suit Tuesday night.

But Councilman Matt Carlucci, who has supported the removal of the statue, sent an email to Council President Sam Newby connected Monday saying helium wants to marque a question to postpone the ballot until March 22, 2022.

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“My presumption connected the removal and relocation of the Confederate statues successful Springfield has not changed, nor has it been swayed. However, 2021-0752 does not look to person the enactment needed for passage. Given a designated magnitude of clip for collaboration among the Administration, Council, civic leaders, and the community, different solutions could beryllium explored with regards to backstage backing and relocation, arsenic good arsenic different options,” Carlucci wrote. “In short, I judge that allowing for in-depth consideration, with a reasonably assigned extremity date, volition beryllium astir effectual successful resolving this issue.”

Two influential section groups, the Jax Chamber and the Jacksonville Civic Council (JCC), are besides calling connected the metropolis assembly to either postpone oregon retreat a ballot connected the legislation.

“The Chamber has been wide and accordant connected its presumption that favoritism and symbols of favoritism person nary spot successful our community. However, we recognize that spending $1.3 cardinal successful payer dollars to region and sphere a monument that doesn’t bespeak our assemblage values is not ideal,” JAX Chamber Chair Henry Brown said successful a connection to News4Jax. “The City Council should postpone tomorrow’s ballot and the metropolis should enactment with assorted partners connected a solution to region this monument portion directing nationalist dollars to after-school programs, occupation grooming oregon different initiatives that would code inequities successful our community.”

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Former Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney and President and CEO of the Jacksonville Civic Council Jeanne Miller said they are disappointed successful the metropolis council’s nonaccomplishment to pass, successful committee, authorities appropriating the wealth to region the Tribute to the Women of the Confederacy Monument successful Springfield Park.

“It is evident from this weeks’ City Council committee meetings that the measure does not person the required 13 votes to pass,” Delaney and Miller wrote successful a associated connection from the JCC. “Pursuant to City Council rules, if the Council fails to walk the Ordinance adjacent Tuesday, the Mayor and City Council volition not beryllium capable to re-introduce the measure for astatine slightest 1 year. Withdrawing oregon postponing the Ordinance is, unfortunately, the champion people of enactment astatine this time. A withdrawal oregon postponement volition let our elected leaders the accidental to finalize a broad enactment program that identifies a acceptable of principles, processes and champion practices that tin assistance pass our decision-making erstwhile responding to the removal, replacement and/or retention of each confederate-related legacies successful the signifier of statues, thoroughfare names, gathering names, monuments, memorials oregon emblems and symbols located connected nationalist land.”

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News4Jax spoke with Miller aft the Civic Council sent the connection to the politician and each assembly subordinate connected Monday.

“It’s clip for reconciliation and healing, advertisement the lone mode to bash that is with a broad plan, and we don’t person that astatine this time,” Miller said. “Let’s marque nary mistake, this has to beryllium addressed. We can’t conscionable footwear the tin down the roadworthy due to the fact that it volition travel up and it is simply a root of divisiveness and it is simply a root of symptom for galore radical successful our community.”

The calls for postponement travel a protestation successful beforehand of City Hall connected Friday greeting involving members of Take ‘Em Down Jax. The picketers from Take ‘Em Down Jax accidental it’s the City Council present creating the problem.

“To support it covered means there’s a existent occupation successful Jacksonville. To support it covered means determination are much radical who privation to spot it removed than to support it up,” caput of Take ‘Em Down Jax Wells Todd said. ”It’s the City Council members who are perpetuating the radical disagreement successful Jacksonville.”

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Curry’s medication addressed the calls for postponing the ballot connected Monday.

“Mayor Lenny Curry asked for and submitted this authorities successful bid to region this monument from nationalist property. This is simply a monument that is unnecessarily dividing our assemblage and represents, to immoderate residents, radical hatred. The City Council yet volition determine if this measure advances. Mayor Curry is asking for transition to region this monument arsenic rapidly arsenic possible,” said Brian Hughes, Chief Administrative Officer.

Curry said past week people’s voices should beryllium heard connected the substance and helium encourages radical to telephone and scope retired to members of the assembly if they person an sentiment astir the statue.

Curry was asked if helium thought keeping the statue successful place, adjacent covered by a tarp, would pb to problems.

“Well I deliberation the protests successful Jacksonville person been mostly peaceful,” Curry said. “We had an occurrence oregon 2 the summertime of past twelvemonth that JSO was capable to rapidly get nether control.”

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Other groups besides weighed successful Friday connected the Confederate monument concern successful Jacksonville.

The Southern Poverty Law Center issued a connection saying it’s not excessively precocious for the City Council to alteration its absorption and ballot to region the statue.

The Northside Coalition, which has been precise vocal successful the debate, is present asking the Chamber of Commerce and the Civic Council to conscionable with them to sermon the issue.

READ: Letter from Northside Coalition to Jax Chamber | Letter from Northside Coalition to Civic Council

In the past, the radical said it plans to protestation and perchance boycott businesses that don’t enactment the efforts to region the monument.

On Monday evening, News4Jax spoke with Ben Frazier, with the Northside Coalition, by phone.

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“I deliberation it’s a bully determination to research caller options,” Frazier said. “It’s a assemblage problem. It needs a assemblage solution.”

Frazier said that he’s hopeful and that stakeholders successful the metropolis request to larn to enactment together.

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