JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Duval County Faculty Board voted 5-2 on Tuesday to move forward with a resolution that would allow the district to hire its own attorney—separate from Jacksonville’s Workplace of Common Counsel (OCG).
At present, all metropolis businesses, together with the varsity board, should depend on the OGC for authorized illustration. Supporters of the change imagine it may entice higher candidates and doubtlessly save the district cash. Nevertheless, some board members and neighborhood members fear the transfer is politically motivated.
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Board Chair Charlotte Joyce defined that Duval is exclusive amongst Florida’s 67 faculty districts, which required the change.
“We’re the one district within the state of Florida, out of 67 counties, that aren’t allowed to rent our personal basic counsel,” Joyce mentioned.
Authorities legislation lawyer Chris Hand, who served as Chief of Workers for the Metropolis of Jacksonville from 2011 to 2015, says that is as a result of metropolis’s consolidation in 1968, which created a unified Workplace of Common Counsel for all metropolis businesses.
“In 1968, the Metropolis of Jacksonville and Duval County consolidated to kind the Consolidated Metropolis of Jacksonville, and a kind of modifications was the creation of a unified Workplace of Common Counsel,” Hand defined.
The district has struggled to switch present board lawyer Ray Poole, who resigned in Might however has continued to attend conferences whereas a alternative is sought. Joyce mentioned the lack to remain within the Florida Retirement System is one cause the district has had hassle attracting certified candidates.
“Trying on the high quality of candidates and the variety of candidates, we simply didn’t actually have the depth that I felt like as a big city faculty district within the state of Florida,” Joyce mentioned.
Value financial savings have additionally been mentioned. For comparability, Hillsborough County, which has about 218,000 college students, pays its board lawyer about $177,000 a yr (based mostly on a 2020 contract).
The OGC posted the Duval County board lawyer job with a wage vary of $165,000 to $192,000.
Board member Darryl Willie expressed concern about transferring ahead with out extra data.
“We’re telling folks that’s going to save lots of us cash, and I received’t. Don’t need us to come back again and be like, really, now we’re having to spend extra,” Willie mentioned.
The proposal should nonetheless be permitted by the Jacksonville Metropolis Council and the Florida Legislature. Chris Hand famous that this may be the primary time in almost 60 years that such a change could be thought-about on the state stage.
“This might be the primary time, actually, and like I mentioned, nearly 60 years that that, you already know, we’ve had this query in the end go as much as the state legislature for a possible change,” Hand mentioned.
Residents can share their opinions on the matter with their elected officers as the method strikes ahead.
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