by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
If they had been led to the basketball court instead of the gridiron, Dist. 7 City Council member Johnny Gaffney and his brothers could have made an entire starting lineup. Instead Gaffney, the youngest of five sons, and his brothers all played football at the University of Florida.
He didn’t make the NFL draft due to an injury he sustained on the field, so he directed his focus to his education. His bachelor’s degree in journalism was followed by master’s degrees in both management and business, then an Ed.D.
He was a professor at the University of Phoenix and taught leadership classes until he was elected to Council, when he decided to devote his entire attention to public service.
“Being a Council member gives me the platform and the power to accomplish good things,” he said.
During his campaign, he walked every street and knocked on doors in the district that includes Springfield and portions of Downtown, the Northside and Arlington.
“During my campaign, I met with every neighborhood association and senior citizens group and I’ve kept that up since I was elected. Sometimes people act surprised when they see me again,” said Gaffney.
His first project was to clean up neighborhoods, getting trash and debris picked up and removing derelict vehicles. Some of the eyesores had been part of the scenery for a long time, he said.
“As soon as I took office, I met with the City’s environmental division and for a month, we had trash picked up six days a week,” he said. “We were able to remove the abandoned cars and tear down condemned buildings. Some of the complaints had been on the books for years.
“After we got things cleaned up, I went to all the neighborhood organizations and provided them with contacts for the City agencies and told them if they weren’t happy with the service they were receiving to call me.”
Since that initial project, Gaffney has devoted himself to helping the people in his district, especially his younger constituents. He secured corporate sponsors for an after-school nutrition program for students at Matthew Gilbert Middle School and is a regular motivational speaker at Raines and Ribault High Schools. He is also involved in athletics programs for youth.
“I played sports and now I have a doctoral degree. I understand how those two things can work together,” said Gaffney.
Another of his initiatives is to create vocational training programs so young people in his district can fill the hundreds of jobs that the expansion of Jacksonville’s port operations will create.
“I grew up on the Northside and I’m a product of the neighborhood. I know what the kids are going through,” said Gaffney. “Even though we’re years apart, they’re going through the same things I did, so I’m working with the Job Corps and with contractors who can provide internships for young people with skills. We have to provide alternatives to crimes like drug dealing. I had alternatives and so did my brothers. Let’s let the children of Jacksonville fill those good-paying jobs at the port.”
He said he loves teaching and it was a big decision to take a hiatus for at least the next four years, but Gaffney felt he had an obligation.
“It was a sacrifice, but it was my decision and now (serving on the Council) is my responsibility,” he said. “Considering the issues facing the city right now, being a Council member is a full-time job. I realize I was elected not to make the popular decisions, but to make the best decisions for the people in my district and for all the people in Jacksonville. You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution.
“My constituents are my customers. I’m working for them.”