by Glenn Tschimpke
Staff Writer
Count Lynette Self in as a candidate for City Council’s vice presidency. The District 2 representative is the latest Council member to express an interest in the soon-to-be-vacant position as current vice president Suzanne Jenkins will either ascend to the presidency or return to the rank and file in April.
While her opponent, Lad Daniels, will base his platform on business-related issues, Self will focus on city-wide administrative concerns, including budget priorities, parks and recreation and waterways issues.
“We have to continue to look at budget priorities after [Sept.11],” said Self. “We need to continue to provide funding for new fire stations and personnel and keep them running efficiently.”
One of her top fiscal priorities at last week’s Council budget workshop was the enhancement of recreation facilities around town.
“Parks is really my heart,” she said.
Self would like to fund more positions in the Department of Parks and Recreation to run programs within Jacksonville’s parks. Because the issue was one of the top vote-getters at the workshop, it’s likely to be one of the Council’s fiscal priorities in the coming year. If she gets the vice presidency nod from her peers, look for her to push the issue passionately.
A third area of focus will be to improve maintenance of Jacksonville’s extensive waterway system.
“I’m going to continue to focus on waterways issues,” said Self, who is currently the chair of the Jacksonville Waterways Commission. “We need to continue to look for matching funding for dredging our waterways.”
Self wants to look beyond keeping the St. Johns River maintained and take a more aggressive stance toward keeping smaller tributaries properly dredged and clear.
“If people can’t access waterways from their homes because of road projects or building projects, and they’re paying property taxes to be on the water, that’s not right.”
Self is a business person by trade — she owns and operates Rose of Sharon European Florists, Inc. Elected in 1999 to represent Arlington, she took on some wide-reaching responsibilities within the Council, which she says has prepared her for a leadership position. She has been the chair of the Jacksonville Waterways Commission for three years and chair of the Land Use and Zoning Committee for two. She is, or has been, a member of several other committees, including finance, recreation and community development, telecommunications and technology, active recreation and rules.
While she’s reticent to admit it, her efforts on the Land Use and Zoning Committee and the Waterways Commission could be deciding factors among her peers that could eventually land her a spot as the next Council vice president.
“I think you have to consider them all,” said Self. “What’s interesting though, is the Land Use and Zoning Committee is a very time consuming committee. But I love it because that affects people where they live every day. In that committee, it really deals city-wide. It’s not just a district committee. So you’re really dealing with the whole county and with people from all over the county, which I love.
“Then when you go to the Waterways Commission. Those two really take a lot of time if you want to put the effort into it. It’s really exposed me to issues all over the county, which I think helps me, too, for leadership because I have a feel for the whole county and not just my district.”
As for her competition at the moment, Self doesn’t foresee an ugly race. Over the years, she has developed a positive professional and political relationship with Daniels.
“Lad and I are friends,” she said. “Lad and I have both worked together in business before we were both on the Council. We are vying for the same position, but when it’s all said and done, it’s a handshake and the best man wins. I don’t see any animosity or anything like that. I think we’re both issue-oriented, Lad and I. I can speak for myself, it’s an issue and not a personality [contest]. I think if you can stick to the issues, and agree to disagree and when that issue is gone, we can move on to the next one.”
So what separates Self from her opponent? While she’s careful not to get into a “Lynette vs. Lad” rhetorical rant, she offers a few tidbits.
“I’m at the City Council a lot,” she said, adding that she averages 40 hours-a-week working as a Council member. “I’m very hands-on. I really put a lot of time into it. I think Lad’s very well qualified, but I think I am, too. I think that my experiences on the Council and my leadership roles have maybe given me a little bit more to work with.”
The task at hand is to convince 17 other Council members (herself and Daniels excluded) that she is the right choice. While she announced her candidacy Monday, she’s already received a formal pledge of support from Jenkins. She expects others to follow.
“I think so because I think I’ve been fair,” she said. “I’ve supported people in their districts and I think that’s very important.”