The City Council elects its next leadership tonight. You can tell the players without a scorecard, but you won’t know the score until the board lights up.
Jerry Holland says he has 11 firm votes, one more than he needs. A well-regarded source says Jim Overton may have as many as 13.
“I asked Jim to show me 10 votes and he said he’d rather take it to the floor,” said Holland. “So, we take it to the floor.”
Overton won’t speculate but says, “I feel comfortable.”
And the race for the vice presidency is not without its speculation, either. Lad Daniels claims 11 votes but some feel Lynette Self may sneak in.
It all starts at 6 p.m. and it will be shown live on cable Ch. 29. Might be better than the sitcoms (no, take that back: ANYTHING is better than the current sitcoms, and that includes country music award shows.)
The balloting will decide several months of turmoil in the Council offices that has seen Holland challenge the incumbent vice president, Suzanne Jenkins, whose Right Of Succession was then torpedoed by the local Republican Party hierarchy because she’s a Democrat.
She pulled out, but not quietly; she exited from the race with a letter encouraging her supporters to vote for Overton, who once was the Council president.
In most years, the Council presidency matters to few, mainly the members, their staff and the media, which always likes its politicians to squabble because it makes our work a lot easier. The public, sad to say, cares little and any poll taken in the suburbs would show that most can’t identify the president — for that matter, they probably can’t even their own Council member as long as no one raises taxes, allows potholes to be unfilled or, in Overton’s case, lets some rich people close off a street.
But this is a big political year ahead. Two big elections: this fall for governor, legislature and constitutional offices, next spring for the mayor and council.
Whoever becomes the 2002-03 Council president may go in as a nobody, but he will find a bully pulpit waiting in that corner office.
Fast forward to the spring. The mixed bag of characters in the mayor’s race has so far failed to identify a lead horse and who knows? If the public decides that None Of The Above is the best vote, might not they look to the person in that bully pulpit? And doncha remember that Overton’s head was the first to pop up (and, later, back down) when people started talking about John Delaney’s successor? And Holland may look like Mr. Peepers, and maybe being the Paxon High baseball coach really doesn’t establish much of a power base, but who knows what will stick when the mud starts flying about next year?
That bully pulpit is what got Jenkins shipped out; GOP boss Tom Slade didn’t want the Jacksonville City Council president standing next to the Democratic candidate for governor. In most years, Slade would consider the Council’s internal politicking about as important as the Soil and Water Conservation District board elections, but this could be a time bomb. The Democratic Party’s candidate for governor needs every friend he (Bill McBride) or she (Janet Reno) can get against the incumbent (Jeb Bush.) Having a friendly City Council president in North Florida would be a huge bonus.
So, Jenkins is gone from this affray, and her role tonight will be to cast a vote for Overton.
That’s one. Overton, himself, is two. Three, four, five ... how many? Speculations, speculation. Gwen Yates likes Overton, but they both are talking about running for Property Appraiser. King Holzendorf likes Holland, but there is some issue or another and the King may like Overton better by tonight.
Don’t expect anything definite until the count begins. The maneuvering will continue until President Matt Carlucci (another one interested in being the next mayor) shuts everyone up with a 6 p.m. gavel.
Then, the Council will have to do what it really doesn’t want to do. Yea or nay. Overton or Holland. Daniels or Self. They can’t refer this to a committee, and they can’t sneak out the side door for a moment. They can’t talk out of both sides of anything.
But c’mon, folks, we all have to be realistic. This isn’t Bush v. Gore. The winner won’t get to gloat and attack Afghanistan, the loser won’t have to grow a beard and hide behind his wife.
Final words of advice. If you win, thank Tom Slade and put on a good inaugural party (Overton’s at the Cummer in 1997 should be your model.) If you lose, shake hands, shut up and enjoy the party.
— Fred Seely is the editorial director of
Bailey Publishing & Communications Inc.