On May 20, the day after Duval County’s general election, there were 11 new City Council members who would take office several weeks later.
However, one of the rookies already had a desk and a telephone number at City Hall when he went to work the morning after the ballots were counted.
With 63 percent of the vote, Republican Scott Wilson was elected to represent District 4, succeeding term-limited Don Redman after serving for eight years as Redman’s executive assistant.
Wilson also is a potential trivia contest answer since his election marked the first time in Jacksonville an assistant was elected to replace his former boss on council.
Government service is what Wilson has done all his adult life. He went to work for the city in 1988 at age 18 as a parking facility operator at the Jacksonville Landing lot when the riverfront center opened.
Six years later, he became a records clerk in the Duval County Clerk of Courts office. It was the start of 13 years in the clerk’s office that included managing the satellite office at Jacksonville Beach from 1998-2000.
Later, Wilson became court operations supervisor, the highest civil service rank in the office.
While he was supervisor, the Center for Prevention Against Domestic Violence received the Governor’s Peace at Home Award from former Gov. Jeb Bush.
“That was the most rewarding job I’ve ever had,” Wilson said.
In 2007, he began his eight-year tour of duty managing Redman’s office and helping guide constituents to solutions to their issues.
Born in Chicago, Wilson grew up in and lives in a neighborhood in the district he now represents. He said that gave him the opportunity to understand the area and its needs.
That’s where he got to know Redman, owner of Don’s Sportsman Barber Shop, and the coach of Wilson’s Little League team.
While working at the clerk’s office, Wilson learned how to manage a staff. As Redman’s assistant, he learned the processes that make local government work.
“That provided the foundation for me to be a council member,” he said.
Wilson’s interest in politics began at a young age. In 1992, he worked on Jim Overton’s campaign for council and has worked on many campaigns since.
It’s been a relatively easy transition from assistant to council member because eight years working with the people of the district and within City Hall gave Wilson a foundation of knowledge and experience.
He took over the issues and concerns of the district as soon as he moved from the outer office to the inner office.
Wilson plans to continue the work Redman started on street and drainage improvement and public safety, he said.
Other issues that will be on his agenda are the growth and traffic around the Tinseltown area and finding a way to promote business revitalization along Beach Boulevard.
“I’d like to find a way to amend the zoning code to make it easier for people to bring retail back to the corridor,” Wilson said.
Since he took office, he has introduced two bills: one would increase the city’s ability to remove structures built illegally in the right-of-way and another seeking to donate a small portion of city right-of-way to accommodate growth of the University Christian School campus.
He’s chair of the Land Use & Zoning Committee and serves on the Transportation, Energy & Utilities Committee.
Wilson also is the city liaison to the Northeast Florida Regional Transportation Council.
While serving on council is considered a part-time job, Wilson said he knew from working for Redman it’s much more than that.
“It’s what you want to put into it,” he said.
While he gained eight years of understanding about how the system works, being on the dais with the voting buttons in front of him makes it a completely different experience.
“It’s a challenge when you’re making the decisions and voting,” said Wilson, who took about a $9,000 a year pay cut going from council aide to council member. “I have to listen to my constituents, but I have to do what’s right in my heart, too.”
As part of his transition to elected office, there’s a chance about once a month for Wilson to seek the counsel of his predecessor for at least 15 minutes.
“Don still cuts my hair,” Wilson said. “And he calls me from time to time with his concerns.”
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