Former mayor Jake Godbold held his annual fish fry at Jackie’s Thursday and dozens attended, including mayoral candidates Mike Weinstein and Alberta Hipps. Daily Record staff writer Mike Sharkey caught up with Godbold to discuss the future of the Better Jacksonville Plan and who he might endorse in the upcoming mayor’s race.
Q: Outside of the Better Jacksonville Plan, what issue does the next mayor have to tackle first?
A: There’s no doubt that the next mayor is going to have to really look at a tough budget. This budget isn’t going to be as strong in the future as it is today. With the [2005] Super Bowl coming, with the problem that we had on Sept. 11 — we don’t know what kind of expenses we are going to have for this city. I think the federal government has already sent a message out that we aren’t going to get much help from them as far as how we are going to secure our port, how we are going to secure our airport, how we are going to secure our city from terrorism. I think that is going to be an expensive thing. We don’t know how much money it will take right now to make sure that we are secure during the Super Bowl game. And so I don’t think we are going to have the type of money that we have today. I think the future mayor is not going to be able to do a lot of the things that [John] Delaney’s been able to do. We are about as indebted as we can go and we’re still growing and we hope will continue to grow. The economy seems to be coming back, but we don’t know what will happen with this gas crisis, which can tear the economy back into a recession. I just think that one of the toughest things the next mayor is going to have to do is to see these [Better Jacksonville] projects through, bring them in under cost, or at least cost, and not let them have large overruns and also be able to balance the budget and keep that cost down. We’ve got a lot of things in the future that are going to cost a lot of money and he’s not going to have the type of money that Delaney has had to move the city forward.
Q: What role, if any, do you want to play during the next administration?
A: I just want to be heard. I want to be able to express my views. I told Delaney this when he was elected: I don’t expect the mayor to do what I say, but I expect the mayor to show me the courtesy of a past mayor and listen to what my suggestions may be. If he doesn’t take my suggestions, I’m not going to be mad. Delaney has been able to that. He’s done some things I’ve suggested. Some of the things he hasn’t done. We’ve gotten along very well and I have a great relationship with him. I intend to help elect a mayor this time that I’ll have some say with.
Q: When will you decide who you will endorse?
A: I want to wait until the qualifying is about over so I’ll know who the candidates are. I don’t think that it would be fair now because the main thing I want to do is, I don’t want to pick a mayor I can make a deal with, that I can get a lobbying job in Tallahassee with or something like that. I don’t want a job. All I want to do is choose the best mayor we can get to carry my dreams and Delaney’s dreams and take them forward. That’s my only interest in who will be the next mayor.