by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
City Council member Reggie Fullwood officially made himself a candidate for Council vice president last week, a position Council member Faye Rustin began lobbying for a couple of weeks ago.
In a letter to Council president Jerry Holland, Fullwood said he looked forward to serving as vice president as the Council and city move into a new era.
“I have a strong vision for this Council and city’s future,” wrote Fullwood. “We need leaders who are interested in a unified Jacksonville, free from divisions and misunderstanding of the past.”
Fullwood, who represents District 9, also expressed interest in Holland’s current job.
“Over the next year I plan to work extremely hard and focus on the needs and goals of all my Council colleagues,” he said. “I will also lay the foundation for my vision as your 2004-05 Council president.”
Unlike the previous three years, this spring’s Council election will have several different factors for candidates to consider.
Because it’s an election year, anyone seeking the Council presidency or vice presidency is also seeking reelection from their district or at-large group. Thus, focusing on the April 15 election will be of primary concern.
Candidates also have to consider who will — and who will not — be voting for them. On July 1, there will be at least six new members of Council — Dr. Gwen Chandler is term-limited and running for Supervisor of Elections, Jim Overton is term-limited and running for Property Appraiser, Ginger Sound is term-limited and running for mayor, Alberta Hipps and King Holzendorf are term-limited and Matt Carlucci is seeking the mayor’s office. Instead of lobbying peers for signed pledges, Council members seeking the presidency and vice presidency will have to lobby several folks they may not even know.
“That’s why I sent out 12 letters instead of 18,” said Fullwood, adding the letters are the only lobbying he’ll do until after the primaries. “I’m staying away from those running. I have a good relationship with most of them [the candidates for Council] and I will wait until after they win [the primary] election. The last thing they want to think about now is internal Council business.”
Fullwood said he will make it a point to present himself to any and all runoff candidates.
“There are subtle things you can do. You want to make sure you introduce yourself to all of them,” he said. “You’re not so much selling them on the vice president’s seat as you are trying to get to know the person and build on that. I’ll meet with both candidates before the general election.”
According to official City rules, in an election year the Council members-elect will vote for Council president and vice president, not those leaving office or incumbents who lose.
“After the certificate of results of the general election by the City’s Canvassing Board has been approved, the Council president will call a meeting with the only order of business being to elect a Council president-designate and Council vice president-designate,” said Cheryl Brown, Council secretary/director.
Brown explained that Council members-elect may sit in on meetings, but only in an unofficial capacity. Defeated incumbents, those affected by term limits and those leaving office remain in an official capacity until midnight June 30, regardless if new members have been sworn in or not.
“They cannot vote on any other matters,” said Brown. “They are not sitting Council members. The incumbents are still in that position.”