by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
In its battle to keep Jacksonville’s military bases off the Pentagon’s chopping block, the mayor’s office is calling for reinforcements.
With the Navy coming close to finishing its list of bases that it will recommend for closure, the City is looking to add to its team of advocates. The City and State have pushed hard for local bases behind what the governor’s office describes as “an all star team” of lobbyists on retainer for the last two years. The new additions will complement efforts already underway, said Dan McCarthy, the mayor’s director of military affairs.
“We’re in the critical year now and we’re trying to look at what will be the best advocacy group for us now,” said McCarthy.
The mayor’s office is seeking bids for lobbyists with skills in five distinct areas. The duties range from public affairs work to economic analysis to intelligence gathering. The idea is to identify what the Pentagon is looking for, present Northeast Florida’s facilities in a light friendly to that criteria, then lobby hard to convince decision makers that local facilities deserve to make the cut.
The City has received seven bids so far and expects to hear presentations from the short list by Jan. 28, according to a Request For Proposals sent out by the mayor’s office. Four of the responses came from lobbyists already working for the City.
The idea for additional consulting came to City Hall with Adam Hollingsworth, Mayor John Peyton’s recent hire as Policy Chief. Hollingsworth has extensive experience in government relations, including his work with the State during the last round of base closures.
McCarthy said the RFP was not a response to the recent revelation of the Pentagon’s plans to retire the Mayport-based John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier. Neither is it an indication of shortcomings in the City’s previous planning in its preparations for the Base Realignment and Closure process, said Hollingsworth.
“Jacksonville has been very aggressive in its efforts to protect its bases,” said Hollingsworth. “Adding resources to the team is the next
step in the evolution of the mayor’s strategy.”
Jacksonville’s bases already boast an impressive list of defenders, some contracted locally, some hired by the State. Former U.S. Rep. Tillie Fowler, also a top military adviser to U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, has been on the City’s retainer. The State hired retired four-star admiral Robert Natter, former commander of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, to lead its lobbying.
It’s an indication of the economic importance of Florida’s military bases. The City’s RFP estimates defense spending in Duval County exceeds $3.5 billion annually.
The new hires would work for the City until Sept. 30. The base closures are expected to be announced in May, but McCarthy said there would still be opportunities to make the case for local bases even after recommendations have been issued.
“Recommendations are done at the Pentagon level, then it goes to the BRAC commission,” said McCarthy. “We want to make sure we advocate in the optimal way at each level of the process.”
The scope of the duties outlined in the RFP are designed to benefit all of the area’s remaining bases, but one aspect is specifically tailored to defend the Naval Aviation Depot Jacksonville. Peyton has expressed concern about NADEP in the past.