by Rachel Witkowski
Staff Writer
The proposed City Council ordinance to change local government elections to coincide with the gubernatorial and presidential elections was amended during a Council workshop Tuesday to a staggered election in the fall, eliminating spring elections after 2007.
Council member Sharon Copeland, who sponsored the original bill, changed it to a staggered election after Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland suggested aligning at-large and constitutional elections with the presidential elections in 2012, which would give five Council members an 18-month extension during their 2007-12 term. The mayoral and district Council elections would align with the gubernatorial elections starting in 2010, which would reduce the terms of 14 Council members by six months during the term beginning in 2007. The next election after 2007 would occur in the fall, rather than spring.
“Mainly, the staggering is allowing some level of continuity,” said Deputy General Council Steve Rohan, who prepared the ordinance.
The original ordinance introduced March 28 aligned City elections with gubernatorial and presidential elections beginning in 2010, which would have created a six-month reduction in the mayoral and council terms starting in 2007 while extending the constitutional officers term by six months.
Copeland said during the meeting many people told her they did not want to see terms extended; thus the proposed reduction of terms.
“I would rather shorten my own term,” said Copeland, who represents Dist. 6.
Council member Art Shad suggested a staggered election and Holland provided the details to split at-large from district elections so “the at-large position term won’t be shortened” as in the original proposal.
“I throw that out as a means to compromise (with the Council) and to keep 10 supporters,” said Holland.
The ordinance was proposed in order to save $2.6 million by moving the elections to the fall during presidential and gubernatorial election years, which would also increase voter turnout. Holland said during a contested mayoral race, the turnout is in the high 40 percent range. But if there is no opposition, the turnout is below 20 percent. The governor’s race has a more than 50 percent turnout and a presidential election tends to produce a 70 percent turnout, according to Holland.
If passed by Council, the bill would be voted upon during the state primary in September.
“The best part of it is that it lets the voters decide if this is something important to them,” said Holland. If approved by voters, Council would then make legislative changes to take effect in the 2010 and 2012 elections. Rohan said regardless whether the Council terms are extended or reduced, the terms will be considered to have been full terms.
But not all the Council is willing to approve the bill.
Council Vice President Michael Corrigan said he’s against it because almost every city in Florida has a spring election and the taxpayers are personally “not going to save any money.” He added that the bill, if passed by Council and presented to the voters, may not produce the kind of expected turnout. Corrigan says the primary Council election and not the presidential election in November has a greater turnout.
“I think Jacksonville is important enough to separate it for city issues,” he said.
Corrigan is also proposing a bill to authorize a special first election Sept. 5 and a special general election Nov. 7 in case three or more Council members resign this year to run for state legislature. Council member Reggie Fullwood is currently expected to resign toward the end of the year in order to run for state office, according to Corrigan.
“The question I had is what if more wanted to run and we lost our quorum?” he said. “We must have 14 (members) to conduct any business.”
Both bills are tentatively scheduled to be presented before the full Council at the next meeting April 11.