from staff
Mayor John Peyton said he recognizes being a City of Jacksonville employee is tough these days.
Budget cuts, a complete departmental re-organization and public outcry over new city fees can affect morale, he said.
“We’ve been through a great deal of uncertainty,” Peyton said to a group of about 200 staffers gathered in the City Hall Atrium on Wednesday.
“I think the morale in this government is low. It’s been low,” he continued. “But I am terribly proud of the work we do to deliver governmental services in Jacksonville ... (and) I think we’ve got the right team to weather this, and we can do it.”
The speech opened the quarterly awards ceremony where Chief Administrative Officer Alan Mosely recognized 40 staffers for serving above and beyond in their standard duties.
The top “Leader of the Pack” awards and $200 gift cards went to Charlene Taylor-Hill of the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission and Mike Vigus with the Mosquito Control Division.
Taylor-Hill was recognized for initiating a department re-organization to better allow her employees to meet the Commission’s goals while making the department a better place to work. Vigus was recognized for maintaining a high readiness level and optimum safety record.
Other employees received awards and gift cards ranging from $55 to $200. In total, $4,720 was awarded.
Adrienne Furkovich, city lifeguard at Cecil Aquatic Center, received what was called the “Good Trouper Award” and a $55 gift card for her commitment to public safety. She said this kind of recognition definitely improves morale for many city employees.
“This is my first award,” said Furkovich. “I’ve worked for the city for three years, and I’ve enjoyed it. It’s good of them to recognize us.”
Peyton said the employees are also supported by a “silent majority in this community that gets the challenges” the city faces. He said employees should keep that in mind in the face of criticism during what he called a “seismic shift” in terms of re-organization and new city fees.
“I wish it were different. I wish I was mayor when we were not talking about this,” said Peyton. “But doing what’s right is not always doing what’s popular ... and I appreciate all you do.”