What he did: Fourth Judicial Circuit Public Defender 1963-68, State Attorney 1968-73, City of Jacksonville General Counsel 1973-75, State Attorney 1975-91, Mayor of Jacksonville 1991-95.
What he’s doing now: Retired
This is another in a series on area executives and political and community leaders who have played prominent roles in the development of Downtown or Jacksonville as a whole over the years. Some are still in the area, working or retired or a bit of both. Some have moved away and are working in other areas of the state or country. The series continues with Ed Austin.
by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
It would be impossible to study the history of law and government in Jacksonville, Florida in the 20th century without coming across the name “Ed Austin” on a regular basis.
In addition to a couple of years of private practice after he graduated from the University of Florida Law School in 1958, Austin served as a prosecutor, a public defender, the City’s General Counsel and a term as mayor from 1991-95.
“I have had the opportunity to partner with so many good people during my career,” said Austin, who then started rattling off names. “John Delaney, Audrey Moran, Susan Black, Rick Mullaney. Over the years, I’ve worked with more than half of the bench from the Fourth Judicial Circuit. They were all wonderful people and I just took the credit.”
With such a wide range of disciplines involved in Austin’s legal and public service career, it would be natural to wonder what he considers his most important contribution.
“We did so many wonderful things while I was mayor. River City Renaissance really gave Jacksonville a shot of self-esteem. Our public housing was in deplorable condition. We had 8,000 units and the feds told me our public housing was the worst in the country, so we created the Housing Authority. We also created the Children’s Commission. The way children’s services had been run in the past, it was an administrative mess. I don’t think Lee Iaccoca (who revived Chrysler in the 1980s) could have run it. We were also able to solve jacksonville’s 40-year-old solid waste program while I was in office,” said Austin. “Those are not what you’d think of as exciting things but they had to be done.”
He also said the time he served as State Attorney was a high point of his career.
“I think the State Attorney is like the quarterback of the system. The judges decide the law but the State Attorney decides if, and then how, to prosecute. Some people who are accused of crimes shouldn’t be in the system and you have to get them out of it.”
Austin was one of the honored guests this week when Mayor John Peyton hosted a luncheon for the men who served as Jacksonville’s chief executive since City government was consolidated in 1968. Austin is part of a delegation from Jacksonville that has been invited to Escambia County to share with city and county officials there what they know about the impacts of unifying city and county governments.
“Before consolidation, Jacksonville’s local government was virtually unmanageable. You can’t run things by committee. Someone has to be responsible. The hardest part about consolidation was that people didn’t want to lose their jobs,” recalled Austin.
Being away from full-time public service has given him the chance to indulge one of his passions. It isn’t difficult to catch Austin with a fishing rod in his hand these days, but you might have to take quite a long trip to do it.
“I take a fishing trip every year to Canada and another to Alaska and I love to fish inshore in Central Florida,” he said. “I take a trip back to my alma mater, Duke University, every year and I’m a big Jaguars supporter. Other than that I read the Wall Street Journal every day, go to the gym four days a week and spend every Wednesday morning with my church group at the Good Shepherd in Riverside. I also attend Rotary Club meetings, but now that I have achieved senior status, I can just go when I want to.”
Austin said after 32 years serving on the front lines of public service, it’s nice to be retired. He also appreciates the number of people who recognize him wherever he goes even though Austin has been out of the public eye for 13 years. They always want to say, “Hello Mr. Mayor.”
“I wouldn’t change anything about my career. You don’t make a lot of money as a public servant but it’s an interesting way to live,” said Austin.
“I have been blessed to be able to live here and to have been a small part of making Jacksonville the magnificent city it is.”
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