Staff Writer
About 500 people attended the installation of new officers for Jacksonville City Council Thursday at City Hall.
Former City Council Vice President Jack Webb was sworn in as the 42nd president of the Council and Stephen Joost as vice president by Duval County Court Judge Russell Healey. This was the second ceremony for the judge, who also administered the oath to Ronnie Fussell when he became the top officer of the Council.
Webb explained what the community could expect from him as president of the Council.
“Leadership, simply put, is about service,” said Webb. “It is about always being the hardest working person in the room, about being mindful of the needs of others and about not permitting personal vendettas and agendas to get in the way of doing what is right.”
Webb also outlined some of the issues he plans to focus on during his term as president.
“Let’s first talk about the St. Johns River,” he said. “While the state and nation’s attention remains focused on the oil crisis in the Gulf of Mexico, we certainly have our own challenges here with respect to the St. Johns River.”
Webb pointed out noticeable algae blooms and recent fish kills along the river as signs of problems with the St. Johns River and applauded area government and community leaders for making the river a priority and directing resources to help clean up the river.
“There is much more that we can do,” said Webb. “Government alone cannot do it. If we value our quality of life and the economic prosperity that our river provides for us, we must each do our part to improve its health.”
Webb promised to have a meeting within two weeks with the state leadership, mayor and partners of the City’s River Accord to determine the cause of the recent fish kill and to begin a community conversation on how the City can better leverage resources to protect the river.
He also pledged to continue pursuit of fiscal reform and the review of the recommendations of the City’s Charter Revision Commission, with particular interest in seeing the ethics provisions returned to the City Charter.
Moving forward was a notion echoed by City Council Vice President Stephen Joost.
“I know that I am following in the footsteps of some awesome leaders that walked these same halls and sat in these chambers,” said Joost. “Despite what others may think and the troubles others are trying to brew up, even on this very day, I am here to report to you that Jack Webb and I are ready to fill those shoes and take on the awesome responsibility of these seats.”
Looking toward the future, Joost reflected on his wardrobe.
“This suit I have on is symbolic of what Jacksonville is facing. When we started out our adventure with the Sorensons (Robin and Chris, founders of Firehouse Subs) some 16 years ago I worked for no paycheck for three or four years,” said Joost. “We had this family event to go to and I didn’t have a suit. Robin had a suit in the back of his closet and he pulled it out and gave it to me, and after some tailoring, this is what we came up with. This is a $60 suit. I think it’s a pretty cool suit and what it symbolizes is that sometimes you just have to make do. It symbolizes what this City is about to go through. We have to make do with what we got.”
Joost made a plea to union leaders and members and the people of Jacksonville to help the City find a solution to its escalating pension costs.
“You can replace the mayor, replace me and replace all 19 City Council members,” said Joost, “but the numbers are still going to be the same.”
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