from staff
The Daily Record surveyed the 2011-15 City Council members about the current Council year. Their responses to five questions will be published over the coming weeks. Raymond Holt, a Republican, is the community relations specialist at Family Support Services of North Florida.
How have you prepared both personally and professionally for your role on City Council?
I’m very fortunate that my work gives me the schedule flexibility to dedicate the necessary time to my Council responsibilities. That’s really the issue. You need the time to digest a lot of information to be able to make informed decisions on all the legislation, as well as work with staff and residents on neighborhood issues.
Are you satisfied with your Council assignments and why do you believe you were chosen for them?
I’m very happy to be on the Rules Committee at the time we’ll be making decisions on all of the mayor’s new appointments and finishing the redistricting process. I’m also on Land Use & Zoning, which is an important committee for my district because of all the changes. There will probably be quite a few changes headed our way related to the port and logistics facilities in my district.
Which committees or assignments would you like next?
I’m happy to serve in whatever capacity the leadership chooses for me.
Is serving on the Council a part-time or full-time job?
The reality is that the job is what you make of it. You can make it a 50-hour-a-week job, or you can just show up for your committee and Council meetings. I personally would like to see it become a full-time job in the future. I think the residents of Jacksonville deserve a full-time Council member advocating for them. In fact, I’d say it really shifts the balance of power in favor of the mayor, who is able to dedicate his whole focus to the job. Truly, without the staff that we have helping us and the Council Auditor’s Office, the job couldn’t be done as it is now, part-time.
What’s the first piece of legislation you have introduced or will introduce in this Council year?
I introduced a bill (2011-535) that will require most change orders to go back to the General Government Awards Committee for approval. My hope is that this will reduce spending, because the review will put a little more sunshine on these changes that were previously approved at the department level.