Mayor Alvin Brown welcomes input into his proposed City government reform plan from a newly formed study group of past mayoral administration leaders, according to Chief of Staff Chris Hand.
“We welcome input from any citizen who wants to provide it,” said Hand. “We are happy to discuss the mayor’s reform plan with the study group and anyone else who has an interest.”
The group will be led by businessman Ron Mallett and include Sam Mousa, Steve Diebenow, Derek Igou and Wyman Duggan.
Mousa, Diebenow and Igou were announced as members Wednesday morning. Duggan, a shareholder with the Rogers Towers law firm, was named to the group later Wednesday. He is former chairman of the Charter Revision Commission.
“I was happy to do so,” Duggan said of accepting the invitation. “I am a big believer in public service.”
Mallett said Tuesday he was
assembling a group close to the administrations of former mayors John Delaney and John Peyton. Mousa was CAO for Delaney, Diebenow was chief of policy and planning and chief of staff for Peyton and Igou was deputy CAO for Peyton.
Duggan was not a member of the past two administrations like others in the group, but said his background and time leading the Charter Revision Commission will be beneficial when observing and providing suggestions.
He said he will focus particularly on the structure of economic development.
“I see our role as being a resource to the committee and providing perspective,” Duggan said.
Mallett is a former member of the City’s Public Service Grant Commission, former chairman of the Taxation, Revenue & Utilization of Expenditures commission and chief of staff for Public Defender Matt Shirk. He also is the executive vice president and CFO of Thigpen Heating & Cooling.
City Council member Bill Gulliford arranged for the group and said he hopes it will provide experience-based insight about Brown’s reform plan to his Recreation, Community Development, Public Health and Safety Committee as well as for other Council members.
“Based on their experience, I think they will have good, strong suggestions that will be valuable to Council members and even the administration,” Gulliford said. “We need to be trying our best to support each taxpayer and put out the best product possible.”
Gulliford will attend the study group’s first meeting at 4 p.m. Monday at City Hall.
His initial stance on Brown’s reorganization proposal is that “it’s a step in the right direction.”
“We need that reform,” he said.
Council President Stephen Joost said Wednesday he believed the group could be beneficial.
“I don’t see how it can hurt,” he said.
He compared it to other facets of government or organizations that often use an outside set of eyes to look at internal issues. Groups like the Jacksonville Civic Council and the JAX Chamber have already provided Brown with insights, he said.
Joost said that because the study group members are detached from government, they can offer “full and honest” opinions.
“Absolutely that can make a difference,” he said.
Joost also is completing plans for a joint Council workshop on Brown’s reorganization plan. It is tentatively scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday.
The idea was initiated Monday at the Council Rules Committee meeting and Joost said the opportunity, like that of the study group, is to help Council members understand Brown’s extensive reform proposal.
“This is a big deal and I look forward to everyone learning more about it,” he said.
Hand said the administration worked with Joost to set up the workshop and is looking forward to further discussion. Even with the workshop and study group in place, the administration is “confident that a new organizational structure will be approved on schedule.”
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