Chris Hand, Mayor Alvin Brown’s chief of staff, said Brown likely will veto legislation passed by City Council last night to appropriate $750,000 for new furniture for the Duval County Courthouse.
“I expect the mayor to veto this bill,” Hand said through Brown’s spokesman David DeCamp after the Council vote.
Hand told the Council the issue was about saving taxpayer money and not politics, which some Council members suggested. He said the proper furniture could be transferred from the existing courthouse.
Council passed an emergency ordinance 18-1 Tuesday to appropriate $750,000 to purchase furniture for hearing rooms on the 7th floor of the new Duval County Unified Courthouse.
Council member Richard Clark voted against the legislation.
The action comes after weeks of dispute between the judicial and executive branches on the costs and needs for furniture to be used in public areas in the courthouse, which is scheduled to open later this month.
Brown’s administration has contended that furniture from the existing courthouse sufficiently fills the requirement, while the judiciary has argued that the quantity and quality of existing furniture does not fulfill the needs.
Council member Kimberly Daniels filed legislation late last week to appropriate the $750,000 from an existing courthouse account. It was introduced Tuesday and the question of whether it should be addressed as an emergency was asked early.
Chief Judge Donald Moran appeared before the Council and suggested it should be taken up as an emergency. He said that without the furniture, the rooms would not be functional and it was questionable that he could certify the new courthouse’s opening without it.
Asked by Council member John Crescimbeni if approval would allow enough time to buy the furniture before the move begins May 18 and the courthouse opens May 29, Moran said the courts could operate “for some time” with the assurance that the furniture was being purchased.
City Chief Financial Officer Ronnie Belton told Council that $5.3 million in City and state funds has already been spent on courthouse furnishings and he maintained that furniture in the current courthouse was adequate.
Council President Stephen Joost said that while he appreciates the administration’s effort to save money, he would be disappointed with a veto and having to consider the issue again. Council can override Brown’s veto with a vote.
“I guess we will be back here doing it all again,” Joost said.
Also from the meeting:
• An ordinance amendment introduced by Council member Warren Jones that would ban workplace and housing discrimination based on sexual orientation took much of the spotlight during public comment and likely will continue over the next month as Council debates the measure. Former Council President Matt Carlucci spoke in support of the amendment, while several members of the public opposed. A public hearing on the issue is scheduled at Council in two weeks.
• Another ordinance amendment to change the makeup of the Police and Fire Pension board of trustees and allow Council to appoint three members, instead of two, to the board was referred back to the Council Rules Committee.
• An ordinance to create the St. Johns River Ferry Commission was approved.
356-2466