City Council member John Crescimbeni celebrated his 350th consecutively attended council meeting Tuesday evening, but he didn’t receive a medal, plaque or trophy.
Instead, the veteran local legislator earlier in the day ended up taking home something more valuable — he was elected council vice president over Doyle Carter in a narrow race impacted by a last-minute change.
Council Vice President Lori Boyer had no trouble ascending to the top position on the 19-member group. She was unanimously elected president for the 2015-16 council year that begins July 1.
It wasn’t that easy for Crescimbeni.
For months, Crescimbeni and Carter had been vying for support from their colleagues in an attempt to reach the coveted 10-pledge majority needed to win the leadership seat.
Both came close by securing eight supporters by Tuesday afternoon’s special meeting. It was the first time since the 2010-11 council year that a leadership race had to be settled on the floor.
Momentum swung in Carter’s favor before the meeting when Garrett Dennis said he was backing him. It did so more when Reggie Brown stood to second the Carter nomination.
Anna Lopez-Brosche, who had not previously announced her support, likewise went to Carter. Katrina Brown had pledged to Crescimbeni.
That would have given Carter the 10-9 majority, except it didn’t.
It was announced Reggie Gaffney had chosen Crescimbeni to the surprise of many. Gaffney last week signed a pledge for Carter.
The change was enough to put Crescimbeni over the top.
Gaffney said afterward he had prayed on the issue and decided to make the change in the previous 24 hours “to do what’s best for Jacksonville.”
He said he had not been approached or influenced by anyone to change his vote. And he had told no one — not even Carter — about the change of heart.
“I didn’t tell a soul,” said Gaffney.
He said Crescimbeni had helped him with issues and bills impacting his urban core district and had, along with Boyer, taken time to educate him during his first year.
That was enough for him to switch allegiances and, ultimately, be the key vote that decided the outcome.
“There are nine people probably angry at me right now,” he said.
Crescimbeni said he was surprised about the switch and had made a checkmark next to Gaffney’s name in the Carter column. Upon the announcement, he hastily scratched it out and put it under his own.
“You don’t see many 10-9 votes around here,” Crescimbeni said after the vote.
He said he would reach out to Carter and others to build support over the coming year.
Boyer won’t need that type of effort in her leadership role.
Since being elected in 2011, Boyer has taken on tasks ranging from laborious Land Use and Zoning Committee assignments to spearheading a group that reviewed and has made changes to the city’s consolidated structure.
Along the way she’s been praised for hard work, attention to detail and willingness to help others — qualities colleagues like Danny Becton and Gaffney noted in their nomination speeches.
Boyer said after being elected the council will be better equipped to handle issues and understand more about each other’s districts in the coming year.
She wants to feature different districts at each council meeting as a way for everyone to better understand issues affecting the city.
After Boyer’s speech, Council President Greg Anderson jokingly said it wrapped up council’s work for the day on leadership picks. He then noted the vice presidency race was “the toughest vote we will take all year.”
The way it played out, he may be right.
@writerchapman
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