The Duval County School Board could be positioned to have its own General Counsel next year, breaking with almost six decades of precedent in Jacksonville’s consolidated government.
Legislation from House Speaker Pro Tempore Wyman Duggan (HB 4049) seeks a General Counsel independent of the one atop local government, although the Board lawyer ultimately would be “subject to the opinion” of the city’s General Counsel, and would otherwise be subordinate in litigation and contract preparation, in a condition to which the Board agreed.
The local bill met resistance from the Jacksonville City Council when presented for its approval. Some Council members said it threatened the consolidated government model ahead of voting against recommending the charter change to the delegation.
The controversy that a majority of the City Council couldn’t abide stemmed from whether the School Board could subvert the independent authority of the city’s General Counsel.
Explaining the proposal earlier this year, Chair Charlotte Joyce noted that the School Board was concerned about the candidates who applied earlier this year for an opening not being certified in education law, and said other Districts pick their own lawyers, who are eligible for the Florida Retirement System.
