Charter panel expands to 15 members

Editors's note: This story has been updated with a correction that Scott Shine's white paper in 2017 noted the state Constitution says school board members shall be elected.

A former high-ranking official in Mayor Lenny Curry's administration and a past Duval County School Board member are among the recent batch of nominations for the Jacksonville Charter Revision Commission that meets once a decade.

The City Council's Rules Committee unanimously voted Tuesday for 13 of the 15 appointees put forward by City Council President Aaron Bowman. Two nominees were not able to attend the Rules Committee meeting so they will get their votes in two weeks.

Bowman announced 11 appointees last month. He then added four more names, which would bring the Charter Revision Commission to its maximum size of 15 members.

The newest nominees include Jessica Baker, a lawyer who worked from September 2015 to December 2017 as deputy director of intergovernmental affairs for the Curry administration. After leaving City Hall, she has been a partner with Baker Law Group. Her husband, Tim Baker, is a political consultant whom Curry has credited with helping him win both of his campaigns for mayor.

"I think she is going to bring great energy and insight," City Council member Greg Anderson said.

Anderson said the nominations are coming "fast and furious" and the appointments are the most important City Council can make.

The commission will have free rein to examine the structure of city government and make recommendations that will go to City Council in early 2020.

One issue that will at least get some consideration will be whether to call for an appointed School Board rather than an elected board. The charter review commission that met a decade ago recommended changing to an appointed School Board, but that proposal did not result in any action by City Council.

The Rules Committee approved W.C. Gentry, a lawyer who previously served on the Duval County School Board, and Emily Lisska, president of the Florida Historical Society and former executive director of the Jacksonville Historical Society from 1996 to 2018.

The Rules Committee deferred a vote on Celestine Mills, who was not at the committee meeting. She ran unsuccessfully for City Council in a May runoff election for District 10. The Rules Committee also deferred a vote on Chris Hagan, a consultant and lobbyist who previously was on the Jacksonville Planning Commission, because she was out of town.

The committee voted unanimously for fellow City Council member Matt Schellenberg, whose term ends June 30, and for former Duval County School Board member Scott Shine, who is an executive board member for School Choice Movement Inc.

Shine said while there is speculation about whether the Charter Review Commission will recommend changing from an elected School Board, he said that would face tall hurdles legally and practically.

Shine shared a white paper he wrote in 2007 with City Councilman John Crescimbeni that outlines the issue, such as language in the state Constitution that says school boards in Florida shall be elected.

"You would have to solve the legal problems and get clarity, ask the public to divest their authority in making that choice, and then set up an appointment process," Shine said. "That's a very complex exercise. Is it worth going through? That's up to what the committee wants to do, but I think it's a big challenge."

The Rules Committee unanimously supported the appointments of maritime attorney Lindsey Brock, retired Florida Times-Union editor Frank Denton, Jacksonville Housing Authority board member Charles Griggs, former School Board candidate and business executive Nick Howland, and JAXUSA Partnership business development director Heidi Jameson.

Others getting a green light were Anne-Marie Knight, an administrator at Mayo Clinic of Florida; Nelson McCoy, executive director at The Center, One Foundation; and Betzy Santiago, an administrator at Florida State College at Jacksonville.

The full City Council then will cast final votes June 25 on the committee roster.

David Bauerlein: (904) 359-4581