How much would it cost to remove Confederate statues?

City Council president says it's too early to guess about cost, who would pay

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The controversy continues over what to do with Confederate monuments in the city of Jacksonville.

Mayor Lenny Curry said this week that he’s focused on his priorities, but if monuments become a priority for the Jacksonville City Council, he’ll deal with it then.

City Council President Anna Lopez-Brosche told News4Jax on Thursday she’s pushing ahead to take a reasonable, measured look at the topic -- including the potential costs.

Brosche said the cost of removing the statues, and who is going to pay for it, is part of a bigger question, adding that she's pursuing an inventory from the city about what statues exist in Jacksonville and Duval County.

She said it seems too early to make any guesses about the cost or who would pay it.

"We can develop a measured plan of understanding what we have -- why it's there, why it was erected -- and be able to develop a very measured response, including understanding private funding, over how many years what's going to happen, (and) where would they go if they went anywhere," Brosche said.

Could they end at some place such as the Museum of Southern History on Herschel Street? The museum was closed Thursday, and did not comment on the issue when asked by News4Jax.

One man, who is a lifelong member of the Sons of Confederate Soldiers, was passionate in his opinion about the monuments.

"I'm being called a racist because I enjoy history, because I celebrate my ancestors?" James Schillinglaw said. "You know, that's offensive to me. It's an insult."

Schillinglaw said the notion of moving the monuments out of public sight bothers him because it passes judgment on relatives in another era.

"The thing is, the people from 1860s are being judged by 2017 eyes," he said. "You can never judge a people by today's eyes. You know, we didn't know slavery was a moral wrong at the time. We know it now, so we don't go back (to) those days. My ancestors are getting the wrong rap for slavery. They didn't know it was the wrong thing to do."

Would it be wrong to respond to the community concerns by moving monuments? Brosche said it would be if the right process isn’t followed -- a process of investigation and inclusion.

"At the end of the day, we all have to work together," she said. "That's the same -- is true with my colleagues. They need to be a part of the process. The mayor will end up needing to be part of the process, so he'll get his opportunity to weigh in, and I'm sure he'll take that opportunity when it comes."

Brosche said she has received feedback from citizens since she asked for that inventory at the beginning of the week. She said it’s evenly split among those encouraging removal of the monuments and those defending them.


About the Author:

Kent Justice co-anchors News4Jax's 5 p.m., 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts weeknights and reports on government and politics. He also hosts "This Week in Jacksonville," Channel 4's hot topics and politics public affairs show each Sunday morning at 9 a.m.