JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville City Council members failed Tuesday night to override Mayor Donna Deegan’s veto of Ordinance 2025-872, a measure that would shift some appointment power for two city-related boards from the mayor’s office to the City Council president.
After debate, the override vote failed 11-7 — one vote short of the 12 votes (two-thirds) needed to override the veto.
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Because the override failed, the mayor’s veto stands, and the ordinance does not take effect.
Mayor Donna Deegan issued a statement after the vote failed.
We thank the City Council members who voted to preserve the separation of powers that underpin our consolidated government. For decades, Jacksonville has operated under a straightforward and transparent appointment structure: the Executive Branch nominates, and the Legislative Branch confirms. That is how checks and balances are supposed to work. They are not obstacles to be overpowered.
This ordinance was another effort to erode the balance of power between co-equal branches of government. Jacksonville deserves a government where each branch respects one another’s roles, where accountability remains clear, and where institutional norms are not discarded simply because a temporary political majority sees advantage in doing so.
Mayor Deegan said in a statement
What the ordinance would have changed
The legislation would have split appointments to the Kids Hope Alliance (KHA) Board and the Jacksonville Public Library Board of Trustees, splitting appointment authority between the mayor and the council president — with all appointments still requiring City Council confirmation.
Currently, the appointments all rest with the mayor and council approval.
If it were to become law:
Kids Hope Alliance Board (7 members)
- 4 members appointed by the mayor, confirmed by City Council
- 3 members appointed by the council president, confirmed by City Council
Jacksonville Public Library Board of Trustees (12 members)
- The mayor appoints 7 members (one from each of the five at-large groups, plus two at-large seats)
- The council president appoints 5 members (one from each of the five at-large groups)
- All appointments would still be subject to City Council confirmation.
Why it raised questions: separation of powers
Supporters argued the change would formalize council’s role as a co-equal branch of local government and give council leadership more direct input on boards that oversee major public services and budgets.
Opponents countered that the mayor already makes appointments subject to council confirmation, and questioned why council should restructure the process at all.
Council member Ron Salem, who introduced the bill, said the change was not unprecedented and would not disrupt the city’s “strong mayor” system.
“This is nothing new and I want to emphasize that point,” Salem said. “This bill isn’t just for the next year. This bill goes on past that.”
Council member Michael Boylan pushed back, arguing the current system already gives council leverage through confirmations.
“If it ain’t broke why are we trying to fix it,” Boylan said. “This is inside baseball… we have all the power we need to make sure these boards are properly populated.”
In a statement, Council Member Rahman Johnson said he planned to change his prior vote and uphold the mayor’s veto.
Johnson said a deeper review led him to believe the ordinance is “well-intentioned,” but needs more work before becoming law.
“Leadership is not about defending yesterday’s vote. Leadership is about making today’s best decision,” Johnson said.
He added that institutions like Kids Hope Alliance and the library board “deserve thoughtful transitions that protect continuity and public confidence.”
With the override failing, the mayor’s veto remains in place and the appointment structure stays unchanged.
Council members signaled the broader debate over shared governance and board oversight could continue, but any future changes would require new legislation.
