JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville City Council will take a final vote Tuesday on a low-profile appointment that’s generating some high-profile controversy.
Mayor Donna Deegan’s decision to appoint a former school board chair to the city’s library board of trustees has spiraled into a partisan food fight that spurred the mayor to call for an end to what she considers dangerous attacks on a public servant.
“We are simply reaching a point in our civil discourse that is not only unfair, but it is dangerous,” said Mayor Donna Deegan in a rare pre-produced video posted to social media.
Former Duval School Board Chair Elizabeth Andersen’s appointment to the Board of Library Trustees has drawn impassioned public testimony both in support and opposition in recent weeks.
“I respectfully ask that you see beyond the noise and judge my appointment based on my record, my values, and my sincere commitment to what’s best for Jacksonville,” said Andersen during her confirmation hearing before the city council Rules Committee on May 19th.
The main sticking point centers around comments Andersen made during a virtual candidate forum in 2022, in which she referred to Moms For Liberty member Tia Bess, who has an autistic child, as a “token person”.
“Miss Andersen is not the person you think she is, and I will say that and I expect an apology,” said Bess during the May 19th hearing.
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During the hearing, Andersen offered this apology to Bess:
“I am so sorry that Miss Bess was offended.”
But that apology didn’t sit well with Councilmember Terrance Freeman (R-Group 1 At-Large).
“An apology because someone is offended, not because of the action that you did, are two different things,” said Freeman.
The Rules committee voted 5-3 against Andersen’s confirmation.
“Whether I am confirmed or not, we must keep speaking out against misinformation, bullying, & intimidation. We may not be able to stop bad people from doing bad things, but we can’t let bad people stop us from doing good things!” Anderson wrote in a social media post following the vote.
Andersen’s confirmation now heads to the full council for a final vote Tuesday night.
The meeting is set to begin at 5 PM.
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