Come Together: Jacksonville's Consolidation -- Part 9

With all the discussion of efficiency, economy of scale in centralizing purchasing and maintenance, and reduction of duplication to make city government more transparent, responsive, and accountable, there was the added impetus of the revelations of corruption that surfaced in the nearly two years preceding the vote on consolidation.

In 1965, television station WJXT's news department began an investigation into reports of corruption.  A Washington Post-Newsweek station, WJXT prided itself on its investigative reporting.   Allegations arising out of this investigation involved purchase of luxury cars for officials without competitive bids; excessive insurance costs; lawsuits arising out of squabbles between the City Council and the City Commission, and more.[1]

WJXT called for a grand jury investigation in February of 1966.  Criminal Court judge Marion W. Gooding impaneled a grand jury and instructed them to prove WJXT either right or wrong.  30 June 1966, the grand jury's first report called out the City Commission for awarding insurance contracts to friends and political allies.  That would account for "excessive insurance costs."[2]

On 22 July, the grand jury indicted City Councilmen W. O. Mattox, Jr. and Cecil F. Lowe, and George G. Robinson, Sr., late of the City Recreation Department, for grand larceny, conspiracy, and forgery.  They had bought personal items and sent the bills to the City Recreation Department.  On 12 August 1966, it came to light that 168 luxury cars had been bought from one dealership without any competitive bids being called for.  The city had been charged maximum list price for these cars, which were used for private as well as public business.  No one would admit responsibility for the purchase; purchasing agents' excuse had a familar ring:  "We were only following orders."[2]   

City Commissioner Dallas Thomas resigned when he was charged with using city labor and materials for personal home improvements.  He tried to atone by issuing the city a personal check for $8,872.21, pleading ignorance of any wrongdoing.  How dumb does he think we are, the grand jury must have been thinking as they indicted him on forty counts of grand larceny.[3]

"Vote the rascals out," indeed.

Opposition to consolidation arose in the last year or so before the vote on the proposals, from pretty much the same forces that had sunk the 1933 consolidation proposal: county employees and six of the eleven state representatives from Jacksonville.  The consolidation commission made some concessions.  The original proposal would have had the mayor appoint the sheriff, the tax assessor, the tax collectors, supervisor of elections, and the civil service board.  They conceded to the opponents of consolidation that these offices would remain elective.  The commission also agreed to the reduction of the city council from twenty-one members to nineteen, and a few other points.[4]

On the day before the vote on consolidation, 8 August 1967, the St. Petersburg Times issued a story describing doubts about the possibility of success of consolidation; Supervisor of Elections Harry Nearing predicted a large voter turnout on this hot-button issue.[5]  To the surprise of many, and to the relief of supporters of consolidation, the vote on 9 August was 52,585 in favor and 28,872 against, a margin of two-to-one in favor.[6]  Unfortunately, I was not eligible to vote on that issue I supported wholeheartedly, as I was 20 years old at the time when 21 was voting age.  I don't remember how my mother voted on the issue -- or even if she did.

In any case, the city had been set on a path that has led to development and growth, to national status in many areas, including finally realizing one of its fondest dreams -- being home to a National Football League team.  But that's another story. 

[1] James B. Crooks, Jacksonville: The Consolidation Story from Civil Rights to the Jaguars (Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2004), 43. 

[2] Crooks, 44. 

[3] Crooks, 45.

[4] Crooks, 47.

 [5] "Duval Voters' Consolidation OK in Doubt," St. Petersburg Times [now Tampa Bay Times], 8 August 1967, page 16.

 [6]  "Jacksonville Consolidation Makes City Biggest in Florida," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 9 August 1967, page 18.  I'm sure the [Jacksonville] Florida Times-Union had a front-page banner-headlined article on the vote, but they do not keep a digital archive and are not part of the holdings of Newspapers.com.

 

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