Noticed Meeting CM Johnson & CM Miller Regarding 2026-2027 Council Leadership

Noticed Meeting CM Johnson & CM Miller Regarding 2026-2027 Council Leadership — Mar 25, 2026

>> We need sights on a bizarre got a call. This meeting to order 02:00PM. And as you said earlier before the meeting started, I have to echo your sentiments councilmember for Carroll and Andrew. They are the lifeblood that keeps us looking good. But if not for the people that are making sure we all the trains run on time, we would not be able to do this so we don't say it enough. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you both doubt. No doubt. You said it's are you know, we are so blessed to have you to with us a little bit. The introductions. >> Everybody, my name is Chris Mueller, the at-large group, 5 City Councilman. >> And Rockland Johnson District 14. And this meeting both as we well know, Chris and I are both candidates for council vice president and I could not be more honored to be in this space with somebody of your leadership caliber. I you know, I had a lot of cause people saying hes a Democrat or as a minority on the council. We know this is a super majority Republicans. I stepped up, but it's not just about the party affiliation. It's about making sure, as you said in your remarks, moving this council forward. And so I think all 4 of us were in this race really do have a firm desire to want to move the council for it. So I gotta say, Frank, as I said in my remarks and as you did, too, I am so appreciative and I said it last night. All of us were family on this. Councilman always agree on how to get to the place, but we agree that we need to move to the place. So thank you for your leadership in the past and being in the space will appreciate. >> I appreciate that. And thank you for for being in this race. And I said that to your leadership meeting in there and really meant it for the folks, the 2 of us and the other to step forward. I agree with you. They do. We all care about our city or otherwise we wouldn't be running for vice president. And so regardless of how this works out, turns out if we can embrace that, that real concept of being family and instead of forming little factions are subsections or, you know, and I mean, we make it in this in our conversation. And I have to be careful. My wife would like to be here and tell me they're not share so much that I tend to just open up sometimes maybe more than I should, but that's which should be we shouldn't. It's like when I was in the military, did I ever ask and the one officer or enlisted Warren civilians, the neighbor asking them what party they were in? No, we never even talked about it to me for over 30 years. I never talked about politics. It was about working together as a team. And some of those were close to being family relationships because you're so close and you would do anything for each other. And in our case, we should be willing to do anything to move our city forward and do whatever is best for our city there. There's an almost every situation best way forward. If we're willing to listen to each other, learn from each other and tap in to the expertise, the education, the desire and the way God's wired each one of us differently to tap into that and say how do we best utilize and capitalize on what each one of us brings to the table to this city Council family. If we can break that cold going forward, this city can be an amazing place. Leadership one. >> We need each other. We'd and I think you said it right like that. That was the hit. Bone's connected to the thigh bone. Do that thing but does have a side. I'm glad you brought that up. The guy has a son is way that we are. You know, to me I am while I don't know how to manage checkbook. I am certainly not willing right who I adore if their financial things that are going on, especially when it comes to big dollar amounts and stuff. That's part of the future. I am so fortunate. I don't know who they had on past council's. I can't even think if they had a will in the lane and like percent past council's will is really, really the cuddly smart at that kind of stuff. We are so fortunate to have have you with your 30 years of leadership and having Terrence with his, you know, pro sports as well as nonprofit background and Kevin, it all the people that we have in the Senate, if that's what this is supposed to be about, not about Democrats are over here. Republicans are over Not never the twain shall meet. And and we're not dependent on 1, 1, or the other. You know, one thing I appreciate about you, 2, that not just one thing, but one of the many things is I know a lot of times I will do. And I know you do this, too. We're doing legislation. You will request Cohen producers will send it out and have Co introduces come in because it's not about, hey, look at what I did, but it's hey, I did this, but let's get together and work on this. And I do the same thing. And unfortunately, sometimes I will see some folks will say, well, this is my piece of legislation and you can go sponsor. But I'm introducing and I don't even because let's be honest, how many people really read the introduced by thing and say, is this to introduce are not just, you know, I think you have the right. >> Well, thank you as a good reminder, because I don't always think about that. Sometimes I can get in the middle of let's get this done. Let's get it through. So we can enacted that that that's a good reminder to do it uses. There should be, you know, and there. >> I could do that a little bit more mature intentionally. I will say that crews I that's what one of many things I appreciate about you. And in fact, not withstand the fact this are makes for amazing food. We like to have you here because I love, you know, I've adored or wives as they want. Let me ask you what you know, obviously one of the I had these meetings with a few of the other members and one of the words I thought that was interesting was brought. It was drama like, Hey, we want to steer away from the drama. And I thought that was a good way to put it in your belief and your understanding. What do we collectively as this council? What do we need to move forward as far as the drama comment? >> Dramas, Good. I appreciate drama. But at the Ritz Theater, a Florida theater, Broadway Off-Broadway Hollywood. I mean, I appreciate draw. I really do. But I don't think the average person in Jacksonville elected any of us in the middle of drama or to create drama, you know, life has enough challenges as it is without us creating additional problems working together or creating things that we have to resolve if nothing else. I think they expect us to work together and to be able to get along together. And that is one thing I wish they understood like you make comments about Andrew Marr, Carol, I wish more people could see. We do get along. This isn't it? Democrats are really Republicans over here. We're walking in. The halls were up in the offices. Whatever we we have friendly relationships, most of us with each other and in. But that should be the way it is all the time. Not just up in the offices or in the past each other and hall. It should be one we're legislating when we're doing the people's work, it should be that cordial and professional environment and friendly that people don't see other places. And so that's their impression. So I get why somebody would say, let's get away from the drama. And I and I certainly agree with that. We could drill down into inside and outside causes for that. I think we all know what's going on any of us, you know, who have made it out of high school. >> And know what's going on, right, or but >> how are we? How do we work together going forward? >> To take us to a better place because yet, as you've always heard me saying, I've heard you say things on designs, every situation, every organization you can always improve. Yes. And and if we're looking for those ways to improve the people, the good people of Jacksonville benefit, if we're doing that, not only with the things that they need, unlike infrastructure, fill-in, potholes and other things, keeping them safe. But also internally, we're forming those relationships, you know, as well as we can given the sunshine law, concerns that we need to be mindful of if we're operating within, you know that that. >> Kind of framework, a framework, I guess on that set for us, we can do it in a way that that I think that's conducive to be in friendly professional and just what the people expect. And I think when things get in that drama around, nobody wins and you'll see some of us based on our personalities may say I don't want to be part of this and then we lose contributions from valuable people, whether we sideline them and don't put him in a committee with we sidelined by taking control of each committee discussion or the overall council discussion. You can look around the dice and you can see what people want. I had something to say. I value dad. I'm not now because the environment, the climate, the culture has been said in a way that is conducive to that. >> I know it's either one of the stories I had in my career. And I think it's kind of relative to this. I remember when I was on the glow to it, the sound stage that we were on was next to Tna wrestling. I mean, I was a wrestling fan when I was a kid. I was not so much as a God time. But back when I was a kid, I loved wrestling the but his rowdy Roddy Piper in Hoboken, all those guys. So, yeah, so I was I would the weirdest thing happened? I didn't know. And, you know, I'm one of the people that that rescue was real back in the day. And so I go to the team resting. And again, there's that sound stage right next to ours. And you would see these guys who are like beating each other up on camera who are like, call each other names and throwing chairs and slam each other down, literally walking through the studio like a bill has Barbara by asking each other questions about their wives. And how's the kids do it? You know, and they're under tights in the west and stuff. And it was such a moment for me because you only see the TV part. You see him throwing chairs and hitting each other. They're really friends with families in lives in was in kids. It's it was just a start. Reminder, you know, it kind of put this in this space for me. We are showing that kind of thing when in essence, we need to be showing the opposite, right? I agree. You know, like, yes, sir. When people have things in their their lives to try to be there live to Kobe's Manas happen, Jacoby's not but I would do the same thing of some other member had an issue. I would try to be there. I really feel close to all of us because we need to get along together. I guess it kind of leads to any questions. You have a son to cancer, but I'm not sure. You know, I honestly, as as I have been told many times that, you know, because I am a Democrat that I we'll probably not win, but I want it. What does it take, Chris? And you know this as we try to create this congeal space, just in your opinion, like whether whoever wins I plan to be one of your lieutenants, if you and I want to be right there by your side doing what we needed to move this council forward, what will it take for us to 2 find the congeniality because I've been searching for and it seems like the moment I feel it's there disappears. What do we need? It may be there's no one is no panacea. What do we need in your opinion? Yeah, I think I think there are a number of things. But I think just in general because that >> I prefer not to go too far down into the details of of assessing that. But I think each one of us should do that. Each one of us should take some time and think about that. And I think as we go to each new year and as we mature and grow in in our ability to represent the people, hopefully we're all that's going to selves. How many I improve as a servant? If I'm not in a leadership position, somebody else's as a leader or whatever role it is, we're in that upcoming year. How may I be the best that I can be in that role? That in my opinion, I believe God has placed us in each one of us. And if we're for taking care of our area and we're treating each other with dignity and respect that catches on that that becomes contagious, I believe. And and people have a choice. I kinda like that. And I'm going to go that way, too. Or that's not my thing. And I'm gonna go over here and do my own thing. And if someone chooses that there's not a whole lot you can do about that. But what I intend to do to look myself in the mayor and decide how could how may I be a better whatever role I'm in. And I don't know. You know, the incoming president will choose for all of us what roles we play on the next council. And I tend to whatever those choices are, you know, and I know you do as well, give your best in whatever role that is. My hope is that before we do that, and I think that that goes and I know I'm talking around a little bit, but your question, but I I just made me think a little bit more of okay, process wise if I'm the incoming president, we're on the incoming vice president. I would do exactly what you've done right here and extend these invitations to sit down and talk here from the other person and to have these exchanges to find out like, you know, what I would hope they would be asking is OK, rockman, what's important to you in this next year of service? What's important, your district, what's important, you professional development wise. How about your training, your your education? How do you best leverage those things? How do you want to best leverage those things? And then the president can decide which ones of those things he can kind of help you with. And if it clicks with UN its in a way that you can be the best you can be based on what you bring to the table, we're all going to win. But what you need to have that exchange up front, not just I'm not signing it because they can assign it. And you know, you live with what you get. Well, that's not much of that team environment. If you haven't been brought into the team to give input to that process. And I I I hope going forward, you know, and needs president the past 3 presidents that the that we've been under each is done that to a certain extent. I'm just suggesting and even broader read. Yes, yes, did you because I started thinking about your background, your education, your and every time you tell me a story about a connection with somebody here in Jacksonville that didn't know you had a connection with all of that is a part of the party who you are right now and then those drinks. >> It means they need to be used. Whether it's you or me or anybody else say need to be used for the good of the council and for the good of our city. And and again, we don't want anybody sidelined know if we have anyone sideline regardless of what they said on bringing me on the political yes, as we if we can, just we can just best the right person with the right experience in the right positions. It's going to be >> better for everybody's. Let me ask you, this is just sparked a thought. Did you know that you would have the passion for the thing you do now on this council? Did you know that in just his at the same passion you had July 2023. >> When you install, quite frankly, I didn't know what I didn't know what to expect. And and, you know, I was telling Andrew, Forget started that I have a perfect piece about serving in this in this way. You know, people pushed me in to do and some colleagues now their colleagues had pushed me to do this at a perfect piece about doing it. But I didn't know all the varying. >> It it a a good and maybe not. And I didn't know all that. So I really my first year I said, I said put me in coach, you know, like when you're on a team, that's and you're the new guy figured out, looked to me and where you need to get. And then then once they get in to doing different things and like, you know, I look like this, but how can I how can I best serve? How can I best improve things? And I didn't really know until I >> experienced some of the ways in the committees and legislation and you know, and and and working with other agencies working inspector general watching your reports and seeing things they point out that need to be better guess. And then some will not necessarily doing anything with those reports that they put a lot of time into. I started grabbing those and >> putting in legislation as it was a lot of that. I do really. And no, I just knew I wanted to keep serving. >> But they didn't know how I could best do that. And and now I do. Now I know as a leader taking this to the next level, you there are more things in a bigger picture longer term for council that I don't think you can directly impact if you weren't in leadership. >> Yes, yes, but Chris, here's the thing for me when I started in July, 23, I just had the main goal of getting heard road widening. Twitch been a better chance of a planned to 99 and my constituents were, you know, I'll tell you verify the first day in office, I had a community meeting, our guy library and first day in office and like, oh, God, the love me and they voted for me and we're gonna have this wonderful meeting. The meeting was standing room only. >> I got a library and they beat me that they were loaded from. They yelled at me. How? >> Dare you not just got elected as a stalled and they just win it. >> In only about the Argyll excuse me about the Biden, the moment a burden. So when I got here like my marching orders is leaving. We had that two-week break right after we were installed. And so I'm like, OK, I know what I need to do to get this road white, right? What I didn't know and I kind of said what you did to at the time president elect him, President Salem, putting the game coach. What do you need me? I don't know. I hear the things I like to do. I didn't know what committees to request. I was put on rules in land use and zoning 3 years later. I'm still on land use and zoning. And I tell you that because I did not know that that would be a passion for me. It is now one of my case study that 1000 page book We Get Every you haven't been, you know, every week we get 1000 page dossier literally of max and stuff. Right. And most people hate LSU's. The out that aired said it publicly because number one, it's on a Tuesday. And so with no easy on Tuesday night Council on Tuesday night, Tuesday nights are just not exist. Haven't had a Tuesday night since I've been here except for 3. Great. So there is this is a logic calatayud about the law and a very logical death. Yeah, me too. So when I C L U Z, it's like here's the law. He's with the state says here's what competent substantial evidence is. It's really the radical and I can it works for me. So I love it. It's good to know. It's good to know that, Chris. I never if you would ask me that 5 years ago, I would not have told you I want to serve on land use and zoning. They know what it was. Now. It is not only a passion, but I'm able to have a really critical conversations with the folks that are, you know, the wind and guns. And the Stephen Allen said that able to have really confidence of the company conversations with them. Now I can. It's like the Matrix releasing them a court or the binary code, just ones and zeroes that make sense there. >> Night, you know the scene about the pills they come in. They cut which which color pill. But that gets you. I can make sense to me now. Yeah, that's good. And that's good to know because of that. I now can say 2 things. One I I will say on the subject matter expert, but I'm certainly really credible to those people that are 70's. But the other thing is when even more excited about is Andrew, who's, you know, was one of my students when I was a professor at Waters, is now learning something that could possibly take care of him for the rest of his life. And for me to be able to say, hey, I'm learning this, but so is he. And while, you know, with the halfway mark of life, he's just are now. So he learns us land use and zoning stuff. It could really be a game-changer for somebody like him, right? And so I never knew that I thank God every day for putting in a position to not be so. And I think you said it earlier not to be comfortable where I am, but to be available to where I need to be. And I think that's where we all want. I'm glad you said that because I I didn't feel like a are properly answered your question because once you said, well, you see and how that clicked with you and for see that one coming on. This is a little more predictable, but it's a similar situation for me. But again, given my background, you would think it would be a good fit for me, but I wasn't quite sure is as rules. It just was my inspector general background where you're checking against the standard. You're trying to find ways to make things better. You're trying to look at the whole picture how things should be, how things are and then how they can be if we're willing to work together to make them better. That's that's the way God. Why me? And I can exercise that very clearly in the rules. >> Rao. >> And and I enjoy doing that. I really do. It's a it's a easy natural fit for me. But also an area where, you know, I get a lot of people are trying to get on finance. That happens at all levels, state and appropriations, that at other levels and the federal level. I do hope I get on finance this next go-around because I do have a lot of finance experience, not to the level, not to the levels that will land and he talked about because that's been his profession after the Navy. But but I really do have financial knowledge and experience running a large budgets that I want to utilize in the finance committee that I I can't do otherwise unless someone finance to help on. I know it's a lot of work, especially budget time. I've been watching and paying attention. That's what some of my bills I've introduced have been really finance bills. You know, I'm not gonna so she was. So I'm hoping to be able to get on finance the next the next year and be able to help in that way as well going forward, especially with things like I got to say, it's some of the changes possible change to our revenue stream. We need people who know finance to be able to help us navigate if those things occur when our revenue stream is drastically impacted, we have to. We'll have to work our way through that as best we can. And I'd rather be with people who do have good solid budget backgrounds. So I thought of that as well anywhere that I've been place so far, I've learned, learned about the process, unable to work with president vice president. They do the do those things. And so, you know, if we can diversify and I know you, you really like easy, but I think it's also it's good to hone in on that. But I think it's also good for us to know a full range of what the council does and how that all works. And and I do think there are some people are probably served in tu maybe a little bit more. Then maybe there's some other opportunities for folks who have who have been serving in to use that they may want to explore over the next couple years. >> That makes sense purposes. It services. Yeah, I this is a priest. You have any questions for me any. >> I mean, we know each other and, you know, we write and wants to do it. And and, you know, the fact that we're both in the race for vice president, you know, it just as the way it is. And I don't look that this is a competition. And again, I think we were talking a little bit earlier, just just talking was with Andrew and he gave a good a good analogy, you know, from the same sports team and somebody is going for captain or co-captain the offense. Captain defense go at each other because of that. No, you just it's just one of the things you do every year. You pick a captain and OK, got it like this. It's all it's all work together. Let's go ready, break. And so I see that as what's going on here for the vice presidential race. And and and I am very positive and hopeful