Issue 163, January 29
This past week we heard from Councilman Ron Salem, Vice President of the City Council, running to retain his At-Large seat. If he wins the election, Salem plans to run for President of the Council, just second in-line to the mayor.
In 2019, Salem tried to remain neutral during the discussions of the sale of JEA. When he learned of the bonus plans, he was determined to expose this scam. He said it was the finest moment of City Council in 50 years because just within a matter of days, many JEA Board members resigned, and the sale fell through.
In addition, Salem is a big proponent of a city program which moves convicted prisoners with just a misdemeanor charge, to supervised housing for rehabilitation instead of leaving them in jail. About 50% of the convicted drug addicts participate and have the chance for change. Unfortunately, Fentanyl is the biggest addiction.
With another program, report cards will be sent to home dwellers that misuse their recycle bin by disposing of improper waste. This assessment should help to make sure the appropriate waste will be put in the bins to be recycled and earn the city a small profit.
As far as his take on the stadium renovations, Salem foresees about a $1B price tag for a new roof and new corridors. If the city agrees to pay 1/2 of the project (which Khan is proposing), Duval will be looking at about a $40-$50M annual payment for about 30 years.
Also, during our Wednesday’s meeting, 2nd Vice President Ken Petsch brought up an opportunity for SBMC to raise funds for our Charities Account. The Player’s Championship is seeking volunteers to help work their tents, in return for hourly pay to go towards a nonprofit. For those who have done this in the past, I believe they’d say that TPC volunteering was one of their favorite projects they have participated in, and most attendees had fun, made new friends, and have fond memories. With a hand raise of interest, almost everyone present in the room was “on board” to work this event. Stay tuned for many more details on how you can get involved.
Join us this week as we hear from SBMC Past President Tom Harris and Incumbent Michael Boylan, both running for City Council, District 6. Bring a door prize and get recognized!
Jeanne Maron
2023 President
