For Immediate Release: June 2, 2022
JACKSONVILLE CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE JOSHUA HICKS CALLS FOR NEW LEADERSHIP THAT FOLLOWS THE RULE OF LAW
Councilmember Ron Salem Wanted OGC to Disregard the City Charter
JACKSONVILLE, FL – With Sheriff Mike Williams resigning and the Office of General Counsel’s draft binding legal opinion ruling that Williams vacated the office when he moved to Nassau County, it begs the question why Jacksonville City Councilmember Ron Salem wanted the Sheriff and General Counsel to completely ignore the city charter.
In an Action New Jax interview, Salem was “hoping the General Counsel comes back with an opinion allowing Sheriff Williams to maintain his position.” Jacksonville City Council, At-Large, Group 2 candidate Joshua Hicks released the following statement on Salem’s desire to flout the rule of law:
“It was highly disappointing to see the new City Council Vice President call for the city’s General Counsel to flout the law and keep Sheriff Williams in office. Regardless of the Sheriff’s performance, the law must be followed. Public safety requires transparency, trust and leadership that isn’t above the law.
“Even Sheriff Williams finally recognized the charter as the law of the land. There is no question that he vacated the office when he moved outside of Duval County. While this decision will still have untold consequences, we can now move forward with selecting a new sheriff.
“The Governor must appoint an acting sheriff who doesn’t seek the office. Jacksonville deserves to choose our next sheriff without undue influence at the ballot box. With violent crime increasing, it’s too important of a decision to be left to politics and power plays.”
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