Latest news with #Fackler
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jacksonville leaders hold heated discussion about alleged illegal gun registry investigation
Jacksonville City Council members on Monday gathered to discuss what's being called an illegal gun registry. Action News Jax first broke the story Thursday, after Councilman Nick Howland claimed the city was documenting any visitors carrying concealed weapons into two city buildings. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The city's top lawyer, General Counsel Michael Fackler, addressed leaders at the Rules Committee meeting. He said the city has hired outside counsel to represent the city during the course of an investigation by the State Attorney's Office. Since July 1st, 2023, Florida law has prevented local governments from prohibiting legal gun owners from carrying concealed in government buildings. It's the same day that Mayor Donna Deegan officially came into office. Read: Florida woman denied Real ID over missing 50-year-old marriage record During the meeting on Monday, Fackler stated his office first learned of the alleged illegal gun registry on April 21st and hired outside legal representation that same day. The next day, Fackler said that they received subpoenas from the State Attorney's Office, but he did not review them. This was something that Councilman Ron Salem pushed back on. 'I don't see how you can hire an outside attorney before you even understood the subpoenas and what they were looking for.' Read: MOSH doors will open one last time on August 31st However, City Councilman Jimmy Peluso reminded everyone about a prior meeting they all had two years ago, when the law was going into effect with agencies handling security for city buildings. 'All of you who were sitting up here then, just like you are sitting up here now, nobody said a word about it. I remember I was sitting in this seat, during that time, so all of a sudden for people to claim that 'oh wow, there's this awful registry that came out of nowhere.' No, no, we learned about it in 2023 and none of you said anything.' Florida statute says "A state governmental agency or local not knowingly and willfully keep or cause to be kept any list, record, or registry of privately owned firearms or any list, record, or registry of the owners of those firearms." Action News Jax reached out to the State Attorney's Office to confirm the investigation. They said they cannot confirm anything at this time. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jacksonville City Council members grill General Counsel over separation of powers opinion
The City of Jacksonville's top attorney was publicly grilled by members of the Jacksonville City Council over a binding opinion he issued, which members claim has thrown city government into 'chaos.' >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< That opinion determined council violated the separation of powers by approving a $4 million annual contract boost for Meridian Waste. It's now being used by the mayor to justify not releasing the funds, despite having her veto overridden by the council, which has led Meridian to threaten a lawsuit. Finance Chair Ron Salem (R-Group 2 At-Large) argued General Counsel Michael Fackler never informed council members about the potential conflict, despite admitting the topic had been up for discussion months prior to the approval of the contract. 'And we walked right into a lawsuit,' said Salem. RELATED: Meridian Waste threatens to pursue 'legal avenues' in trash dispute with City of Jacksonville RELATED: Mayor Donna Deegan vetoes Meridian Waste contract Council members also questioned how the decision could impact a list of 41 other contracts approved or altered by the council, including the stadium deal. Fackler indicated most shouldn't be affected but couldn't say for sure. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] 'It's not a clear-cut situation,' said Fackler. Councilmember Nick Howland (Group 3 At-Large) suggested the uncertainty could lead to a chaotic situation. 'It's almost like you have given each team here, executive and legislative, an unlimited number of challenge flags, and you've said forget about the longstanding precedent,' said Howland. 'You know, throw the flags, and I'll be ready to decide. Go!' RELATED: No confidence resolution filed targeting Jacksonville's top attorney RELATED: 'Disappointing': Jacksonville Bar Association supports city attorney after 'no confidence' filing Salem and other council members were especially concerned with the upcoming budget process and questioned how Fackler's opinion would impact their powers of the purse. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] 'Now there's this threat of separation of powers. So, we've gone through this whole process and the mayor can still change that whole contract, and that's not how it's worked for 50 years,' said Salem. Members requested Fackler return an opinion on the council's authority to override line-item budget vetoes. Fackler also committed to doing further research into the separation of powers issue and indicated he'd be willing to overrule his standing opinion if he found evidence that changed his mind. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Disappointing': Jacksonville Bar Association supports city attorney after ‘no confidence' filing
The Jacksonville Bar Association, made up of around 2000 local lawyers, has come out in support of the city's top attorney. Following continued disputes with General Counsel Michael Fackler, City Councilman Ron Salem (R-Group 2 At-Large) filed a resolution Tuesday that, if approved, would express a vote of 'no confidence' in the lawyer and his services. Read: No confidence resolution filed targeting Jacksonville's top attorney Salem said he expects the resolution to come up for a final vote in six weeks. In response to the filing, the Association issued the following statement Wednesday: 'It is disappointing to see councilmembers condemn our city's lawyer because his legal advice has not comported with their agenda. Under Section 7.02 of our City's Charter, the General Counsel has binding authority over the consolidated government and is obligated to provide binding opinions when requested. 'The Resolution expresses disagreements with prior decisions by the General Counsel without any indication that he did not exercise his independent legal judgment in good faith. Further, the Resolution vaguely refers to prior General Counsels and other attorneys' opinions that the General Counsel reached the wrong conclusion, without citing their names or reasons. 'The duly appointed General Counsel enjoys the respect of the Jacksonville legal community and has earned his reputation as a highly skilled lawyer. As General Counsel, he is required to make difficult legal decisions and is bound by the oath taken as a member of The Florida Bar. We are confident that he will continue to perform his role by adhering to the law as outlined in the City Charter.' [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The resolution lays out several of the battles the council has fought with Fackler, starting with his opinion that allowed Mayor Donna Deegan (D) to remove the last public-facing Confederate monument in Jacksonville. Read: Final Confederate monument in Jacksonville comes down in Springfield Park Following that disagreement, the city council hired its own legal counsel. The most recent conflict came earlier this month, when Mayor Deegan issued the first veto of her administration. It blocked a City Council-approved $4-million-a-year contract boost for Meridian Waste that members said was financially necessary. The council overturned her veto, but Fackler determined the council didn't have the authority to authorize the increase in the first place. Salem says he expects an expensive legal battle from Meridian soon aiming to make the city enforce the contract increase. Read: After rebuke from legislative leaders, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pledges to veto immigration bill [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
No confidence resolution filed targeting Jacksonville's top attorney
No confidence: that's the message one city councilmember wants their colleagues to send to the city's top attorney, General Counsel Michael Fackler. The spat between the city's top attorney and city council is coming to a head. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Council Finance Chair Ron Salem (R-Group 2 At-Large) filed a resolution Tuesday, that if approved, would express a vote of no confidence in Fackler. 'I think the council is extremely frustrated with his tenure,' said Salem. The resolution lays out several of the battles the council has fought with Fackler, starting with his opinion that green lit Mayor Donna Deegan's removal of the city's last public-facing Confederate monument. Following that battle, the city council went as far as to hire its own legal counsel. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] 'It seems like every significant challenge goes to the mayor's side and that's very disturbing. He's supposed to represent the entire city,' said Salem. The most recent dispute revolves around city council's decision to approve a $4 million contract boost for Meridian Waste. Fackler issued a binding opinion that determined the council doesn't have the authority to authorize the increase. That opinion gave the mayor the go ahead to withhold the extra funding, even though council overturned her initial veto. Now, Salem expects Meridian to sue the city to enforce the contract. 'If Meridian sues the city, he's gonna spend several hundred thousand dollars, if not more, defending a bad decision,' said Salem. Salem noted the resolution wouldn't carry any legal weight in terms of forcing Fackler out, but he said he hopes it pushes Fackler to resign or for the mayor to ask him to resign. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] But the mayor's office responded to the resolution with a statement backing Fackler. 'When calls didn't go the way of the Mayor's Office, we didn't call him biased. We respected his opinion. Under our charter, the Office of General Counsel is the glue that holds our Consolidated Government together,' said Deegan in the statement. 'Mr. Fackler has done exactly what he is supposed to do: make difficult and sometimes unpopular rulings based on the City Charter.' If Fackler stays, Salem suggested the council could consider legislation giving itself the ability to vote him out. 'That would be the last straw if we aren't able to resolve this in some other fashion,' said Salem. Fackler declined to comment directly on the resolution. Salem said he expects the resolution should come up for a final vote in six weeks. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
