JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As his term as Jacksonville City Council president comes to a close, District 12 Councilmember Randy White reflected on accomplishments, challenges, and the future of city leadership on this week’s episode of This Week In Jacksonville.
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White, who spent 32 years with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, said one of the major wins during his presidency was addressing retention and recruitment challenges within JFRD and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Under his leadership, both agencies received the largest raises in their histories and secured a new retirement option.
“In 2027, they’ll have the option to keep [their current plan] or join the Florida Retirement System, which is a defined benefit plan,” White said.
He also reflected on his working relationship with Mayor Donna Deegan. “We did not always agree, but we would talk about it; and the things we didn’t agree on, we respectfully disagreed and moved on,” he said. “One thing we do have in common — I love this city. And she does too.”
On a recently vetoed immigration-related bill, White said, “We did not have the votes to overturn the veto. So I’m going to move on [from] that subject.”
While some characterized the mayor’s veto as making Jacksonville a “sanctuary city,” White disagreed with that premise.
“I am not worried about this city becoming personally a sanctuary city with the sheriff that we have in place,” he said.
Looking ahead, the outgoing council leader acknowledged that the city’s financial forecast will present tough decisions as Jacksonville faces an estimated $100 million deficit over the next three years.
“If that number is correct, there’ll be some hard decisions to make,” White said, adding that public safety and infrastructure should remain top priorities.
Finally, White praised outgoing Fire Chief Keith Powers, whose last day is June 30.
“Keith Powers ranks up as high as any of the leaders we’ve ever had,” he said. “He now has a rescue unit in every fire station… [and] we’re the largest class one fire department in the world. That alone has saved between $300 and $400 million a year for the homeowners in their insurance.”
“He’s done a great job and he’s going to be missed,” White continued. “He’s going to be hard to replace.”
The full interview with White can be seen below.
