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2 vie to unseat political veteran Hazouri for at-large Jacksonville council seat

Florida Times-Union - 3/1/2019

March 01-- Mar. 1--One candidate is known as "Coach" in his advertisements for the City Council At-Large Group 3 race, while another says his two decades of human resources background for a major local company gives him an understanding of "the concerns of the people."

The incumbent, who has served almost every elected position in Jacksonville for more than three decades, said his re-election would be "the last hurrah."

The race, open to all voters, pits incumbent Democratic City Councilman Tommy Hazouri against two newcomers: Democrat James C. Jacobs and Republican Greg Rachal. All three live in Mandarin, although the seat, one of five at-large City Council seats, serves the entire city.

Jacobs has an active Facebook campaign site and had raised $3,853 in donations as of mid-February, according to the Duval County supervisor of elections. He did not respond to multiple requests for interviews made via telephone, social media and email, nor appear at the Times-Union editorial board session with his fellow candidates. His Facebook page has no bio, but his campaign points include blocking the sale of JEA, lowering crime, addressing the city's septic tanks/sewage problem and getting all community centers back open.

"This would without a doubt help with the high crime rate as well as bringing jobs to the community," he wrote.

This is Rachal's second run for office after the 2011 race for the City Council District 14 seat won by Jim Love. The 56-year-old retired UPS human resources executive is a Louisiana native who served in both the U.S. Air Force and Marines, and moved to Jacksonville almost 30 years ago.

Rachal said he's running because he thinks he can make a difference, saying his military service and membership on the city's Taxation, Revenue and Expenditure Commission, Southwest Citizen Planning and Advisory Council and a Sheriff Advisory Council will help. Calling the current City Council "divisive," he said it needs a whole new group of people to move the city forward. Since he has retired, he can work "full-time" as a council member, he added.

"I can bring a fresh new set of eyes to that council. I can bring a new idea of independent thinking, which I think is in desperate need," he said. "... Just being engaged makes me aware of what we need in my community, at least somewhat. And because I worked as a human resource person in corporate America, I see some of the needs and I understand the concerns of people."

He has raised $7,010 as of mid-February and admits it's been a "challenge" to get the word out on his campaign city-wide. But he said he is doing some grassroots campaigning and mailing out advertisements, plus "getting out and pressing the flesh" in front of groups.

"We have a belief that if it's meant to be, it's meant to be," Rachal said.

Hazouri's public service began in 1974 when he was elected a state representative, appointed to the Florida Ethics Commission and chaired the sheriff's Mental Health and Crisis Episodes Task Force during those terms. He was elected Jacksonville's mayor in 1987, remembered for eliminating tolls on local roads and bridges before leaving office in 1991. A Duval County School Board member from 2004 to 2012, he was elected to his current at-large council seat in 2015 and is chairman of the City Council's Rules Committee, a member of the Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee, and Duval County School Board liaison.

The 74-year-old Hazouri said his legislative experience is needed in what he says will be his last race.

"I still think there is much more to do for me in helping the community, especially with at least 11 new members coming on the City Council, and I think the institutional knowledge and hopefully my leadership and experience as a mayor, legislator and a school board chair will help make a difference," Hazouri said. "We have miles to go with downtown and infrastructure, economic development, our crime issue and the homeless, affordable housing."

Hazouri had collected $135,319 in donations as of Feb. 13 and said he is getting the word out in television ads that began Feb. 12. But Hazouri also is a Democrat seen in a re-election ad for Republican incumbent Mayor Lenny Curry. Hazouri points out that no Democrat is running for mayor, so he chose the candidate "I trust and have worked with for four years."

"We haven't agreed on issues, and some of them have been Democratic issues, for example taking Democrats off the boards and commissions. And I had my day in fighting with him for that," Hazouri said. "... And as a former legislator who voted on 3,000 bills a year, I accepted the fact that you do your battles, then you move on. He was very supportive of Kids Hope Alliance, which I support, and the pension bill, which was one of the biggest issues to face the city."

Rachal said he respects Hazouri and his decision to support Curry. But he wouldn't say which mayoral candidate he's supporting now.

"I will support whoever is elected," Rachal said.

Rachal said his top city priorities are the opioid drug issue "running rampant," as well as crime, although he believes the sheriff is doing an excellent job so far.

"But what has to happen is we have to get the cops out of their seats. They have enough technology in the cars; they have enough officers online," he said. "We have to get them involved socially with the community so it starts to trust them. Once they start to trust them, I think we will see a reduction in crime."

Crime is also Hazouri's top priority, but that's every year, he said.

"That's an issue that transcends whomever is in the mayor's office and whoever is on the City Council. It is not unusual that it is a continuing battle," Hazouri said. "... The issues for me are the homeless, affordable housing and public safety, then for me personally, if I had all the money in the world, I would continue to expand library hours, materials and books because parks, recreation and libraries are always the last to get funds and the first to get cut."

He also said there are many other issues the city needs to handle downtown, such as moving the Amtrak station back downtown near the new JTA headquarters and bus station. As to whether Hazouri thinks he's done all he wants to do, he philosophically answers that all "you can do is all you can do, and all you can do is enough."

Rachal and Hazouri agree on one issue that's been mentioned recently: the full or partial sale of JEA.

"I always opposed it," Hazouri said.

"It is an asset and it is probably one of the city's greatest assets, and you don't sell assets," Rachal said.

Early voting begins Monday and goes through March 17, with Election Day set for 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.March 19. In a race with more than two people, the candidate receiving a majority of the votes shall be declared the winner. If there is no majority winner, then the two candidates with the highest vote totals head to a May 14 runoff.

Dan Scanlan: (904) 359-4549

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