JACKSONVILLE, Fla — The video attached to this story is from a previous, unrelated report.
Mayor Lenny Curry's proposal for a non-binding referendum requiring local elected officials to resign if they want to run for another local office won't be on the March ballot because he fell short of enough City Council support to greenlight asking voters about it.
City Council voted 12-6 against having the straw ballot, which wouldn't have changed anything by itself but the results could have been used in asking the state Legislature for possible changes to the City Charter.
Curry had argued the "resign to run" rule for local offices would create a more even playing field in campaigns because current office-holders would have had to resign if they wanted to run for a different office at the local level.
Critics of the proposal said it was a political ploy in the run-up to the March city election and said political newcomers have been able to win almost all local elections in the past eight years under the current law.
Voting against putting the non-binding referendum on the March ballot were City Council members Danny Becton, Aaron Bowman, Michael Boylan, Matt Carlucci, LeAnna Cumber, Randy DeFoor, Al Ferraro, Joyce Morgan, Sam Newby, Ron Salem, Tyrona Clark-Murray and Reggie Gaffney Jr.
Voting in favor of having the straw ballot were Rory Diamond, Terrance Freeman, Ju'Coby Pittman, Randy White, Kevin Carrico and Nick Howland.
City Council member Brenda Priestly Jackson did not vote Tuesday on the legislation but she voted against it last week in council committee.
Curry's proposal would require anyone serving as Jacksonville mayor, City Council member, School Board member, sheriff, supervisor of election, property appraiser, supervisor of elections or clerk of courts to resign from that post in order to run for another office on that list.
The proposal would not have required officeholders seeing re-election to a second term in the same post to resign while campaigning.