Jacksonville city council members say their trust in the city’s top attorney has been damaged as a result of the way he handled the removal of the Springfield Park Confederate monument.
A big part of that trust issue revolves around a conversation he had with the mayor before releasing his final legal opinion on whether she had the authority to remove the monument on her own.
After General Counsel Michael Fackler issued his draft opinion making the argument Mayor Donna Deegan could remove the Springfield Park Confederate monument on her own, Council President Ron Salem (R-Group 2 At-Large) asked him to write a formal opinion to address concerns raised by council.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
But during a special council meeting Thursday, Salem claimed after making the request, Fackler never talked with him about the opinion before its release last week.
“Can you clarify for me if I had client attorney privilege on that document that you presented at that meeting?” Salem asked Fackler.