Action News Jax’s Ben Becker has learned that a top city official in Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan’s administration wrote a highly critical talking points memo that was leaked to City Council President Ron Salem regarding his response to the removal of Confederate statutes in Springfield Park.
Multiple sources in the administration tell Becker that Jacksonville Chief Administrative Officer Karen Bowling was the author and it’s raising new questions on how well the Mayor’s Office and Council can work together.
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Action News Jax first reported on Dec. 27 that the Confederate monument in Springfield Park was removed and while it was welcomed by many citizens, members of the Jacksonville City Council, including Salem, believe Deegan didn’t have the authority to direct the removal of two statues, even with private funds.
Council members have also expressed concerns if Office of General Counsel Michael Fackler was pressured by Deegan into signing off on it, which he denied at a Council meeting on Jan. 25 .