Democratic mayor faces backlash after removing Confederate statue: ‘Abuse of power’

Michelle Vecerina contributed to this story.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville’s Democratic mayor, Donna Deegan, is facing backlash after removing a Confederate statue in the middle of the night at Springfield Park, with funding made available through a grant.

The city released a statement Wednesday and said the memorial was erected “during the peak of early 20th century Confederate monument-building, part of a widespread campaign to promote and justify Jim Crow laws in the South and intimidate African Americans.”

The Office of General Counsel reviewed the mayor’s executive authority and found that “because of the separation of powers, City Council approval was unnecessary since city funds were not being utilized or requested for the work that was completed.”

The statement said it costed $187,000, which was made available through a grant that the Jessie Ball duPont Fund and anonymous donors made to 904WARD. 

Rep. Dean Black, R-Jacksonville, called the move a “stunning abuse of power.”

“This action, undertaken in the middle of the night, during the holidays, without consultation of city leaders or a vote by the council, is another in a long line of woke Democrats obsession with Cancel Culture and tearing down history,” Black said.

Black called on the city council to “seek immediate accountability.”

Black filed new legislation in November to protect historical monuments and memorials that he said would protect “all history.”

City Council Member Nick Howland said “this was council’s decision to make.”

“Regardless of your opinion of the monument, this is abuse of power & disregard for transparency,” Howland said on X.

Howland told Florida’s Voice during budget hearings in the fall, city council “clearly determined that any funds to be spent on removing relocating or recontextualizing Confederate monuments or any historical monuments in the city would have to come out of a city council decision.”

However, Howland said the funds Deegan used were private funds. 

“So, she’s acknowledging that she’s going against our wishes. And then she’s using private money where she appears to think she can do it indiscriminately in any public park to tear down a monument,” Howland explained. 

Howland said they plan to seek a formal general counsel opinion on this action.

Florida Times-Union Reporter David Bauerlein shared a photo on X early Wednesday and said crews started the process of removing the statues.

Deegan said this is “not in any way an attempt to erase history but to show that we’ve learned from it.”

“Symbols matter. They tell the world what we stand for and what we aspire to be,” Deegan said. “By removing the confederate monument from Springfield Park, we signal a belief in our shared humanity. That we are all created equal. The same flesh and bones. The same blood running through our veins. The same heart and soul.”

She said she prays for Jacksonville to “continue embracing unity and bending the arc of history towards justice.”

Florida’s Voice reached out to the mayor’s office for legal clarification on the matter.