Randy White defending Westside council District 12 seat against David Taylor

Feb. 25-- Feb. 25--Randy White, a former administrator of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department who once led the firefighters' union, is defending his Westside District 12 City Council seat he won uncontested in a special election last summer against David Taylor, an attorney who is making his third straight bid for a spot on the council.

At first glance, the two Republicans appear to be running on similar platforms. They are self-described conservatives who say the local government's most important job is to keep people safe. Each man said they'd like to see more investment in the Westside, where they were both born and raised.

However, the two men are entirely different candidates. White is a longtime political insider running with the backing of the city's powerful Republican establishment. Taylor has embraced his outsider status, running a self-financed campaign that isn't afraid to go negative.

White spent 32 years in the city's fire department, becoming the union's president in 2001 before taking a leadership position in the department under former Mayor John Peyton. He now works for a fire restoration company. He is married and has two daughters and five grandchildren.

"I'm in a position in my life where I can spend my full time on the council. I don't have this job because I need it. I have this job because I want it," he said. "I spent 32 years in the public safety sector. I think I understand it as well as anyone on council."

Taylor is a criminal defense attorney and also helps run his family's air conditioning business. He was defeated for an at-large City Council seat in 2011 and lost again in 2015 for the same seat. He is married and has one daughter.

"I think, in my humble opinion, that someone who has business savvy and understands how city government can affect small business, I think that makes for a good candidate," he said. "I sign the front of a check, not just the back."

White's political savvy earned him a nickname during his time in the fire department, "The Godfather," and it has also served him well as a politician. He filed for this year's election back in 2017, establishing himself as the early favorite by raising $50,000 in the month after he announced his candidacy. When Doyle Carter stepped down from his council seat last summer, White was well positioned to take it. He was the only candidate who qualified to run and won by default.

After White's election last summer, Taylor sued Duval County Supervisor of Elections Mike Hogan, accusing him of failing to notify potential candidates of the special election in what he portrayed as a clandestine effort to clear the field for White. A judge tossed out the lawsuit, saying the state and local laws requiring Hogan to publish public notices didn't apply to the special election.

In recent interviews, White and Taylor both said reducing violent crime would be their top priority in office, and intervention programs need to be a significant part of the solution.

White also said he wants the city to partner with Duval County Public Schools to incorporate technical job education into its curriculum. He also said he'd like the city to do whatever it can to continue growth in the Westside, particularly around Cecil Field, the former naval air station that has in recent years attracted job-creating facilities for companies like Amazon and GE Oil and Gas.

"I call it the golden nugget of Duval County. I think that's where a lot of growth is going to be," White said. "It excites me to bring additional restaurants and amenities to the Westside area."

Taylor said there are many neighborhoods in the district that rely on septic tanks and drainage ditches, and that he'd like the city to invest money to install sewer lines and modern stormwater drainage.

"That would be my agenda, to fight for a fair shake," Taylor said. "The Westside is the stepchild of the city of Jacksonville."

Both candidates have six-figure war chests, although White has outraised Taylor $146,000 to $109,000. With less than a month before early voting, Taylor has outspent White $19,000 to $8,900.

A political brawl could unfold in the Westside as the March 19 election approaches: Taylor essentially launched his campaign with his unsuccessful lawsuit and has continued to criticize his opponent's record.

After Peyton was elected, White joined the administration as an assistant fire chief and held the job until he retired in 2011. He served as second-in-command of the department for roughly half his tenure, which overlapped with a tough stretch marked by tight city budgets and allegations of systematic racism.

White was one of several officials whom the city's Human Rights Commission suggested Peyton fire after two black firefighters found rope nooses around their gear and an subsequent investigation by the commission found the department was rampant with discrimination and racism.

Peyton didn't fire White or any of the other officials. White has said the recommendation to fire him was "unfair and unfortunate" and said he had nothing to do with the racist incident that sparked the investigation.

Still, Taylor has used that report as ammunition to attack White, saying that some voters may feel like they won't get a "fair shake."

In response, White said Taylor's checkered disciplinary record with the Florida Bar speaks for itself.

"I'd say you should Google both names and put Jacksonville behind it, and you will find it very interesting," he said.

In 2011, the Florida Bar found Taylor violated four of its rules, including committing a criminal act, when he improperly took money from and threatened a woman who was divorcing one of his clients. He pleaded guilty to conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation related to the case and was suspended from practicing law for 30 days. In 2016, the Florida Bar reprimanded him for improperly communicating with inmates. He is now in good standing with the bar.

Taylor said he was "humbled" by those incidents and has put them behind him.

"I learned from it, and while it was miserable to go through, especially for me and my family, I grew from it, and I think I'm a better man and better businessman."

Christopher Hong: (904) 359-4272

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