FALLCOLORS
City Councilman Jerry Holland joins his personal rainmaker in opposing tree protection
By Anne Schindler
Folio Weekly
October 24, 2000
J.D. Collins is more than just another powerful developer to Jacksonville City
Councilman Jerry Holland. He’s an underwriter.
Not only does Collins help pay Holland’s mortgage (his wife, Beverly Holland, is an
executive officer in more than 12 Collins corporations, and Holland himself used to work
for Collins), but the powerful builder also subsidized a fair chunk of Holland’s council
bid in 1998. Collins, through his numerous businesses, gave 18 donations of $500
each - $9,000 - to Holland’s campaign coffers.
Whether this financial influence has any bearing on Holland’s political priorities is
a matter of some debate. Holland recently began a campaign to defeat the Tree
Preservation Amendment, a citizens initiative that will come before Jacksonville voters
on Nov. 7. The charter amendment, which would establish minimum tree-protection
standards throughout the county, is being fiercely opposed by area builders and developers
- particularly J.D. Collins. Collins is one of four parties that recently sued to
have the amendment taken off the November ballot.
Holland’s current effort coincides nicely with the lawsuit. In recent weeks, the
legislator has begun strenuously fighting the measure, lobbying Mayor John Delaney and
other elected officials; he plans to introduce a resolution to the City Council on Tuesday,
Oct. 24 to formally oppose the amendment.
Holland has also urged the three independent municipalities in his district - Atlantic,
Jacksonville and Neptune beaches - to oppose the amendment, suggesting it would trample
Beaches’ autonomy. Earlier this month, Holland sent letters to every mayor, city
manager and city commissioner at the Beaches. In the letter, Holland announced his
opposition to "any legislation that would affect the beaches’ [sic] communities without
your input" and suggested that "this referendum ... may supersede or conflict with your
current ordinances."
In fact, the tree amendment was crafted specifically to avoid conflict with exiting
law, and clearly states that it "shall not be deemed or construed to repeal, modify or
otherwise affect any existing ordinance."
Holland is unconvinced. While he has "no problem with citizen-organized referendum
votes," he says the Beaches communities should have been consulted. It’s not clear
who ought to have played consultant, however. Citizens for Tree Preservation, Inc.,
the group that gathered petitions for the ballot initiative, points out that "this is not
a referendum placed on the ballot ... by any particular body of government. This is
a referendum placed on the ballot by the people of Duval County."
Holland’s legwork has produced results. Two weeks ago, all three Beaches’ mayors
issued statements of qualified opposition to the amendment. Shortly thereafter,
Holland asked Delaney to "join me in sponsoring a resolution opposing" the amendment.
John Crescimbeni, co-chair of Citizens for Tree Preservation, Inc. calls Holland’s
effort "off base" and accuses him of "stirring the pot." He points out that similar
countywide votes - including the Better Jacksonville Plan’s half-cent sales tax - sparked
no concerns about Beaches’ autonomy, and says Holland’s argument is a poorly concealed
effort "to protect his interests."
"I think he’s strictly operating as a friend and financially connected builder ... It
may be painted in the disguise of a Beaches’ sovereignty issue but ... it’s a scare
tactic."
Holland is unfazed by observations that his effort seems driven by financial
interests. He calls any congruence between his campaign and the home builders’ agenda
"a coincidence ... Obviously I’ll be criticized for it, but I can honestly say I stand
alone on the issue."
