City Council Members Nick Howland and Joe Carlucci have been elected the 2026-27 Jacksonville City Council president and vice president, respectively.
Howland, the At-Large Group 3 council member, was the sole candidate for council president and was elected unanimously. District 7 City Council Member Jimmy Peluso initially abstained from voting for president but later voted for Howland after being informed that council rules require all council members to cast a vote.
Addressing the council as president-designate, Howland emphasized his desire for the council to work together as a team.
“I truly believe a 17-2 vote is better than a 10-9 vote because it means we’ve worked together,” Howland said. “I don’t want to force outcomes, I want to build them through discussion and through consensus, even in an election year. That will be a clear objective of mine over the next year, and that’s what this city deserves.”
A runoff election was held for vice president between District 5 City Council Member Joe Carlucci and At-Large Group 5 Council Member Chris Miller, when none of the four vice president candidates – Carlucci, Miller and Council Members Rahman Johnson and Ken Amaro – obtained the required 10 votes in the first round of voting.
In the run-off, Carlucci was elected 10-9.
“Now it’s time to build consensus,” Carlucci said, addressing the council. “It’s time to get back to work, and it’s time, like Vice President Howland said, we’ve got to bring this team back together [and] go forward in 2027.”
The 2026-27 leadership installation ceremony will take place in the council chambers on June 25 at 5 p.m.
