On Monday, Action News Jax reported that Duval County, Florida Sheriff Mike Williams has no plans to resign — despite a damning new report that he has not lived in the county he's in charge of for a long time, in potential violation of the local charter.
This follows a report last week by The Tributary that reveals Williams, a Republican, sold his home in Jacksonville a year ago and now lists a residence in Fernandina Beach in Nassau County.
"According to Jacksonville’s city charter, if an acting sheriff moves out of the county while still in office, they’re to be removed. The charter, reads, 'If the sheriff should die, resign, or remove his residence from Duval County during his term of office, or be removed from office, the office of sheriff shall become vacant,'" reported Samantha Mathers. "But Williams claims a state law removed the residency requirement back in 2010 and says legal experts have advised that state law supersedes the city charter."
"On Monday, we spoke with Williams about the controversial move at the city’s Memorial Day ceremony downtown. He said he did not consult with Mayor Lenny Curry or any other city officials before his move, just his own legal advisors," said the report. "When asked what he would say to those who are critical of his decision to move to Nassau County while still holding such a high-ranking public office in Jacksonville, Williams said, 'I reject the idea. I’ve been working for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for 30 years. I spent the majority of that time working with the community. I’m going to continue to do that.' Williams also said he does not see any scenario where he would resign."
Curry has voiced his continuing support for Williams, saying in a tweet that he "is always engaged, present and cares deeply about this community." However former top City of Jacksonville lawyer Jason Gabriel believes Williams' residency change is a violation of the law and that the requirement for him to be removed still applies.
Florida sheriffs are frequent subjects of controversy; earlier this year, Sheriff Bob Johnson of Santa Rosa County urged homeowners to shoot intruders to "save taxpayers money."
