JAX Chamber: Time to 'look ahead' after removal of Confederate statues

JAX Chamber weighed in on the removal of statutes from a Confederate monument in Springfield Park by saying it's time to "look ahead" and tackle other issues facing the city.

Mayor Donna Deegan ordered the removal of the statues last week and has faced criticism from City Council members about the process she used. But no council members have sought to move the statues back to the Springfield Park.

"The statues have been removed and it's time to look ahead," the chamber said in a statement released Thursday. "Our community has major issues in front of us this year and we are proudly partnering with Mayor Deegan and the City Council to move our city forward."

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"As a business community, we're focused on continuing to attract investment and jobs to Jacksonville and ensuring everyone in our city has the opportunity to succeed," the chamber said in a statement released on X.

JAX Chamber is the largest business group in the city. The Jacksonville Civic Council, a smaller organization comprised of business and civic leaders, issued a statement a week ago supporting Deegan's action.

"Great progress can occur when we all unite around a common vision and move our city forward," Civic Council Board Chairman Eric Mann and CEO Dennis Whittle said in their statement. "To move forward, it is time we put the issue of Confederate monuments behind us."

The state Legislature will consider bills in its upcoming session that would force cities that moved historic monuments in recent years to move them back to their original condition.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce address Confederate monument