Tommy Hazouri

Thomas Lester Hazouri Sr. (October 11, 1944 – September 11, 2021) was an American politician of the Democratic Party. He served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1974 to 1986, as Mayor of Jacksonville from 1987 to 1991, and represented School District 7 in the Duval County School Board from 2004 to 2012. He was later an At-Large member of the Jacksonville City Council. Early life and education Hazouri was born and raised in Jacksonville. He was of Lebanese descent. He attended Andrew Jackson High School and graduated from Jacksonville University in 1966. Career Hazouri was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1974, representing the 21st district. He succeeded Bill Birchfield. While in the Florida legislature, Hazouri chaired the House Committee on Education, K-12. He also was a member of the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Education Funding. He was appointed by Governor Lawton Chiles to the Florida Ethics Commission and led the Sheriff's Task Force on Mental Health. In the 1981 reapportionment process, his district was renumbered the 20th. He served until 1986. He was succeeded by David W. Troxler. Hazouri ran for Mayor of Jacksonville in 1987. He defeated fellow former State Representative John Lewis in a bitter Democratic primary election, and then easily beat Republican Henry Cook to win the general election and become Jacksonville's 3rd mayor after consolidation. During his term as mayor of Jacksonville he spearheaded a campaign to rid Jacksonville's roads and bridges of toll booths and implemented various environmental regulations aimed at getting rid of the city's odor problem. During his tenure as Mayor of Jacksonville, Hazouri welcomed the city's first contingent of visiting Canadian media personalities in September 1987, including Vic Phillips of Global Television Network and Chantale Roy of the French language TVA Network, both of whom broadcast live from Jacksonville. Hazouri was defeated for reelection in 1991 by Ed Austin.