Jake Godbold served on the Jacksonville City Council for 13 years, including two as Council president, before being elected as mayor for eight years. During his terms as mayor, the Riverwalk, The Jacksonville Landing, and Metropolitan Park were built. Mayor Godbold helped bring 80,000 new jobs and 165 new companies to Jacksonville and was the overseer of $1 billion worth of construction in Jacksonville and Duval County. The Jacksonville Jazz Festival and Spring Music Festival, now a Memorial Day concert tradition in Jacksonville, began during his administration. In 1999, Mayor Godbold was inducted into the Jacksonville Jazz Festival Hall of Fame for his countless contributions to the development of Downtown Jacksonville, the arts, and the Jacksonville Jazz Festival.
