Jax

A.G. GancarskiApril 5, 2017

The city of Jacksonville filed a motion Monday for the disqualification of trial judge Adrian Soud in a court case challenging the city’s Human Rights Ordinance. A day later, the Liberty Counsel retorted, filing its own motion impeaching the credibility of the city’s arguments. The HRO was expanded to include the LGBT community on Feb. 14. […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 5, 2017

The Duval County Clerk of Courts is allowed to use the Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles database known as DAVID. And a report from the Jacksonville City Council Auditor delineates that one of 15 employees with such access abused it. The DAVID system houses confidential information of drivers and is supposed to be used […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 4, 2017

The normally sedate Jacksonville City Council Rules committee was popping on Tuesday afternoon, with a controversial board appointment highlighting the agenda — with resistance from Democrats and party-line adherence from Republicans. While it looked like the vote was going to go in favor of that nominee … a “hard stop” of the meeting at 3:15 […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 4, 2017

A case could be made that Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry has lost control of the pension reform narrative at the worst possible time. In recent days, both the Florida Times-Union and FloridaPolitics.com have run stories questioning the lack of substantive detail provided by the mayor’s office regarding the pension reform package introduced last week to the Jacksonville City […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 4, 2017

When it comes to Gov. Rick Scott and Northeast Florida, is there such a thing as too much of a good thing? For the fourth time since the beginning of March, Gov. Scott was in Jacksonville Tuesday, as Scott held another “business roundtable” with Mayor Lenny Curry and other Jacksonville notables, including former mayor and UNF President […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 3, 2017

Jacksonville City Councilman Bill Gulliford has turned considerable attention in recent months to combating the city’s opioid overdose crisis. Fatal overdoses in 2016: four times as these as homicides. After a successful meeting with councilors, the mayor, and other stakeholders in March, Gulliford convened the second public meeting on the topic on Monday. However, the precise […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 3, 2017

Whatever Tom Petway wants, Tom Petway gets. On Monday, the Jacksonville City Council Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee approved an ordinance (2016-764) allowing JEA to meet at least every other month. This idea was hatched some weeks back in the catacombs of council committees. “At a Rules Special Meeting, JEA’s Chairman of the Board, Tom Petway, requested that […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 3, 2017

Those in Florida’s Congressional District 5 who seek face time with Rep. Al Lawson will be in luck this month, should they be in Jacksonville, Tallahassee, or Quincy. Rep. Lawson, a first-term Democrat, has three town halls slated for April. Jacksonville Wednesday, April 12, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Florida State College at Jacksonville Downtown […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 3, 2017

Jacksonville prepares for its yearly Funk Fest this May, with headliners including Too $hort, Bell Biv Devoe, En Vogue, and SWV. But before those artists emerge from the catacombs of history to reprise their hits of yesteryear, questions remain about itemized labor costs. Councilman Reggie Gaffney, in whose district the May festival will happen, noted concerns about expenses from organizers […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 3, 2017

12419170_530911230421286_7375527292676355205_o-1024x1024.jpg

The rappers Whodini posed the question way back: “Friends … how many of us have them?” When it comes to a downtown Jacksonville plaza, the once-controversial Friends of Hemming Park look poised to get a six-month extension to its contract — and some money for material improvements to the “front door to city hall” — […]

Jax

Liberty Counsel, Jacksonville tangle over HRO judge

‘Unauthorized’ DMV database deep dives by Duval Clerk of Courts’ employee

Controversial board pick roils Jax City Council panel

Lenny Curry to pension plan critics: ‘Let them chirp’

Encore performance: Rick Scott messages economic incentives in Jacksonville

Jacksonville mulls pilot response to opioid crisis

Jacksonville City Council panel OKs JEA Board plan for fewer meetings

Al Lawson plans Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Quincy town halls

Jax Funk Fest organizers question high local labor costs

Hemming Park money clears first Jacksonville council panel