Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 2, 2018

2018 began for the Jacksonville City Council with some holdover business from 2017: a proposed lessening of residency distance requirements for sexual predators. The bill has been around since September, and is headed toward the graveyard of dead bills. Councilors spiked it by a 2-5 margin Tuesday in the Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 14, 2017

The opioid overdose epidemic continues in Jacksonville, and a Jacksonville City Council Special Committee is still addressing the matter. Even as legislators mull a path forward on treatment, the city is also considering legal action against pharmaceutical companies — continuing a trend we are seeing nationwide. Committee Chairman Bill Gulliford told a story of a 29 […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 6, 2017

A Jacksonville City Council bill that would lower distance requirements between the residences of sexual predators and day care centers/schools was deferred Monday in its first committee. Current ordinance mandates a 2,500 feet distance; the bill would lower the distance to 1,500 feet, which is still higher than the state requirement of 1,000 feet. Councilman Bill Gulliford, the […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 17, 2017

On Monday and Tuesday, Jacksonville City Council panels OK’d a resolution (2017-674) to allow the city’s general counsel to “investigate and pursue” a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers. Full Council approval will be a formality and will almost certainly be conferred next week. The resolution calls out “pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors” as potential lawsuit targets, yet […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 9, 2017

To the surprise of no one plugged into Jacksonville politics, Neptune Beach City Councilor Rory Diamond is making a play for the Jacksonville City Council. Diamond launched his campaign this week to replace termed-out Bill Gulliford in District 13, after setting up a political committee (“For the Beaches”) that will offer help as needed. Diamond, an […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 3, 2017

Rory Diamond, a member of the Neptune Beach City Council, filed Tuesday to replace termed out Bill Gulliford on the Jacksonville City Council. Diamond, a former federal prosecutor and current CEO of “K9s for Warriors“, currently has no opposition on the 2019 ballot. Diamond was first elected in 2016; the Island Times reports that in 2014, a […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 26, 2017

Jacksonville television viewers spent Friday evening watching footage of Jacksonville City Councilmenbers accusing local cops of racial profiling. On Tuesday evening, those Councilors — Reggie Gaffney, who was pulled over for driving with a tag he’d reported stolen; and Katrina Brown, driving behind Gaffney, who accused the officers of racially-profiling her Council colleague — will be two of 19 […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 15, 2017

Sewage spills. Flawed communication with customers. Dead stoplights and live wires in the street. A board not accountable to City Hall. These are just a few of the issues vexing local policy makers as the week ends. A story percolating just beneath the surface of Jacksonville coverage of Irma: disquiet of local officials with the […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 31, 2017

Jacksonville City Council President Anna Brosche requested an inventory of the city’s Confederate monuments from the Parks Department, and it was provided this week. What it reveals: three monuments, put in place between 1898 and 1926; and eight historic markers. The monuments include the Confederate Monument in Hemming Park, the ‘Monument to the Women of the […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 23, 2017

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry prioritized improving the city’s financial picture as a candidate in 2015, and in 2017 there was strong evidence that happened. The city has strong bond ratings — AA- — and the market’s confidence was reflected in $388 million of offers on $145M worth of bonds this week. Curry noted Wednesday that “demand […]

Tag: Bill Gulliford

Jacksonville Council panel rejects change to sexual predator distance requirements

Jax moves closer to opioid lawsuit; lawyers to be chosen in December

Jax Council panel defers bill changing sexual predator distance requirements

Jacksonville City Council to sue Big Pharma over opioid distribution

Rory Diamond puts Beaches first in 2019 Jax City Council bid

Rory Diamond launches run for Jacksonville City Council

Cops vs. Councilors: Will Jacksonville budget night vote get wild?

Bill Gulliford vexed by JEA communications, performance flaws

Jax Confederate controversy simmers, City Council President dithers

Lenny Curry: Jacksonville is ‘on good financial ground right now’