Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiAugust 24, 2017

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry unveiled ambitious reforms to Jacksonville children’s programs earlier this summer. And when he launched the bill at a press conference, 14 Jacksonville City Council members raised their hands in support of the bill he sold to them, one by one, in the days before that high-profile presser. The Jacksonville Children’s Commission and […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 24, 2017

Thursday morning’s Jacksonville City Council budget review included a deep dive into improving workforce diversity in city employment. Council members discussed ways to fulfill the letter of the equal opportunity/equal access law, relative to ensuring that Jacksonville’s labor force reflects the city’s demographics. “It’s about priorities. Whatever the Mayor wants to do in that fashion, […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 23, 2017

This summer, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry proposed a $131M capital improvement budget — a cornucopia of one-time spending designed to take advantage of budget relief created by pension reform, fueled by the confidence created by Jacksonville’s strong position with bond ratings agencies. And on Wednesday, the Jacksonville City Council’s Finance Committee — along with visiting Council […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 18, 2017

Friday morning saw the Jacksonville City Council’s Finance Committee review the Mayor’s proposed capital budgets for JEA. The discussion sprawled close to 90 minutes — double the allotted time — and was one in which budget line items were often directly related to equity in services throughout the city. ____ JEA was up first. The […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 17, 2017

Beginning Thursday, the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee will review Mayor Lenny Curry‘s proposed budget. Discussions last week showed an independent streak among the committee’s members, chaired by Curry’s leading City Hall antagonist of the moment, Garrett Dennis. FP talked to Dennis Wednesday evening, after he gave a well-received speech to the Jacksonville Young Democrats Though Dennis’ […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 16, 2017

Jacksonville City Councilman Garrett Dennis, just a week after his floor amendments to add more after-school funding to a bill from Mayor Lenny Curry failed, has filed standalone legislation to the same effect. Dennis, via Ordinance 2017-605, seeks to move $1,92M from Council’s contingency account for pension liability to fund these programs. The new money would serve […]

Peter SchorschAugust 11, 2017

Those who work at Jacksonville City Hall have received a political education of late, demonstrated by a recent City Council bill on funding after-school programs. With apologies to Ric Flair, but his famous catchphrase “now we go to school” applies here … and not just because this bill was education-related. Finance Chair Garrett Dennis wanted […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 10, 2017

The first day of Jacksonville City Council review of Mayor Lenny Curry‘s proposed budget was highlighted by a deep dive into the Sheriff’s budget: 35 percent of the general fund. Among the highlights of the proposed budget: 100 more cops, which would bring force levels within a few dozen of the peak of 1,800 officers years back. […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 10, 2017

The August ritual began anew Thursday morning in Jacksonville’s City Hall, with the City Council Finance Committee beginning its review of the Mayor’s proposed budget. The day began with a romp through a presentation from the Curry administration, followed by the Council Auditor’s review of the budget. The proposed $1.27B budget is up from the […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 8, 2017

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and City Councilman Garrett Dennis agree that more money is needed for Duval County’s after-school programs. However, they are on what Dennis called “different pages” regarding how much is needed. A need for resolution looms and will be provided at Council Tuesday night. And that resolution looks likely to come out of one-time, […]

Tag: Garrett Dennis

Jax Councilors won’t ‘rubberstamp’ Mayor’s children’s program reforms

Jax commitment to workforce diversity: just ‘words on paper’?

$8.4M for Edward Waters College? Controversy on Jax City Council

Jax City Councilors mull JEA budget, ‘broken promises’ of Consolidation

Jacksonville Council Finance Chair: ‘I didn’t plan on being opposition to the Mayor’

Garrett Dennis pushes for more Jax after-school money; Lenny Curry questions funding mechanism

Jacksonville Bold for 8.11.17 — Now we go to school

Jax Councilors hammer Sheriff Mike Williams on policy, procedure

Jax City Council begins mulling Lenny Curry’s budget

After-school funding showdown looms in Jax City Council