Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 26, 2016

On Friday, President Barack Obama visited the Jacksonville Saft America Batteries facility, a success story from his first-term Recovery Act, and the stimulus dollars allocated to this facility and others like it. In what could be President Obama’s last visit to Jacksonville as President, he looked back at the challenges of the early months of […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 26, 2016

On a crisp Friday morning, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry thrilled some onlookers and alarmed others when he took command of a excavator to begin the deconstruction of a blighted, 12-unit apartment complex on Payne Street. This creative destruction was for a good cause: a prelude to the development of Payne Avenue Walk, a 12-unit affordable single family home […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 25, 2016

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry hasn’t endorsed in any State House race yet in this cycle, but a scheduled meeting with HD 12 candidate Clay Yarborough on Thursday raised endorsement questions. However, the meeting ended up not happening. Marsha Oliver, Curry’s spokesperson, noted that Yarborough’s meeting was “rescheduled” and that Yarborough had “requested the meeting so we are unsure […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 25, 2016

On Friday, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry will lead a crew in a building demolition effort. But it’s for a good reason: the eradication of blight, and renewal. A release from the mayor’s office asserts that “a Jacksonville neighborhood, once ridden with crime, will soon experience a “groundbreaking” effort unlike any other.” “In preparation of the development of Payne […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 24, 2016

[Update: It appears that the aforementioned Scott O’Connor and Mayor Curry’s Chief of Staff, Kerri Stewart, had a meeting: “We certainly appreciate the gracious amount of time you allowed to discuss the CPAC matter. Your candor and information about CPAC and Neighborhood Services gives us some vision going forward. We are grateful that the Mayor’s office felt […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 24, 2016

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Just hours after the final Senate committee OK’d the bill Wednesday, the Florida House overwhelmingly approved the (HB 1297) Discretionary Sales Surtax bill, the key to Jacksonville defraying its unfunded pension liability. The surprising thing about the process: how smoothly the proverbial “heavy lift” went. Senior staff in the mayor’s office expected resistance from the House […]

Melissa RossFebruary 24, 2016

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Vowing to reintroduce it “in two months,” Jacksonville City Councilman Tommy Hazouri says he’ll keep bringing back HRO legislation because it’s “simple and to the point.” “We have a human rights ordinance that covers everybody but the LGBT community, and all we’re wanting to do is include them,” he told WJCT’s First Coast Connect. “It’s […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 24, 2016

Wednesday saw the Jacksonville-centric Discretionary Sales Surtax bill clear the Senate Rules Committee (SB 1652), scheduled at the same time as the third reading in the House (HB 1297). Central to the pitch: bill sponsor Rob Bradley and Mayor Lenny Curry, whose sales job gets better with every committee stop… especially important because Curry will have to sell […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 23, 2016

On Tuesday, the Jacksonville City Council’s big bill involved attempting to finalize its ongoing conflict with former Police and Fire Pension Fund head John Keane with a settlement agreement. Instead, they “postponed indefinitely,” after a long and tortuous process of discussion and amendments. The goal is to get answers to questions and, seemingly, to show Keane […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 23, 2016

At an event celebrating the Jacksonville office of MacQuarie, which will create 125 jobs by the end of next year, Gov. Rick Scott and Mayor Lenny Curry took questions on subjects that were just a bit more contentious than job creation, including the Discretionary Sales Surtax bill making its way through Tallahassee, and the stalled […]

Tag: Lenny Curry

Barack Obama visits Jacksonville, talks about progress made via 2009 Recovery Act

Lenny Curry, demolition man

Clay Yarborough meeting with Lenny Curry “rescheduled”

Lenny Curry to lead demolition exercise Friday

More fallout settles on Lenny Curry from latest Lisa King snub

Florida House OKs Jax Pension Tax bill 86-23

Tommy Hazouri: will reintroduce HRO “in two months,” challenges Bill Gulliford to on-air debate

Jax Pension Tax bill clears final Senate committee

Jax Council “postpones indefinitely” John Keane settlement

Lenny Curry, Rick Scott talk pension tax, HRO, 2016 election