Lenny Curry storms the Beaches with new HQ and op-ed

On Saturday morning, Lenny Curry plans to open a Beaches campaign headquarters to consolidate his strength from the First Election in Jacksonville’s beach communities. It takes place at 10 a.m. at 1708 Third St N.

Ahead of that opening, Curry had an editorial in the Beaches Leader that assured Beaches voters that if he were elected mayor Jacksonville would honor its commitments to the Beaches. Curry held that “some critics are just dramatically wrong in their contention that Beaches cities get or expect more than their fair share. Second is that your cities have too often been ignored even though the history and beauty of the Beaches is a very important part of Jacksonville’s future.”

Curry upheld the importance of the “interlocal agreements” that govern Jacksonville’s relationship with the beach communities.

“l have seen firsthand that Council Member Bill Gulliford, someone l am proud to say has endorsed my campaign for mayor, and others advocate in good faith for the Beaches. Through interlocal agreements, there is a clear framework for the relationship between Jacksonville and the Beaches cities, and I will ensure Jacksonville is honoring those commitments.”

Curry, without mentioning her by name, took Councilmember Kim Daniels to task for recent personal criticisms of Gulliford’s advocacy for the Beaches.

Also in the article, Neptune Beach Mayor Harriet Pruette rightfully criticized one official for a woefully uninformed view of the Beaches and the expectations you have. I commend Mayor Pruette for standing up for her neighbors and her constituents. She cited a serious lack of communication that has been in place for too long. As mayor, I will have an open and consistent line of communication with the Beaches. This will include a dedicated staff workday each week and regularly scheduled town hall meetings that occur across Jacksonville, including the Beaches cities. As Mayor Pruette was quoted, “The Beaches deserve much better!” I agree.

Curry’s play for the Beaches coincides with Alvin Brown‘s play for Riverside/Avondale, in the wake of the Bishop team defecting to his campaign staff with many of them on the payroll of the Florida Democratic Party. Curry will receive endorsements from prominent Beaches leaders on Saturday morning and Florida Politics will be on hand to document the event.