A.G. Gancarski, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiAugust 11, 2017

The Cowford Chophouse has been described as downtown Jacksonville’s “most anticipated restaurant.” Its developer Jacques Klempf, however, has some sharp words for the JEA … whose board was radically reconfigured by Mayor Lenny Curry recently. Klempf’s beef? “The vault that JEA owns on Ocean Street is in need of a repair and has needed this repair […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 11, 2017

Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officers have been under a media microscope of late, with a number of adverse stories about them in the local press. From DUI arrests to groping incidents in local bars and civil suits for shots in the line of duty, the news cycles have been brutal of late. And even in the JSO […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 10, 2017

What a difference five years makes. In 2012, Jacksonville contracted with Redflex, a global company that specializes in red light cameras and successfully lobbying governments from here to China to adopt them. In 2017, the experiment is set to end. On Thursday, Sheriff Mike Williams announced that in December, the cameras would be removed from Jacksonville streets. […]

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 9, 2017

Three months ago, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry bid farewell to Chief of Staff Kerri Stewart. Stewart resigned to take a position at JEA, and what’s been clear this summer is that there’s been no rush to fill the role. On Wednesday, Mayor Curry addressed the situation; in short, no one should expect a new chief of staff […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 9, 2017

Jacksonville City Councilors made the long walk from the Council suite to the Mayor’s Office Wednesday afternoon, for promised “refreshments” with Lenny Curry. In a period of transition for the Council, the public notice meeting was worthy of notice; it was a conscious forging of camaraderie and unity, and one well-timed, with the Finance Committee taking […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 9, 2017

Wednesday saw 4th Circuit State Attorney Melissa Nelson address the Southside Business Men’s Club. Nelson, who assumed office at the start of the year, is in the tail end of her honeymoon period. She’s been given a wide berth by many locals — media and otherwise — who remember the excesses of the Angela Corey era and […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 9, 2017

The scene at the end of Tuesday night’s Jacksonville City Council meeting was interesting. John Crescimbeni, who came within a few votes of being Jacksonville City Council President, was imploring the candidate who won — Anna Brosche — to hold public hearings on dredging the St. Johns River as JAXPORT wants. Though no money has been […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 8, 2017

Even ahead of Tuesday’s Jacksonville City Council meeting, there was a hint that a taffy pull of a bill regarding additional afterschool program funding would go ugly. Council members had questions, qualms, and quibbles that dominated the agenda meeting, setting up a querulous marathon discussion session of the bill that sprawled to the length of […]

A.G. Gancarski

Developer: JEA a ‘total detriment’ to downtown Jax development

Jax Sheriff discusses stressed officers making bad decisions

Jacksonville to junk red light cameras in December

Jax Councilors hammer Sheriff Mike Williams on policy, procedure

Jax City Council begins mulling Lenny Curry’s budget

Lenny Curry has no plans to hire new chief of staff

Lenny Curry, Jax City Council have ‘feelgood discussion’ ahead of budget review

Melissa Nelson outlines reform path, accomplishments of State Attorney’s office

Public hearing on Jax dredge? Opinions vary in City Hall

Lenny Curry defeats Garrett Dennis in Jax after-school funding turf war