Jax

A.G. GancarskiDecember 4, 2018

On Tuesday, the Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee downed a bill that would have returned a $2.775 million grant from the United Arab Emirates. Ordinance 2018-813 would have given back that $2.775 million grant. Back in October, the United Arab Emirates gave Jacksonville that money toward post-Hurricane Irma reconstruction. City Council voted the appropriation through without a hitch in the summer, but […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 4, 2018

A bill approved Tuesday in the Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee would tighten ethics provisions for employees, officials, and board members. Ordinance 2018-822, filed by Council President Aaron Bowman at the request of the Jacksonville Ethics Commission, would mandate that officials and employees avoid leveraging their positions or resources for personal gain. The ordinance also sets up limits […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 4, 2018

Jacksonville City Council committees on Monday and Tuesday approved changes in collective bargaining for fire and police employees that could change health plans. Ordinances 2018-756 and 2018-757 would allow the unions to separate from the city health care plan in 2020. They were passed without opposition in both committees of reference (“Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 3, 2018

Duval’s December begins as most months have begun the last four years: Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and his ever-expanding political machine standing strong, even as political enemies recover from their latest rout. Last Tuesday saw a doubleheader: back-to-back events illustrating the futility of, as the phrase once went, raging against the machine. An older phrase […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 29, 2018

In an effort to comply with SB 7026, the school safety bill passed after the Parkland massacre, Duval County decided to use “school safety assistants.” A group of plaintiffs including the League of Women Voters filed a legal challenge Thursday, arguing the plan is illegal and discriminatory. The LWV suit says the plan puts “thousands of […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 29, 2018

On Thursday, a Jacksonville City Council subcommittee continued what is billed as a “comprehensive crime reduction inventory.” However, crime reduction may not be the only law enforcement concern for the legislative panel: A Florida Department of Law Enforcement report this week revealed that Duval County ranks 66th in terms of crimes solved. Its clearance rate hovers […]

Staff ReportsNovember 29, 2018

Baseball terminology may be out of season, but no matter: this week’s developments show that all the work Northeast Florida lawmakers have done in recent months has paid off. For the second straight year, Fleming Island Republican Rob Bradley will helm Senate Appropriations. This year, a close ally is also handling the House budget. Gov. […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 29, 2018

One of the knocks against Jacksonville’s government is a lack of long-range planning. Jacksonville City Council members are working to change that, via the institutionalization of plans extending out as far as five years. These plans have been pushed before in the early 2000s, and are up again. A bill under consideration in the Jacksonville […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 28, 2018

Earlier this year, a suspect shot and killed Fang, a 3-year-old Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office K-9. The German Shepherd chased the suspect into the woods, and that was his last chase. A 9 mm handgun saw to that. JSO and the larger community grieved. And now, via area state Sen. Aaron Bean, a legislative remedy: A bill […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 28, 2018

On Tuesday, the board of Jacksonville public utility JEA voted to make interim CEO Aaron Zahn permanent. Mystery shrouded the process for some observers, leading JEA board chair Alan Howard to decry notions that the board was not independent of the Mayor’s Office. A review of the seven-person board’s scoring matrixes backs up at least part of that […]

Jax
Milton damage. Image via City of Tampa.

Jacksonville City Council panel: We’ll keep the UAE money, thanks

Jacksonville City Council panel moves to tighten ethics rules

Health care plan changes loom for Jacksonville fire, police

2019 elections a referendum on Jacksonville’s strong mayor government

Safety first: Lawsuit challenges Duval County school guard plan

Jacksonville Council members won’t blame Sheriff for low crime clearance rates

Jacksonville Bold for 11.29.18 — Payoff pitch

Long-range plan: Jacksonville City Council members delve into budget priorities

Fang death inspires Aaron Bean to protect police K-9s, horses

Gravitas, financial acumen, and stakeholder management sealed the JEA CEO vote