Jax

A.G. GancarskiApril 6, 2017

After weeks of speculation as to hard costs and real benefits of the Lenny Curry approach to Jacksonville’s pension reform, the first-term Republican Mayor talked it out with the Jacksonville City Council Wednesday afternoon. The Curry administration feels the fierce urgency of now. With pension costs, already $290M in the current fiscal year, slated to be […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 6, 2017

The city of Jacksonville is girding up for a looming late-April audit of post-Hurricane Matthew spending, much of which could be reimbursed by FEMA. Reimbursement is contingent on a number of factors, according to a letter from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to Jacksonville CAO Sam Mousa. FEMA requires a lot of detail. Among the asks: […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 6, 2017

The next time I will see Corrine Brown — whom I still call “Congresswoman” — will either be inside a federal courtroom or walking to a federal courtroom. I won’t speak to her. She won’t speak to me. For days, for weeks of trials. That’s one of the rules of her trial regarding One Door for Education, her […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 5, 2017

Prologue: Nine months ago, a 24 count federal indictment dropped. It changed Jacksonville politics — forever. Former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown and her chief of staff, Ronnie Simmons, were named as co-defendants in a federal suit about One Door for Education. One Door was a charity, marketed with Brown’s name and likeness, that did a great job bringing money […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 5, 2017

A Wednesday meeting of the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee moved the council one step closer to a resolution of support for the beleaguered state incentive program Enterprise Florida. Meanwhile, Jacksonville’s Office of Economic Development offered its own take on Enterprise Florida, and incentive programs in general. _____ The pro-Enterprise Florida resolution cleared the Rules […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 5, 2017

Controversial Jacksonville commission nominee Mike Anania had his day in the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee Wednesday. And that, it turns out, is the end of the road for his nomination. Anania, originally nominated for the city’s TRUE Commission in January, saw his nomination stalled out in recent months, with the Rules Committee having voted to approve […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 5, 2017

Consider the source? A poll from the American Gaming Association says Jacksonville Jaguars fans want to lift the federal ban on sports betting, relegating authority to the state. From the release: “Morning Consult, on behalf of the American Gaming Association, conducted an online survey of 779 Jacksonville Jaguars fans from December 19, 2016 to January […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 5, 2017

The city of Jacksonville filed a motion Monday for the disqualification of trial judge Adrian Soud in a court case challenging the city’s Human Rights Ordinance. A day later, the Liberty Counsel retorted, filing its own motion impeaching the credibility of the city’s arguments. The HRO was expanded to include the LGBT community on Feb. 14. […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 5, 2017

The Duval County Clerk of Courts is allowed to use the Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles database known as DAVID. And a report from the Jacksonville City Council Auditor delineates that one of 15 employees with such access abused it. The DAVID system houses confidential information of drivers and is supposed to be used […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 4, 2017

The normally sedate Jacksonville City Council Rules committee was popping on Tuesday afternoon, with a controversial board appointment highlighting the agenda — with resistance from Democrats and party-line adherence from Republicans. While it looked like the vote was going to go in favor of that nominee … a “hard stop” of the meeting at 3:15 […]

Jax

Lenny Curry frames pension-reform push as ‘new beginning for Jacksonville’

FEMA audit of Jacksonville’s post-Matthew spending looms

The unparalleled performance art of Corrine Brown

No plea deal: Corrine Brown gears up for epic late-April fraud trial

Drumbeat for Enterprise Florida thumps in Jacksonville’s City Hall

Citing controversy, Mike Anania withdraws from consideration for Jacksonville board

Poll: Jacksonville Jaguars fans back sports betting

Liberty Counsel, Jacksonville tangle over HRO judge

‘Unauthorized’ DMV database deep dives by Duval Clerk of Courts’ employee

Controversial board pick roils Jax City Council panel