Jax

A.G. GancarskiDecember 5, 2016

The Republican Party of Duval County elected Karyn Morton as its party chair on Monday, by an 82 to 52 margin over Cindy Graves. Graves, who replaced Lake Ray when he declared for Congress in the spring of 2016, led the local party through a triumphant march to the election of Donald Trump. For her efforts, though, she was […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 5, 2016

A new era began for the Duval Democrats Monday night. As expected, the Duval Democrats elected Sen. Audrey Gibson to be the new party chair. The Democratic conclave saw a majority of Democratic city council members on hand: John Crescimbeni, Joyce Morgan, Reggie Brown, Garrett Dennis and Reggie Gaffney. School Board Chair Paula Wright was also on hand. (Notable: Councilwoman Morgan’s council […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 5, 2016

In Jacksonville, the name Carla Miller is synonymous with ethics. Miller, the city’s ethics director, wrote the city’s first ethics code and first started serving as an ethics officer in Duval in 1997. As the city has grown, Miller has been a constant. And in her role, she has come to understand the incremental nature […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 5, 2016

On Friday, Rep. Corrine Brown‘s chief of staff, Ronnie Simmons, filed for a separate trial from Brown in the One Door for Education case. On Monday, Simmons’ lawyer — Anthony Suarez — withdrew the motion. As Lynnsey Gardner of WJXT reported Monday afternoon, Suarez filed a motion to withdraw the previous motion, offering no explanation why. The motion filed Friday was flush with verbiage […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 5, 2016

Sports and entertainment legislation took center stage Monday morning in a Jacksonville City Council committee, with three significant bills considered. The first was the biggest talker. A bill increasing city-imposed ticket surcharges for the Veterans Memorial Arena, the Baseball Grounds of Jax, and the Times Union Center for the Performing Arts, while adding surcharges for events […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 5, 2016

Jacksonville City Councilman Reggie Brown encountered some resistance the first time his bill to allocate $5,000 to each district council member for community events was in committee. On Monday in Neighborhoods, Community Investments, and Services, the bill was back, in amended form. The amendment consisted of “friendly suggestions” from the ethics office, said the general counsel […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 2, 2016

Rep. Corrine Brown and her chief of staff, Ronnie Simmons, face 24 charges between them related to the One Door for Education trial. Much speculation has been made as to when one would file for a separate trial. On Friday, Simmons filed for severance in a seven-page document. Simmons’ lawyer contends “the risk of prejudicial spillover is […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 2, 2016

Jacksonville City Councilwoman Katrina Brown renewed her push for citizen review boards for police shootings on Friday morning. It’s a heavy lift, as charter precludes such a board; however, a sheriff’s office reform task force last month suggested that such a mechanism may be a worthwhile reform, even as the police union opposed it. Brown has prioritized […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 2, 2016

A bill requested by the office of Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry proposes to tighten definitions for what is and isn’t an academic degree. The bill, filed in the wake of a report that found would-be Neighborhoods Department head Derek Igou had a degree from an unaccredited college (thus driving his letter of resignation), seeks to tighten up […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 2, 2016

A pastor who was vocal in his opposition to expanding LGBT rights in Jacksonville is poised to become a member of the JEA Board, via recently filed legislation at the request of the mayor’s office. And in doing so, that pastor will fill the vacancy of a councilman who introduced a bill for an expanded […]

Jax

Duval GOP elects Karyn Morton to chair

Duval Dems elect Audrey Gibson as new party chair

Transparency and trust are necessary for democracy, says Jacksonville ethics director

Corrine Brown aide reverses motion for separate trial in One Door case

Jacksonville City Council prepares to increase ticket surcharges

‘Neighborhood events’ bill gets second life in Jacksonville City Council

Ronnie Simmons files to sever from Corrine Brown in One Door trial

For citizen review board in Jacksonville, a charter change is necessary

Jacksonville to tighten controls on academic credentials for city employees

Anti-HRO pastor Fred Newbill to replace Warren Jones on JEA Board