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A.G. GancarskiJanuary 19, 2017

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A trio of politicians who suffered recent high-profile losses will be considered by the Jacksonville City Council for board appointments in the coming weeks. The Ethics Commission will potentially be the landing spot for two pols beloved by liberal Democrats. Leslie Jean-Bart, who lost a contentious Democratic primary in August to current HD 14 Rep. Kim […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 18, 2017

On Wednesday, the St. Johns County Commission presented its ambitious legislative action plan to the county’s legislative delegation in what is destined to be, in the words of Rep. Cyndi Stevenson, a “tough budget year.” The ambitious 73 page plan covers “transportation funding, water quality, beach renourishment, open space and land conservation grants, and unfunded state and […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 18, 2017

While Rep. John Rutherford, who collapsed last week in the U.S. House of Representatives, did not suffer heart issues as was feared, he nonetheless is still hospitalized recovering from a severe allergic reaction. There currently is no specific discharge date set, asserted his chief of staff Wednesday. “Congressman Rutherford is much improved and thanks everyone for […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 18, 2017

A bill strengthening requirements that companies doing business with the city of Jacksonville hire ex-offenders was filed in Jacksonville’s city council on Wednesday. Ordinance 2016-35, filed by Councilman Garrett Dennis, is the councilman’s second ambitious piece of legislation currently live. Two weeks ago, Dennis filed a bill to fund a currently unfunded position in the Equal Opportunity/Equal Access […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 17, 2017

On Tuesday, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry addressed the latest downtown shooting at the Jacksonville Landing, which has already seen one gunshot victim declared dead. Curry, who ran on a public safety platform in 2015, has seen his rhetoric undermined by not only an uptick in gunplay and homicides, but an uptick at high-profile events downtown this month, […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 17, 2017

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry called a press conference Tuesday to announce “Project Green,” the latest in a series of job creation pressers. “Project Green”: code for an agreement with Formativ Health, which offers management services for doctors’ offices. Formativ expects to bring 500 jobs to Jacksonville in 18 months. Dennis Dowling, the company’s CEO, said that […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 17, 2017

A bill authorizing the release of 101 properties from Jacksonville’s surplus properties list cleared its first Jacksonville City Council committee Tuesday. Neighborhoods, Community Investments, and Services approved the measure that would, if approved by the full council next week, release the properties housed in five different council districts for the development of affordable housing. The […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 17, 2017

The city of Jacksonville will try again to hire a new inspector general. A draft version of the job advertisement was obtained by FloridaPolitics.com, ahead of Thursday’s inspector general selection and retention committee meeting. City Hall veteran Steve Rohan has been the interim IG for several months, as the city has searched in vain for […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 17, 2017

On Tuesday, the Jacksonville Civic Council reiterated a stance made before: support of expansion of the Human Rights Ordinance to the LGBT community. The HRO is nearly a quarter-century old; activists and community stakeholders want to see sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression added as protected classes. The civic council chairman, Ed Burr, wrote the […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 17, 2017

When Jacksonville political consultant Susie Wiles signed on with the Donald Trump campaign, many locals — who thought it was the year of Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio — wondered what she was doing. Through March of 2016, Wiles was the sole high-profile Jacksonville Republican on the Trump train. Her role shifted, and she took control of the Sunshine State operation […]

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Mario Cristobal. Image via AP.

Defeated politicians poised for new life on Jacksonville boards

St. Johns Legislative Delegation hears county wish list

John Rutherford remains in the hospital

Ex-offender employment bill filed in Jacksonville City Council

Lenny Curry addresses MLK day shootings, plans to meet with Melissa Nelson

HRO expansion looms over Jacksonville job creation presser

Affordable housing inventory bill clears first Jacksonville council committee

Jacksonville will try again to find a permanent inspector general

Jacksonville Civic Council: HRO expansion is ‘essential’

Susie Wiles, architect of Donald Trump’s Florida win, heads to D.C. for inauguration