Jax

A.G. GancarskiAugust 11, 2016

Spending will go up on public safety, stay flat in most other areas. Revenue will be up, though millage collection still isn’t back to where it was before the crash of 2008, and business tax collection is down almost 10 percent. These insights and others were to be heard in council chambers Thursday morning, as […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 10, 2016

In the words of Billy Bragg, “there is power in a union.” And that power will be on display Thursday morning, as AFSCME Florida will hold a presser with Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry in Hemming Park. The AFSCME press conference, in support of County Referendum 1, will offer an interesting convergence: a public sector union supporting an […]

Jim RosicaAugust 10, 2016

The winners of the congressional redistricting case are still waiting on a federal court to decide if U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown should pay their bills. Lisa Hall, spokeswoman for the plaintiffs, said “there has been no ruling … so our fee motions remain pending.” In May, the League of Women Voters of Florida, Common Cause […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 10, 2016

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In one of the longest running and most depressing soap operas in Jacksonville history, the city council’s Hemming Park special committee met Wednesday, agreeing reluctantly to amend 2016-385, which would have appropriated $150,000 to Friends of Hemming Park (FOHP). The committee opted to amend the bill to approve two months of operating funds — $29,000 a month. […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 10, 2016

On Thursday, the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee begins seven days of deliberations of the mayor’s budget, meetings that will sprawl out over the next 15 calendar days. Lenny Curry‘s budget was by and large flat, with enhancements for public safety, and drainage projects in traditionally underserved communities. The enhancements, as we wrote last month, include: — […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 10, 2016

Former Jacksonville sheriff’s candidate Jimmy Holderfield, as of 18 months ago, looked to be a shoo-in to make the runoff for the May election. Holderfield dominated forums. He had the backing of the Fraternal Order of Police. Then a funny thing happened. A story of a campaign operative removing the signs of the eventual winner of […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 10, 2016

Last week, Florida Family Action endorsed Janet Adkins in the very contentious Nassau County School Superintendent race. On Tuesday, FFA doubled down on that position, after “some Kathy Burns supporters were upset and expressed that they felt Burns was a conservative, that we ‘had not done our research’ and therefore the statements made were unfair.” Not […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 10, 2016

With less than three weeks until the Aug. 30 primary in Florida’s 4th Congressional District, a University of North Florida poll says it’s still John Rutherford’s race to lose. Rutherford has 31 percent, ahead of Hans Tanzler at 13 percent, Lake Ray at 10 percent, and Bill McClure at 5 percent. Other candidates — Steve Kaufman, Ed Malin, […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 9, 2016

A historic Jacksonville landmark looks slated for preservation, and some long-delayed road and bridge projects are being prioritized, after Tuesday’s Jacksonville City Council meeting. Meanwhile, a discussion of housing funds led to an exegesis on public housing related to the problem-plagued Fairway Oaks development, built by Habijax on bad foundations, leading to structural damages. The Council […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 9, 2016

At a job creation event Tuesday at Jacksonville’s Deutsche Bank, where 300 new financial services jobs were promised, FloridaPolitics.com had questions for Gov. Rick Scott and Mayor Lenny Curry about their endorsed presidential candidate’s description of Jacksonville being economically “devastated.” Among Donald Trump’s assertions: “This area has been devastated by the loss of industrial jobs …. As you […]

Jax

Jax City Council begins budget deliberations

AFSCME, Jax Young Republicans back pension tax referendum

Still no word on whether Corrine Brown owes redistricting plaintiffs

The Hemming Park experiment looks likely to limp along for a while longer

Jax Council Finance committee begins budget deliberations Thursday

After ‘soul searching,’ Jimmy Holderfield backs Melissa Nelson against Angela Corey

Florida Family Action doubles down on Janet Adkins endorsement

Poll: John Rutherford is cruising to victory in CD 4 race

Jax Council approves transportation plan, money for fort preservation

Lenny Curry, Rick Scott sidestep questions about Donald Trump’s critique of ‘devastated’ Jax economy