Jax

A.G. GancarskiAugust 12, 2016

A leitmotif in the House District 11 race has been the past of Donnie Horner, who was until recently a Democrat. Horner’s Twitter history has already been excavated and put forth on several Florida political websites. And now, just in time for early voting, a greatest hits mail piece positions Horner, in the words of Beyonce, […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 11, 2016

Though two former Jacksonville City Council presidents, Bill Bishop and Stephen Joost, went to the press in opposition to County Referendum 1, which would authorize the extension of the half-cent sales tax through 2060 to deal with the $2.8 billion unfunded actuarial liability on public pensions, five more came out in support of the measure Thursday. Former […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 11, 2016

Even in a tight budget year in Jacksonville, the sheriff’s office, and the fire and rescue department still have to be fed. On Thursday afternoon, the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee took a look at public safety budgets. There was little in the way of controversy, even on enhancements, compared to the surprisingly contentious inspector […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 11, 2016

On a sweltering Thursday, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry convened with local police and fire union heads and AFSCME members to receive the union’s backing for County Referendum 1, the Aug. 30 plebiscite that would extend the current half-cent sales tax from 2030 to 2060, with the revenue used to guarantee payoff of the $2.8 billion unfunded pension […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 11, 2016

There’s only one super PAC in the Republican race in Florida’s Congressional District 4, and it has set its sights on front-runner John Rutherford. The Conservative Outsider PAC is spending $120,000 this month to sway voters in Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns counties, in what appears to be a last gasp of the anti-Rutherford forces. Of […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 11, 2016

Even as early voting is just days away in Jacksonville, the wave of endorsements continues, with House District 13 Republican Mark Griffin and HD 11 Republican Sheri Treadwell scoring endorsements from two key players. **** Griffin, in a competitive GOP primary, scored the endorsement of Sheriff Mike Williams Wednesday. “I have known Mark Griffin for many years, both […]

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. […]

Jax

Follow the money on anti-Donnie Horner hit piece

Former Jax Council presidents back pension tax referendum

Jax City Council mulls police, fire budgets

AFSCME backing illustrates unique marketing of Jax pension tax referendum

Conservative Outsider PAC spending six figures on TV to hit John Rutherford

Endorsements pile up in NE Florida state house races

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