Jax

Melissa RossMarch 31, 2016

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Pointing out that only live humans can cast ballots, Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Michael Ertel has set up a special website to help voters in Central Florida differentiate among all the election-related mailings they’re getting in this campaign season. The website www.OfficialElectionMail.org leads voters to the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections website, www.VoteSeminole.org, where a link will display […]

Melissa RossMarch 31, 2016

Highlighting the creation of 75 new jobs, Gov. Rick Scott was on hand at a groundbreaking ceremony for Anheuser-Busch’s new $175 million aluminum bottle line at its Jacksonville facility. The company employs 840 people across Florida. “Manufacturers like Anheuser-Busch are incredibly important to our state, and I am excited to join them in celebrating their […]

Melissa RossMarch 30, 2016

News that problems still persist at Jacksonville’s troubled Eureka Garden public housing complex has local activists such as Denise Hunt steaming. “I’m disgusted. I was assured these problems would be solved, and I even offered a case management plan of action to help solve some of the inequities out there. I feel like I got […]

Melissa RossMarch 29, 2016

Placing the blame on everything from “media misinformation” to the tortured legacy of the Jim Crow era, a high-powered panel of Jacksonville officials held forth on racial tensions in the city at a conference sponsored by the Jacksonville Bar Association and Florida Coastal Law School. Unsurprisingly, the most frank comments came from Edward Waters College […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 29, 2016

At the start of the year, I made 12 predictions for 2016 in Jacksonville politics. A fourth of the way through, revisiting them is useful. Some I got right. Some I got wrong. Some are still in progress. Predictions 1 and 2 revolved around the Human Rights Ordinance expansion, which was the issue du jour. […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 25, 2016

Good news: Rick Scott signed the “pension tax” bill, allowing a referendum on extending the 1/2 cent BJP tax until 2060 to deal with the unfunded pension liability. Now, the question: how to sell it to the people? Selling a sales tax referendum has been done in Jacksonville before. In fact, selling a ½ cent sales […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 25, 2016

On Friday, Governor Scott signed HB 655 into law, revising alcoholic beverage requirements for restaurants in the Riverside-Avondale Commercial Character Areas. The goal of the bill is to provide allowances for space and seating requirements in a specialized zone called the Riverside Avondale Commercial Character Areas. The bill would reduce requirements to 100 seats (down […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 25, 2016

As part of a raft of bills signed Friday, Gov. Rick Scott signed into law the Discretionary Sales Surtax bill that passed the House and Senate by wide margins during the Legislative Session. The bill facilitates a referendum in August or November to extend the half-cent sales tax, currently earmarked for Better Jacksonville Plan project […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 25, 2016

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry calls Rick Scott the Jobs Governor. And more evidence of that came through Friday, as Scott trumpeted 20,700 new Jacksonville jobs in the past year. Governor Scott said, “Jacksonville businesses have added 20,700 new jobs and the unemployment rate has dropped to 4.5 percent, which is exciting news for families. Every job created […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 25, 2016

Watchers of the HD 12 race have waited to see whether establishment money would swing toward Terrance Freeman. His fundraiser at Jacksonville’s SunTrust Building next Tuesday offers clues. An all-star host committee includes names Duval Republicans know, including Charlie Appleby, Bruce Barcelo, Lindsey Brock, Councilman Aaron Bowman, Mel Clark, Rose Conry, Rory Diamond, W.C. Gentry, Dane Grey, Deno Hicks, Charles Moreland, Karyn Morton, Michael Munz, Alexander Pantinakis, Kara Tucker, and Scott Wiley. […]

Jax

Seminole County elections official says D.C. organization tried to register dead cat to vote

Rick Scott touts new jobs at Anheuser-Busch in Jacksonville

Persistent problems at Eureka Garden complex outrage Jax activists

Jax officials discuss easing racial tensions, building community trust

A.G. Gancarski: So far, so good on 2016 predictions

How to sell a sales tax referendum in Jacksonville

Gov. Scott signs local bill easing liquor requirements in Riverside-Avondale restaurants

Governor signs Jax Pension Tax bill; Now Lenny Curry has to sell it

Rick Scott says Jacksonville up more than 20,000 jobs in past year

Terrance Freeman HD 12 fundraiser has impressive host committee