Local

Associated PressNovember 1, 2015

The decadent 10-day Fantasy Fest concludes this weekend in Key West, capped by a Halloween parade expected to attract more than 60,000 spectators. Thousands of costumed revelers promenaded through the island’s historic district during Friday’s Masquerade March that began at a cemetery. Standouts included a group of white-faced “walking dead” in sombreros. Others wore costumes […]

Peter SchorschOctober 31, 2015

On Friday, Governor Rick Scott announced the appointment of Daniel Alvarez and the reappointment of Rebecca Smith to the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority. Alvarez, of Seffner, is a managing member of The Alvarez Legal Group and an adjunct professor at the University of Tampa. He is the current Tampa Hispanic Heritage Hispanic Man of the Year. […]

Associated PressOctober 31, 2015

Several Panama City Beach nightclub owners argue in a lawsuit filed Friday that local officials violated their rights and showed racial bias when they approved a series of new ordinances designed to curb spring break mayhem. The club owners, other businesses and eight other anonymous plaintiffs, described as representative club patrons of various races, claim […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 31, 2015

Employee recognition programs are wonderful; but so is fiscal accountability. An email from Jacksonville Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa to Mayor Lenny Curry indicated that over 500 debit cards have gone missing, from an Alvin Brown era employee recognition program. $27,425 of debit cards are “unaccounted” for, wrote Mousa, cards “purchased in conjunction with an […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 30, 2015

Emails from city officials indicate that the Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Fund board knew the forensic audit was complete on Tuesday, making their silence on the matter notable in consideration of that fact. “The media has reported that the forensic audit is complete and that you have scheduled a news conference for 1:00 p.m. […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 30, 2015

As the saying goes, “promises made; promises kept.” On Friday, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry announced three long-promised “community conversations” on the need for expanding the city’s Human Rights Ordinance to LGBT citizens. Reaction from activists was positive. “We’re pleased to see Mayor Curry keep his campaign promise to lead a series of community conversations about discrimination. […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 30, 2015

Hours after former Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney threw some cold water on the heated coverage of the Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Fund “forensic audit,” another former mayor gave FloridaPolitics.com brief comments on the audit released this week. Tommy Hazouri said he’s “going to thoroughly read the forensic audit,” all 143 pages of it, ahead […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 30, 2015

The Friday meeting of the JEA Board meeting started off with “unusual circumstances.” Because of various removals and resignations of board members, there weren’t actual officers. With that in mind, a chair pro tempore had to be elected, and into that void emerged Husein Cumber, one of the few holdovers left on a board that […]

Melissa RossOctober 30, 2015

The Florida GOP says its RPOF Statesman Dinner, with keynote by former Vice President Dick Cheney, is now sold out. The November 12th event is at capacity with more than 950 tickets sold. The dinner takes place the night before the Sunshine Summit in Orlando, billed as a two-day event bringing together presidential candidates along with Florida’s state […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 30, 2015

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The hot story in Jacksonville politics this week has been the blockbuster forensic audit of the beleaguered Police and Fire Pension Fund. Numerous irregularities, ranging from lavish travel budgets and lack of oversight to questionable investments, were spotlighted in the audit. However, at least one former mayor familiar with the Police and Fire Pension (indeed, […]

Local

Decadent Fantasy Fest comes to a close in Key West

Danny Alvarez appointed to Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority

Businesses say Panama City Beach violated their civil rights

The case of the 507 missing debit cards from the Alvin Brown administration

Why hasn’t Jax PFPF commented on forensic audit?

Lenny Curry announces Jax HRO “community conversations”

Tommy Hazouri on Jax PFPF audit: “We need to get to the truth”

“Unusual circumstances” pervade JEA Board meeting

RPOF annual dinner with Dick Cheney speech now sold-out

John Delaney questions “shrill” Jax PFPF audit