Local

Frank TorresAugust 26, 2015

Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger said Wednesday morning that he will be retiring after 38 years on the job with 26 years as sheriff. Eslinger made his statement on social media: “After much thought and consideration, I have made the decision to retire as the Sheriff of Seminole County at the end of this term of […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 26, 2015

Beyond the Liberty Street discussion, there were discussion points of note during Wednesday morning’s Capital Improvement Projects review by the Finance Committee of the Jacksonville City Council. This is by no means an exhaustive recap of these. John Crescimbeni asked for a total recap of this CIP budget compared to the last. About $71 million […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 26, 2015

On Wednesday morning, the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee considered the Capital Improvement Projects Budget. As these things go, it was not a spectator sport. The big story: the Liberty Street issue, described as “unsightly” and the consequences of “deferred maintenance” by Council President Greg Anderson. The Liberty Street Collapse was a big talking point for Lenny […]

Bill PrescottAugust 26, 2015

Writer, international scholar, FSU English professor, opinion columnist and environmentalist Diane Roberts entertained a crowd of North Florida Democrats Tuesday evening with her incisive wit and pointed observations about the state of Florida and its leaders. Referring to herself as “that professor conservatives warn you about,” Roberts let fly a quiverful of bon mots as […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 25, 2015

At a Jacksonville City Council meeting on Tuesday night where most of the drama was in the public comments, the most interesting exchanges, both during the agenda meeting and the meeting itself, revolved around Councilman John Crescimbeni‘s introduction of ultimately unsuccessful legislation to force a review of the Property Appraiser budget and appeal $182K in raises […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 25, 2015

The highlight of the agenda meeting before Tuesday’s Jacksonville City Council meeting: a discussion of a potential appeal of the Property Appraiser budget (2015-616). “The success of this” sort of action is “nominal at best,” said Matt Schellenberg, referring to exchanges that he had with the Florida League of Cities. Schellenberg, of course, was not driving […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 25, 2015

The agenda meeting before Tuesday’s Jacksonville City Council meeting was, by and large, a quiet affair, except for an animated discussion of 2015-522, a disaster preparation bill that had proven controversial in committee, as an iteration of it would have required gated communities to keep their gates open for public works vehicles when a state […]

Frank TorresAugust 25, 2015

For the Orange County Board of Commissioners, the biggest challenge in erasing Orlando’s reputation as one of the worst cities in the country for pedestrians could be educating and compelling the very people they’re trying to keep safe. On Tuesday, Mayor Teresa Jacobs ordered county staff to seek solutions, including community outreach, safety audits, and capital […]

Frank TorresAugust 25, 2015

State Rep. Tom Goodson wants to remind voters he’ll be running in House District 51 next year. Goodson. a Titusville Republican who represents District 50, sent out a news release Tuesday afternoon: Despite what the pundits are saying, I want to make it clear that I am running for the Florida House of Representatives in District 51, and […]

Melissa RossAugust 25, 2015

One of the state’s leading pollsters says Republican legislators may live to regret seeing Florida’s redistricting mess turned over to the courts. “There is absolute risk,” says Mike Binder, University of North Florida political science professor and lead pollster at the school’s Public Opinion Research Laboratory. “While the Senate is willing to compromise, the House is […]

Local
Buccaneers QB Teddy Bridgewater. Image via AP.

Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger announces retirement

Jax Finance Committee mulls CIP, banking fund

Liberty Street fix highlights Jax CIP budget discussion; Finance backs 2 year plan

Diane Roberts skewers ruling class during Tallahassee talk

John Crescimbeni refutes Jerry Holland’s claim

Property appraiser budget emergency appeal falls at Jax Council meeting

Jax Property Appraiser budget dispute a personal matter?

Biggest obstacle to pedestrian safety in Orange County could be pedestrians

Tom Goodson wants to be clear that he’s running in House District 51 in 2016

UNF pollster on redistricting: “absolute risk” for GOP leadership