Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiNovember 13, 2015

The 2015 elections led to a lot of changes in Jacksonville’s city government. Alvin Brown and his appointees were, except for certain high-performers, out. Lenny Curry, and his appointees, in. Among those imports to the mayor’s suite: a number of City Council members from the previous class (Policy Director Robin Lumb; Blight Director Denise Lee; […]

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

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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, […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 29, 2015

One of the major projects of the Alvin Brown administration was comprehensive pension reform, a path that took the relationship between the Jacksonville Mayor’s Office and City Council through many twists and turns. The findings of the Police and Fire Pension Fund audit were described by Councilman Bill Gulliford as “reprehensible … with a vast and staggering sum of […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 23, 2015

On Thursday afternoon, a statement was released by former Jacksonville mayor Alvin Brown regarding the Eureka Garden financing issue, which, as we reported earlier this week, was ultimately controversial. In a letter dated October 18, Tripp Gulliford, the chairman of the Jacksonville Housing Finance Authority, mailed Mayor Lenny Curry with concerns over how “bond issuers […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 22, 2015

Former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown has received flak of late for his role in facilitating the finance deal behind Eureka Garden Apartments. On Thursday afternoon, Brown released a statement detailing his position, citing his commitment to disadvantaged communities, and urging Global Ministries Foundation to handle their business. “What’s surfaced in recent weeks in the Eureka […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 22, 2015

When last we heard from Jacksonville’s Inspector General Thomas Cline, Councilman John Crescimbeni was going in on him during a Finance Committee budget hearing where Cline had to be coached through the answers to myriad questions. “I gotta tell you, I’m just not sensing a really high level of comfort with the direction we’re going […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 22, 2015

The last time the local media heard from former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown was the end of June, at a combination farewell address and employee appreciation event that sounded not a little bit like the campaign speeches of yesteryear. He said, at the time, that he was taking his children on a vacation. Presumably, the […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 20, 2015

The situation at Eureka Gardens, the blighted Section 8 apartment complex on Jacksonville’s Westside, has become an embarrassment that has even been addressed by both of Florida’s United States Senators at this point. However, no commentary, up until now, has addressed the spurious nature of the complex’s financing. That changes now. And the blame is […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 9, 2015

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To get an idea of how deeply shaken Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry has been by the Eureka Gardens code problems, his letters to federal officials give a strong indication. “While I have walked through the doors of my home for nearly 10 years, Friday evening’s entry was unlike any other, as I could not shake […]

Tag: Alvin Brown

Confirmed: Clay Yarborough enters HD 12 fray

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

John Delaney questions “shrill” Jax PFPF audit

Chris Hand addresses Jax PFPF governance reforms in light of audit

Eureka Garden, the Times-Union, and the art of meta-discourse

Alvin Brown breaks silence, addresses Jacksonville’s Eureka Garden

On shaky ground already, Jax inspector general grilled by IG committee

Where in the world is Alvin Brown?

Jax Housing Finance Authority chair blames Eureka Gardens bond issue on Alvin Brown

Why Lenny Curry is going to the wall for Eureka Gardens