Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiOctober 8, 2015

As the Jacksonville mayoral campaign between Lenny Curry and Alvin Brown heated up, one of Curry’s vows was that he would institute a 90 day audit of the city’s financial situation. His rationale was summed up by an email from his campaign in late April in which he pledged to bring back “sound fiscal management.” “With news […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 5, 2015

As the Lenny Curry administration wrestles with how to bring the JEA Board in line, a “highly confidential” report from the MAEVA Group (which was brought up during Monday’s Finance Committee meeting) regarding the Jacksonville publicly owned utility underscores some key issues with the utility. The report from August argues that JEA could operate more efficiently, contributing money saved toward […]

Melissa RossSeptember 30, 2015

Hillary Clinton may be the Democratic frontrunner in Florida (and nationally), far outstripping all comers in terms of fundraising, organization, name recognition, and campaigning experience. But in terms of sheer enthusiasm and excitement, perhaps the campaign story of 2016 is the grassroots groundswell surging behind Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Sanders has jumped from a meager […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 29, 2015

Recently, I had the pleasure of re-reading “A Quiet Revolution” by former Jacksonville Times-Union writer Richard Martin. Published soon after Consolidation in the late 1960s, the book documents how the pro-Consolidation forces overcame their opponents, most of them entrenched in one of two governmental structures: the city of Jacksonville’s city government, or Duval County’s then separate […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 25, 2015

Ready for Hillary? The Clinton campaign thought that the Jacksonville mayor was, Florida Politics has learned. A staff member from the Hillary Clinton campaign reached out to the Mayor’s Office to try to secure a key endorsement as part of a larger bundle of endorsements the campaign is readying for Monday. Time was when an endorsement from […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 25, 2015

“I have decided to resign from the board of JEA,” wrote former Vice Chair Peter Bower, because “the atmosphere for public service has become poisonous and detrimental.” Knowing Lenny Curry reasonably well at this point, I’m sure that, as he read this, his thinking went something like this… Don’t let the door hit you in […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 23, 2015

At the NO-FLAC forum in Northwest Jacksonville on Tuesday night, State Attorney Angela Corey and her 2016 opponent, Wes White, had a memorable interaction The panelists faced a moderator’s question regarding what their oaths were about, which elicited an interesting response from White, which essentially baited Corey into a heated reply. White asserted that for a lawyer, the pursuit […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 16, 2015

A proposal to appoint four new members to Jacksonville’s Planning Commission will be considered at next week’s City Council meeting, Florida Politics has learned. The moves comes despite two of the members slated for replacement have not yet resigned. The situation will likely dismay and inflame critics of the Lenny Curry administration’s board appointment policy. […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 10, 2015

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There is every expectation that the Human Rights Ordinance is going to be at the forefront of Jacksonville City Council concerns once the city’s budget is likely approved at the Sept. 21 City Council meeting. With that in mind, the national Human Rights Campaign has a concerted lobbying effort, with multiple registered lobbyists making its […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 3, 2015

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Confounding the critics who charged Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry with practicing “scorched earth politics” in his recent decisions regarding positions on Independent Authority boards, the Curry administration is preparing legislation to appoint Reverend John Allen Newman to the JAXPORT board, according to an email from Curry to senior staff. As well, Curry is appointing John Baker, the former […]

Tag: Alvin Brown

The 90 day audit: Is Jacksonville on the fiscal brink?

What a “highly confidential” JEA report says about Jacksonville’s future

Why Jax Dems say they #FeeltheBern

Lessons for Lenny Curry from “A Quiet Revolution”

Hillary Clinton campaign seeks endorsement from Jacksonville mayor

The end of Peter Bower, and what it means for Jacksonville’s boards

Wes White, Angela Corey spar at NW Jax forum

4 tapped to join Jax Planning Commission, but 2 holdouts haven’t resigned

Human Rights Campaign lobbying hard in Jax on HRO issue

John Allen Newman, former Alvin Brown endorser, reappointed to JAXPORT board