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A.G. GancarskiFebruary 9, 2016

Highlighting the Jacksonville City Council agenda on Tuesday was “cure legislation” to address safety officer salary allocations from the September budget. The other looming issue was yet another round of public comment for the Human Rights Ordinance. The agenda meeting addressed both. Regarding the cure legislation, Garrett Dennis and Al Ferraro, during the agenda meeting, expressed concerns […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 9, 2016

Tuesday’s Jacksonville City Council meeting lacked a lot of punch when it came to legislation. The big bill of the night, the controversial term limits referendum measure, was said (H/t David Chapman) to be tabled ahead of the meeting. During agenda, Matt Schellenberg confirmed it. Schellenberg, in Tallahassee last week representing the City Council for the Florida […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 9, 2016

The question going into Tuesday: would the JEA Agreement finally be reached? Most of the terms had been agreed to, piece by piece, during a year of meetings. And there was cautious optimism, at least from the city side, that Tuesday would be the day. “It looks like the finish line is in sight, unless […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 9, 2016

The Jacksonville City Council’s Vehicles for Hire Committee discussed legislation Tuesday related to such transportation, including Uber and Lyft. No new ground was covered; no resolution to the ongoing battle between the taxicab industry and transportation network companies was to be had. Casting a shadow over this committee’s process was the legislative process in Tallahassee. […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 4, 2016

The first of three meetings of the Jacksonville City Council Committee of the Whole on two Human Rights Ordinance expansion bills had all the drama you could want. Those paying attention would have noted that the real drama, the procedural drama, was set up hours ahead of this meeting. Even before the three hour meeting […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 2, 2016

The Jax City Council ban on the use of cellphones during meeting is under siege, with a threat from Bill Gulliford that boiled down to pass my bill fixing it or face a rules challenge. The Bill Gulliford bill included a measure prohibiting “electronic communications” from or to Council members related to legislation on the agenda […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 2, 2016

The funding crisis for UF Health, Jacksonville’s only Level 1 trauma hospital and safety net hospital, continues. And Jacksonville is looking to Tallahassee to resolve it. After a meeting to discuss Consolidation Task Force recommendations where much of it focused on UF Health and other public health issues, Chief of Staff Kerri Stewart noted that talks between […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 1, 2016

The Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee had an action-packed Monday meeting, highlighted by unanimous approval of two pension bills, FSCJ downtown housing, and Maxwell House incentives. Meanwhile, the Term Limit referendum proved more controversial. And the Safety Officer cure legislation discussion, as ever, was “delicate.” • • • 2015-422 would allow Police and Fire Pension Fund Board […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 1, 2016

Despite Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry’s position that no further legislation on the Human Rights Ordinance expansion is “prudent,” Councilmen Bill Gulliford and Tommy Hazouri plan to go ahead with their competing bills, to be debuted and debated heavily starting Thursday at the Committee of the Whole. “I’ll withdraw mine if Tommy wants to withdraw his,” […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 29, 2016

I knew something unpopular was about to happen Thursday night when I saw this Facebook post from Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry quoting Harry Truman. “Fame is a vapor, popularity is an accident, riches take wings, those who cheer today may curse tomorrow and only one thing endures. Character.” Truman’s motto: the buck stops here. The irony: that […]

Tag: Bill Gulliford
Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Image via Visit Florida.

Jax Council passes Safety Officer cure legislation

Matt Schellenberg to withdraw term limits bill

JEA Agreement achieved at long last

Jax Vehicles for Hire Committee stalls

Lori Boyer’s withdrawal motion highlights Jax HRO Committee of the Whole

Cellphone ban vexes Bill Gulliford, yet Rules defers his bill

Funding talks between UF Health, city of Jax on hiatus

Jax Council Finance OKs pension bills, FSCJ downtown housing, term limit expansion

Despite Lenny Curry’s “no to HRO” position, both Council bills moving forward

Lenny Curry’s HRO punt and the process going forward