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A.G. GancarskiNovember 16, 2015

A crowded agenda greeted the seven stalwart members of the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee on Monday, including economic development incentive deals. Some highlights: An economic development deal with Fidelity Global Brokerage group was approved. The city throws in $360,000 and the state, $1.44 million; 300 jobs would be created. Another one, “Project Revere,” creating […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 13, 2015

The news media has raised questions lately about the Lenny Curry administration’s ambitious $90 million capital improvement plan for EverBank Field, which includes a covered practice facility and an amphitheater. Shad Khan would pay $45 million as the private half of the public-private partnership and $45 million would be paid by the city, financed and […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 10, 2015

At the end of the Jacksonville City Council meeting on Tuesday night, Councilman Bill Gulliford pressed for executive branch cooperation on getting PFPF reform, which would start with getting a new director in place and putting the controversial tenure of former director and current consultant John Keane into the history books and out of the present tense. […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 10, 2015

In the third to the last Jacksonville City council meeting of 2016, the agenda had a couple of interesting items. Perhaps most interesting: two bills that would restore a pay cut made in 2010. As council went through some lengthy recognition ceremonies, a phalanx of police officers stood in the back of the room. Police […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 10, 2015

The agenda for Tuesday’s JEA Interlocal Agreement meeting included some tantalizing topics. Joint operating/cost savings opportunities; JEA Board composition; a semantic discussion of “profits”; pension issues; and the contribution formula, which is the crux of the continuing contretemps between the public utility and the city. They didn’t really get there. They did, however, get to […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 4, 2015

Not every Jacksonville City Council member could make it to Monday’s public notice meeting where Councilman Bill Gulliford faced down the Police and Fire Pension Fund Board of Trustees Chairman Larry Schmitt. With that in mind, the PFPF (courtesy of hourly consultant John Keane) sent an email to the previous City Council group email list […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 2, 2015

On Monday, Jacksonville Councilman Bill Gulliford convened a fractious public notice meeting related to the Police and Fire Pension Fund involving the Board of Trustees, the Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County, and (by phone) PFPF trustee Bill Scheu, as part of a “cast of thousands” in attendance. Larry Schmitt, chair of the pension fund, noted irregularities, such as the […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 2, 2015

A crowded agenda greeted the Jacksonville City Council’s Finance Committee on Monday morning, ahead of two Public Notice meetings featuring Finance Chair Bill Gulliford on the ever-controversial Police and Fire Pension Fund. Matt Schellenberg’s bill to allow a ballot measure to increase the maximum number of consecutive terms for council members to three met with pushback from council Vice […]

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

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 […]

Tag: Bill Gulliford
Lake Mary’s team celebrates in the eighth inning of the Little League World Series Championship game against Taiwan. Florida won in eight innings 2-1. Image via AP.

Jax Finance Committee approves economic development deals

For Lenny Curry administration, amphitheater is “quality of life” issue

Jax Council tensions on post-audit PFPF come to light

As police officers look on, Jax City Council punts on its own pay raise

JEA Agreement meeting addresses septic tank, sewer issues

Jax Police and Fire Pension Fund countermessages forensic audit

Jax PFPF forensic audit pilloried in public notice meeting

Jax Finance Committee backs staff pay increases, punts on term limit increase

Why hasn’t Jax PFPF commented on forensic audit?

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