Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 27, 2016

On Tuesday, the Jacksonville City Council passed a $1.18 billion budget that will add more and better-equipped police officers to city streets. However, the big talkers were swimming lessons, travel budgets, and special events allocations … adding up to a picayune $115,000 out of the council contingency budget. And another big talker: a failed but audacious […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 21, 2016

In the last Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee meeting before the full council passes the budget Sept. 27, a packed agenda was considered. Among the more compelling bills: a controversial measure to appropriate $5,000 to each of the fourteen district council members for “special events” in public parks; a bill tightening up regulations on burglar […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 20, 2016

In the Tuesday morning meeting of the Jacksonville City Council Public Health and Safety Committee, the panel voted to hold the funding level at $26.275 million for fiscal year 16/17. But there will be changes this year. Penny Thompson, vice president of government affairs for UF Health, noted that the money will be sent directly […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 19, 2016

In the Jacksonville City Council Neighborhoods, Community Investments, and Services Committee Monday, a measure was approved to rename a local park as a memorial to the El Faro victims. The renaming of the Dames Point Park was described by bill sponsor Al Ferraro as “so much more than the renaming of a park.” Tote Maritime […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 29, 2016

The House District 11 GOP primary will come down to one of three candidates: Cord Byrd, Donnie Horner, or Sheri Treadwell. HD 11 includes Nassau County, as well as the Jacksonville Beaches. Its current representative, Janet Adkins, is from Nassau. However, at least one pol from the Beaches communities wants to ensure that the seat becomes a “beaches” seat, […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 15, 2016

As early voting kicks off in Duval County, a passel of current and former Jacksonville city councilmen endorsed Clay Yarborough in House District 12. The endorsers: Michael Corrigan, Al Ferraro, Bill Gulliford, Kevin Hyde, Matt Schellenberg, and Richard Clark. Corrigan, Gulliford, and Clark are all former council presidents. However, Clark is the most significant endorsement in this case. Clark was, […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 15, 2016

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A spirited discussion of the dispensation of surplus property in District 10 and Jacksonville’s lingering affordable housing issues highlighted Jacksonville’s NCIS committee Monday. The Real Estate Division requested authorization to declare 32 condo lots on Lane Avenue South in Common Elements, Brookewood A Condominium, as surplus tax reverted parcels after an investigation which determined the […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 11, 2016

Though two former Jacksonville City Council presidents, Bill Bishop and Stephen Joost, went to the press in opposition to County Referendum 1, which would authorize the extension of the half-cent sales tax through 2060 to deal with the $2.8 billion unfunded actuarial liability on public pensions, five more came out in support of the measure Thursday. Former […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 11, 2016

Spending will go up on public safety, stay flat in most other areas. Revenue will be up, though millage collection still isn’t back to where it was before the crash of 2008, and business tax collection is down almost 10 percent. These insights and others were to be heard in council chambers Thursday morning, as […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 10, 2016

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In one of the longest running and most depressing soap operas in Jacksonville history, the city council’s Hemming Park special committee met Wednesday, agreeing reluctantly to amend 2016-385, which would have appropriated $150,000 to Friends of Hemming Park (FOHP). The committee opted to amend the bill to approve two months of operating funds — $29,000 a month. […]

Tag: Bill Gulliford
Crowds gather to see Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. (Gabrielle Russon)

Jacksonville City Council passes big budget after robust discussion of small details

Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee addresses packed agenda

Jacksonville City Council panel OKs UF Health allocation

Jax poised to re-dedicate Dames Point Park to honor El Faro crew

Ahead of HD 11 primary, endorsers make impassioned pleas to Jax Beaches voters

Former and current Jax councilmen close ranks, back Clay Yarborough in HD 12

Over district councilman’s objections, Jax surplus property bill moves through committee

Former Jax Council presidents back pension tax referendum

Jax City Council begins budget deliberations

The Hemming Park experiment looks likely to limp along for a while longer