Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiMay 15, 2015

Anytime I get an email from Chris Hand, chief of staff for Mayor Alvin Brown, that incorporates the John Adams quote “Facts are stubborn things,” I know I’m in for at least 500 words of top-flight refutation of an opponent’s memes. Friday’s email takes issue with the comments of Councilman Richard Clark on Friday’s episode of First Coast Connect on […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 30, 2015

Full disclosure: I have known Chris Hand for a quarter century We met during the local competition of the Citizen Bee, a history and social studies competition held by the Close Up Foundation. We advanced to State, then to Nationals. Then our paths diverged until a few years ago, when he became Alvin Brown‘s chief of staff […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 30, 2015

On March 31, Bill Bishop, who finished third in Jacksonville’s First Election, held a press conference on the steps of City Hall, where he said he was not endorsing Alvin Brown or Lenny Curry for Mayor. A couple of weeks later, an email went out from the Bill Bishop for Mayor campaign account. The campaign staffers endorsed Brown’s […]

Melissa RossApril 10, 2015

The latest salvo in Jacksonville’s long-running battle over its pension problems comes from City Councilwoman Lori Boyer. Boyer has filed legislation that would reduce pension benefits for police and firefighters that are hired on starting Oct. 1. It’s an aggressive move and apparently the first time someone on the council has filed a measure stating […]

Kevin MeerschaertMarch 26, 2015

The Jacksonville City Council once again rejected a police and fire-pension reform plan championed by Mayor Alvin Brown. The proposal was defeated on a 9-9 vote, falling short of the majority needed to pass. There was a long debate on several amendments that if approved likely would have gotten the legislation approved. One would have […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 25, 2015

The tortuous twists and turns of the Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Fund deal continued in Wednesday night’s Jacksonville City Council meeting, as the latest iteration of the Pension Deal (one that was approved, before a series of revisions from the PFPF and Council, by a 16-3 vote in December) failed to pass. Rejected on […]

Kevin MeerschaertMarch 11, 2015

A vote on a plan to pay off Jacksonville’s Police and Fire pension debt will have to wait at least another two weeks. Citing concerns recently raised regarding mortality tables Council President Clay Yarbrough on Tuesday sent the bill back to its three committees. The bill was expected to be voted upon at the meeting. […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 25, 2015

Earlier Wednesday, we reported on the Northeast Florida LGBT Leadership PAC‘s slate of endorsements for the March Jacksonville Unitary Election. In doing so, we have uncovered differing recollections of a 2012 meeting between PAC Vice Chairman Jimmy Midyette and Mayor Alvin Brown‘s Chief of Staff Chris Hand. Midyette said at Tuesday’s press conference that “before the bill was introduced, […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 25, 2015

Earlier Wednesday, we reported on the Northeast Florida LGBT Leadership PAC‘s slate of endorsements for the March Jacksonville Unitary Election. In doing so, we have uncovered differing recollections of a 2012 meeting between PAC Vice Chairman Jimmy Midyette and Mayor Alvin Brown‘s Chief of Staff Chris Hand. Midyette said at Tuesday’s press conference that “before the bill was introduced, […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 23, 2015

It appears that the Jacksonville City Council will not be deliberating the pension deal as an entire body until two weeks from tomorrow, given that health-related scheduling conflicts have pushed the requisite deliberation by the Rules Committee back twice now. When last we checked in on this, the agreement had gotten through two committees. Ordinance 2015-54 […]

Tag: Chris Hand
Image via AP.

Chris Hand to Richard Clark: “Facts are stubborn things”

Chris Hand, Alvin Brown’s chief of staff, “ready to move on”

Bill Bishop reverses course, endorses Alvin Brown for re-election

New salvo in Jacksonville pension wars

Jax City Council rejects (again) pension reform plan

Bill Bishop, the spiked Jacksonville PFPF deal, and election year politics

Jax City Council delays police, fire pension debt decision

Alvin Brown’s staff chief disputes LGBT leadership PAC version of 2012 meeting

Alvin Brown's staff chief disputes LGBT leadership PAC version of 2012 meeting

Jax public pension deal will not be on City Council agenda until March