Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 22, 2018

For the second straight week, Jacksonville City Council members mulled ongoing efforts to privatize JEA. The narrative has gotten rockier for the administration of Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry in recent weeks, with poison pills preceding each Council conclave. Just as the meeting to discuss the valuation report was presaged with the Council President saying Curry’s chief of […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 19, 2018

Jacksonville City Councilman Garrett Dennis might have been considered by some to be a political “walking dead man” after his showdown at the Soul Food Bistro with Mayor Lenny Curry. But Dennis sees it differently. “That was a wake-up call for our mayor,” Dennis said. As he told a crowd of Jacksonville Democrats Monday evening, the Duval Democrats […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 9, 2018

Good news and bad news for those watching the trials and travails of Jacksonville’s Police and Fire Pension Fund. The good news first: Per a recent actuarial report from the fund, 2017’s funded ratio is 47.60% compared to 43.02% last year (after reflecting all Actuarial Impact Statements). This is the highest ratio since 2010. The […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 18, 2018

The Jacksonville City Council Presidency is set for the 2018-19 year that starts July 1: current VP Aaron Bowman, an executive at the local Chamber of Commerce, is a slam dunk. Re-election campaigns are just around the corner — and no one is going against the Chamber. More flux exists in the race for Vice President […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 10, 2018

A third candidate has entered the scrum for Jacksonville City Council VP: former Jacksonville Mayor Tommy Hazouri. Hazouri, a Democrat, joins two declared Republicans in the race, Councilmen Sam Newby and Danny Becton. Newby has one pledged supporter already: a condition that happened without a pledge meeting, raising questions of a Sunshine Law violation from potential candidate Scott Wilson, […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 8, 2018

An annual tradition in Jacksonville City Council is beginning anew: the race for Jacksonville City Council VP. Often — but not always — the VP slot is a springboard to the Presidency the next year. The most interesting iteration of this race in recent memory: 2016, when Democrat John Crescimbeni bested Republican Doyle Carter in a cliffhanger 10-9 […]

Phil AmmannDecember 1, 2017

In this issue of Bold, there’s not a lot of unwelcome news. Today, there’s: — Travis Hutson potentially ascending to Senate leadership. — The local paper’s editorial board finally noticed Hutson’s Senate colleague, Rob Bradley. — A popular local politician — Sheriff Mike Williams — is (finally) officially running for re-election. — If you read […]

Phil AmmannNovember 17, 2017

A frenetic year in Jacksonville politics — including the passage of the Human Rights Ordinance expansion, pension reform, and the Kids Hope Alliance — is ending. And not a moment too soon. The Jacksonville City Council meeting this week had nothing on the agenda was worth covering, even by the standards of our Jacksonville correspondent. […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 27, 2017

An analysis from Bloomberg released Friday asserts that Jacksonville has the highest fixed cost ratio (31.6 percent) of any city with over 250,000 residents. This analysis is sharply disputed by the administration of Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, however, which claims that Bloomberg is using old data that doesn’t take into account pension reform. “When you measure those […]

Phil AmmannOctober 27, 2017

When it comes to statewide races in 2018, does Northeast Florida have a dog in the hunt? That’s a matter of interpretation. One of our big scoops this week — Congressman Ron DeSantis (insiders affirm) is ramping up for a possible run for Florida governor. DeSantis’ wife is on local television; he represents a district […]

Tag: Danny Becton
Mike Johnson. Image via AP.

Jacksonville City Council moves to ensure voter input into any JEA sale

Garrett Dennis talks ‘bounty’ on Jax Council members, filing JEA straw ballot bill

Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Fund sees bounce in funding level, but extra contributions urged

Hopefuls vie for Jacksonville City Council Veep slot

Former Jacksonville Mayor Tommy Hazouri launches run for City Council VP

Race for Jacksonville City Council VP begins: Danny Becton, Sam Newby launch runs

Jacksonville Bold for 12.1.17 — So much winning

Jacksonville Bold for 11.17.17 — Time for reflection

Is Jacksonville hamstrung by fixed costs? City disagrees with Bloomberg analysis

Jacksonville Bold for 10.27.17 — Looking toward 2018