Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiMay 15, 2018

As storm clouds loom over the Sunshine State, the same holds true (at least potentially) for Jacksonville’s Sunshine Law. And a public notice meeting Tuesday morning called by Jacksonville City Councilman Garrett Dennis addressed how those clouds may be occluding the race for the presidency of the City Council. The meeting was requested by Dennis to […]

A.G. GancarskiMay 11, 2018

The campaign between Andrew Gillum and Gwen Graham is starting to get ugly, and “dark money” is helping it along. An attack on Graham comes from The Collective Super PAC, a group reportedly related to Collective Future, which had donated $235,000 to Gillum’s independent political committee, Forward Florida, through April. The Collective Super PAC is spending $782,000 in Florida, starting […]

A.G. GancarskiMay 1, 2018

For the second straight committee cycle for the Jacksonville City Council, members mulled legislation to make city property a “hit-free zone.” And although it cleared committees two weeks ago, problems cropped up for Resolution 2018-171 which would turn all city property into “areas in which no adult shall hit another adult, no adult shall hit a child, no […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 24, 2018

On Tuesday evening, the Jacksonville City Council pushed back to committees a resolution making all city property “hit-free zones.” Resolution 2018-171 would create “areas in which no adult shall hit another adult, no adult shall hit a child, no child shall hit an adult, and no child shall hit another child.” A noble goal. A seemingly innocuous […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 24, 2018

Concert tickets became the source of a controversy in Jacksonville City Hall this month, illustrating (again) the distrust between City Councilman Garrett Dennis and Mayor Lenny Curry. At issue: the distribution of free tickets for concerts by comedian Kevin Hart and country artist Tim McGraw. On Apr. 3, Dennis’ assistant sent the Mayor’s staff “a public records request on […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 24, 2018

It appears that there will be a competitive race after all in Jacksonville City Council District 9 . Incumbent Garrett Dennis faces a challenge from within his own party by way of Marcellus Holmes. Holmes, who played professional football for the New England Patriots from 1997 to 2001 as both a practice and active squad member, is about […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 19, 2018

On Tuesday, the board of Jacksonville’s public utility JEA picked former board member Aaron Zahn as its new interim CEO to serve for the next year. Meanwhile, CFO Melissa Dykes, passed over the CEO opening, will receive some sort of role change. Zahn and Dykes appeared at Thursday’s meeting of the Jacksonville City Council special committee on the […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 18, 2018

Jacksonville City Councilman Garrett Dennis filed a bill this week that is his latest shot across the bow of Mayor Lenny Curry. The bill, while not likely to pass, will be an interesting litmus test of how much political capital Dennis has with Council in the wake of some difficult news cycles for the Curry administration. Per […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 10, 2018

Two bills of note passed by the Jacksonville City Council Tuesday evening. ____ Straw ballot for JEA sale: 2018-141 will prime a straw ballot referendum for November to test the voters’ mood on a JEA sale. The measure, sponsored by Garrett Dennis and John Crescimbeni (two skeptics of the need to sell), would, in theory, […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 5, 2018

Jacksonville City Councilman Garrett Dennis, a critic of Jacksonville’s Kids Hope Alliance board that administers the city’s children’s programs, made it known earlier in the week that he would attend Wednesday’s KHA Board meeting. Dennis’ principal interest: the board’s selection of a new CEO. In Council committees Tuesday, Dennis peppered employees of the Lenny Curry administration with questions […]

Tag: Garrett Dennis

Sunshine Law breach accusations infuse drama into uncontested Jacksonville City Council president’s race

Jacksonville Democrats slam Andrew Gillum over ‘secret money attacks’ on Gwen Graham

City Hall ‘hit-free zone’ falls in third Jacksonville City Council panel

Jacksonville City Council smacks down ‘hit-free zone’ bill

Concert ticket kerfuffle creates sour notes in Jacksonville City Hall

Former NFL player launches campaign against Jacksonville City Councilman Garrett Dennis

JEA CEO: Board was ‘wholly unprepared’ for Jacksonville utility privatization debate

Jacksonville City Councilman challenges Lenny Curry, seeks JEA board reform

JEA straw poll, board reform bills clear Jacksonville City Council

Garrett Dennis warns Jacksonville Kids Hope board not to pick Joe Peppers as CEO