Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 25, 2017

On Monday, a political ally of Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry filed a bill that would close the Florida Retirement System’s defined benefit plan to new cities. This is particularly relevant to Jacksonville’s police and fire unions, both of which want to see new hires put in the FRS defined benefit plan as a condition of collective bargaining. […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 23, 2017

Earlier on Monday, FloridaPolitics.com reported on bills filed in both chambers of the Florida Legislature that would foreclose the defined benefit plan of the Florida Retirement System to new municipalities. This bill is especially topical in Northeast Florida because a major sticking point in collective bargaining between the city of Jacksonville and its police and fire […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 11, 2017

On Wednesday morning, the city of Jacksonville enhanced its pension/benefits offer to the police union. Wednesday afternoon saw a similar conversation with the fire union. Just as with the police union negotiations, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry was on hand at the fire union. The tone was more genial, with Curry and Wyse joking about some matters ahead […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 7, 2016

[Updated: 6:40 p.m. with commentary from Mike Weinstein, at the bottom of the piece.] In the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee Wednesday, Mike Weinstein, the city’s CFO, and Tim Johnson, the director of the Police and Fire Pension Fund, discussed a “waiver” in pension cost allocations that had been controversial in recent news cycles. Their joint appearance was […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 28, 2016

Steve Zona, the head of the Jacksonville branch of the Fraternal Order of Police, got some backup over the holiday weekend from leaders of the state and national FOP in the biggest debate his union has had in some time. They conveyed a clear message: the FOP has support in what looks to be a protracted […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 23, 2016

Tuesday saw the Jacksonville Association of Fire Fighters slamming a pension reform proposal from City Hall. Wednesday saw the Fraternal Order of Police doing the same, offering its own proposals for police and corrections that include raises for all employees, pension benefits rolled back to 2015 levels for extant employees, and the Florida Retirement System […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 22, 2016

Tuesday saw senior staff from the city of Jacksonville locked in negotiations with representatives from the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters. Spoiler alert: those negotiations won’t be wrapped up in time for Thanksgiving. The fire union seems to prefer switching to the Florida Retirement System’s pension plan; the city likes defined contribution. That is a huge gap. […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 22, 2016

In the wake of a contentious negotiation session between the Jacksonville Association of Fire Fighters and city negotiators, Mayor Lenny Curry called a Tuesday afternoon presser to reiterate his team’s negotiating position on Jacksonville’s pensions. Essentially, it boils down to a commitment to 401(k)-styled defined contribution plans for new employees. And it rules out the Florida Retirement System. Curry […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 19, 2016

In Northeast Florida state House races, endorsements from builders, contractors, police and fire unions, the NRA, and social conservative groups have been rolled out in recent days. Below are just a few. **** On Tuesday, the Associated Builders and Contractors Florida First Coast Chapter rolled out endorsements in competitive state House races. The favored candidates […]

Tag: Jacksonville Association of Fire Fighters

Jacksonville offers seven year agreement to firefighters in collective bargaining

Jacksonville mayor ‘not surprised’ by FRS reform legislation

Jacksonville, fire union make conceptual progress in pension reform talks

Jacksonville CFO: money in $44M pension “waiver” is “hiccup” compared to total liability

National politics, political legacies, & the Jacksonville pension debate

Jacksonville police union: defined benefit pensions are not ‘dinosaurs’

Jacksonville pension proposal: A ‘shock’ to firefighters

Lenny Curry: Yes to defined contribution, no to FRS

Endorsements pile up in Northeast Florida State House races