Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiAugust 16, 2018

Unlike the majority of Florida counties, Duval County has yet to figure out a way forward regarding regulation of short-term rentals. Zoning doesn’t accommodate them currently, and as a result, Jacksonville is missing out on hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenue. A Jacksonville City Council committee looks to change that with findings due by […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 15, 2018

The annual review of the city of Jacksonville’s proposed budget by the City Council’s Finance Committee sees its first in a series of all-day sessions begin Aug. 16. As compared with the $1.19 billion general fund budget in FY 16-17, and the $1.27 billion budget last year, the general fund budget is up this year to $1.31 […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 14, 2018

The cases of suspended Jacksonville City Council members Katrina Brown and Reggie Brown were back in federal court Tuesday afternoon for a status hearing ahead of what is now a February trial, though the defendants were no-shows. The two Browns, who are unrelated, are accused of a 38-count conspiracy to defraud, say federal prosecutors. The pair is accused of extracting hundreds […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 10, 2018

Fundraising for Jacksonville City Council 2019 races is in full swing, and here’s a look at the landscape. Unmentioned races have no filed candidates at this writing. In Jacksonville City Council District 1, Democratic incumbent Joyce Morgan filed at the beginning of August, with no appreciable fundraising. Her sole opponent, Republican Bill Bishop, raised $4,400 in July […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 8, 2018

Former Jacksonville Mayor Tommy Hazouri, a Democrat running for reelection to the City Council, showed strong fundraising from diverse sources for his second straight month, suggesting that any 2019 challenge will be futile. Hazouri pulled in $29,750 in July, pushing his total fundraising above $85,000, with more than $83,000 of that on hand. He is running […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 6, 2018

It is rare that a Jacksonville City Council resolution gets four committee stops, but such is the case with 2018-429, a resolution of disinclination to sell local publicly owned utility JEA. It is even rarer that a bill can’t get a second to move into consideration. That was the case in Monday’s Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 6, 2018

Ordinance 2018-75, which would revise existing medical cannabis regulations, moved out of its first of two Jacksonville City Council committees Monday. The code was first formulated in response to “Charlotte’s Web” low-THC cannabis being the single legal strain, and after an extended period of debate, processing and dispensing were allowed in commercial districts, with cultivation permitted […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 23, 2018

Though controversy has yet to subside over the appointment of Republican Terrance Freeman to a perennially Democratic seat on the Jacksonville City Council, the defense strategy from Freeman and the city of Jacksonville is beginning to coalesce. Brenda Priestly-Jackson, a Democrat and former Duval County School Board chair who was passed up for the appointment to fill […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 23, 2018

Former Jacksonville City Councilman — and current candidate — Matt Carlucci knows something about the gubernatorial appointment process. Carlucci was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to head the Florida Commission on Ethics, a position he resigned shortly before launching his 2019 campaign for Council. We caught up with Carlucci Friday, where he gave us a […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 16, 2018

On Monday morning, as District 10 Republican Jacksonville City Councilman Terrance Freeman settled in for his first committee meeting after being named last week to the board, a group of Duval County Democrats is asking for emergency relief from Gov. Rick Scott‘s appointment. If granted, that relief would stop Freeman from taking action as a councilman until legal […]

Tag: jacksonville city council

Jacksonville City Council panel to investigate short-term rentals issue

Jacksonville City Council panel begins budget deep dive Thursday

February trial set for Jacksonville Councilmembers Katrina, Reggie Brown

July looks like previous months in Jacksonville City Council fundraising

Incumbent Tommy Hazouri, unopposed for Jacksonville City Council, wows with $29K July

JEA ‘no-sale’ bill appears to be ‘black flag dead’ in Jacksonville City Council

Jacksonville City Council panel approves cannabis code change

Defense firms up for Terrance Freeman appointment to Jacksonville City Council

Matt Carlucci defends Terrance Freeman appointment to Jacksonville City Council

Duval Dems move to remove Terrance Freeman from Jacksonville City Council