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A.G. GancarskiFebruary 28, 2018

Jacksonville City Councilman Aaron Bowman secured on Tuesday the ten pledges needed to secure the Council Presidency starting in July. Jim Love backed his fellow Republican, joining Scott Wilson, Sam Newby, and Reggie Gaffney, who committed last week. Prior to that, Bowman secured the commitments of former Council Presidents Lori Boyer and Greg Anderson, along with Doyle Carter, Matt Schellenberg, and […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 26, 2018

Via 2018-133, Jacksonville City Council President Anna Brosche seeks to establish a task force to look at transparency in local government. The bill will be on Tuesday’s Council agenda. “The Task Force on Open Government” will “undertake an in-depth review of Jacksonville’s legislative process and the methods by which the public accesses government” and “make recommendations for […]

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 20, 2018

Privatization of JEA, which could net the city $3 to $6 billion, is still a hard sell to the Jacksonville City Council. That’s why a special committee was formed Tuesday by Council President Anna Brosche, who roiled tempers in the Mayor’s Office and the Florida Times-Union editorial page when she didn’t allow Curry to speak “out of turn” […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 20, 2018

A Tuesday morning Jacksonville City Council panel greeted Jacksonville Undersheriff Pat Ivey. Ivey, discussing the state of crime in the city, noted “recent killings and violent events.” Specifically, the killing of Tashawn Gallon in Durkeeville. “We have had multiple juveniles killed this year … no one should feel OK when that happens to a 7 year old,” […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 16, 2018

Jacksonville City Council Vice President Aaron Bowman made it official Monday, launching his bid for the board’s presidency. On Friday, Bowman came away with pledges from two former council presidents and a former mayor serving on the Council. Tradition holds that the vice president moves to the presidency, barring some unusual development, such as what happened […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 14, 2018

In what has been one of the roughest weeks in the tenure of Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, his administration presented to a skeptical City Council — and a more skeptical overflow crowd — a controversial report outlining the benefits of the sale of the local public utility. Profits could be up to $6 billion, the report […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 14, 2018

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry‘s recently hired chief of staff, Brian Hughes, was accused of bullying by Council President Anna Brosche‘s executive assistant. However, the charge was dismissed by the city’s general counsel Thursday. Original story below: As reported by every outlet in Jacksonville at this point (with WJXT‘s Lynnsey Gardner being first), Jeneen Sanders alleges that Hughes “accosted” her on the […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 14, 2018

Tuesday evening saw the Jacksonville City Council move two bills Florida Politics has covered through the process. The reboot of the KingSoutel CRA was passed by the Council. Hopes are that a recrafted CRA, expanding the boundary to include 1,100 linear feet of right of way on Norfolk Avenue, will drive the tax base in the Northwest […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 13, 2018

Local Jacksonville candidates continue fundraising for the 2019 elections, and a leit motif is the relative uncompetitiveness of cash dashes thus far. The carnage starts in the race for Sheriff, where new entry Tony Cummings sputtered in his first campaign finance report, bringing in an anemic $525. That’s a car payment, but not nearly enough to […]

Tag: jacksonville city council
Supporters celebrate the opening of a wheel-chair accessible playground at Anastasia State Park. Image via Florida State Parks Foundation.

Aaron Bowman clinches Jacksonville City Council presidency

‘Open government task force’ bill to be introduced to Jacksonville City Council Tuesday

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

Privatization skeptics fill out Jacksonville JEA special committee

Jax Undersheriff, City Council talk ‘recent killings and violent events’

Aaron Bowman gets Jacksonville City Council presidency backing from two former presidents

Jacksonville City Council pushes back hard against JEA sales pitch

Bullying charge against Brian Hughes investigated; no laws violated

Civil rights history task force, CRA bills moved by Jacksonville City Council

Lopsided money races continue in Jacksonville city campaigns