Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiMay 16, 2017

Rumors of the Jacksonville TRUE Commission’s demise look to be false, after serious pushback in a Jacksonville City Council panel against a bill that would sunset the body in three years. Councilman Tommy Hazouri has been unhappy with the Taxation, Revenue Utilization and Expenditures Committee for much of his term – and Hazouri filed a long-awaited bill […]

A.G. GancarskiMay 15, 2017

Those who might worry that the Florida/Georgia football game will leave Jacksonville anytime soon can rest a bit easier, as the City Council is about to approve an extension of the agreement for the city to host the Florida/Georgia football game until 2021. The legislation (2017-322) cleared Neighborhoods, Community Investments, and Services on Monday morning, its […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 24, 2017

The real work was done over the past weeks and months. But the ceremony, the cameras, the victory lap were all reserved for Monday afternoon, when the Jacksonville City Council officially passed 14 bills that equate to pension reform. The “committee of the whole” vote – held Wednesday – was the dispositive one. In that meeting, […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 22, 2017

On Friday, Jacksonville City Council members Scott Wilson, John Crescimbeni, and Greg Anderson discussed commercial corridors — a recurring conversation in recent months. As ever, blight remediation was the focal point … specifically relative to older, dilapidated properties. Councilors had discussed making zoning less “intense” previously, with an eye toward removing some of the zoning most conducive to […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 21, 2017

February ended with Jacksonville City Council VP John Crescimbeni storming out of the gate in the race for the council presidency. A bipartisan group of councilmen — Bill Gulliford, Greg Anderson, Jim Love, Scott Wilson and Tommy Hazouri — signed on very quickly, giving Crescimbeni, a Democrat, a real leg up. Rhetoric was pitched in the councilmen’s conclave: lots of talk […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 19, 2017

The question going into Wednesday’s “Committee of the Whole” meeting of the Jacksonville City Council was a two-parter. Would committee members vote on the bills as part of the four-hour committee proceedings? And would anyone dare vote against Lenny Curry‘s pension reform plan? On the first 11 bills, which will implement collective bargaining deals if passed […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 19, 2017

The final Jacksonville City Council vote on Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry‘s pension reform bills is still a few days a way. However, the “Committee of the Whole” meeting to be held Wednesday afternoon stands as an excellent preview of what is to come — a closing argument. The Curry team — especially the political side — […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 18, 2017

Even in the best of times, public comment is often the most tedious part of a Jacksonville City Council meeting. The spectacle, as is the case with most meetings of governmental bodies, involves familiar gadflies making histrionic points. Generally, that’s considered the price of doing business. However, as was seen recently with discussions of expanding […]

Phil AmmannApril 14, 2017

Does Al Lawson ‘get’ Jacksonville? Questions still remain as to whether Congressman Lawson understands Jacksonville, as his visits to the Jacksonville City Council Tuesday, and town hall Wednesday indicate. On Tuesday, one could sense among certain council members (specifically, those representing districts that overlap Lawson’s) a grating irritation over Lawson’s constant use of Eureka Garden […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 12, 2017

A Wednesday afternoon meeting of the Jacksonville City Council was intended to facilitate deeper inquiry into Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry‘s ambitious pension reform package. However, the big news was the downward impact of adjustments to payroll growth projections and COLA calculations after Monday’s meeting of the Police and Fire Pension Fund. “We still save a lot. […]

Tag: jacksonville city council

Stay of execution for embattled Jacksonville TRUE Commission

Florida/Georgia football game extension clears first Jacksonville City Council panel

Jacksonville City Council passes pension reform legislation

Less ‘intense’ zoning discussed for Jacksonville commercial corridors

Why the next Jacksonville City Council President is still undetermined

Jacksonville City Council ‘committee of the whole’ greenlights pension reform

Jacksonville City Council, Lenny Curry prep for pivotal pension vote

Jacksonville Council panel mulls shortening speaker time

Jacksonville Bold for 4.14.17 — My city was gone

‘Slight adjustments’ drive City Council pushback to Jax pension reform projections