Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 24, 2017

This is a pivotal time in Jacksonville’s city hall. With complete turnover in the city’s delegation to Washington and opportunities created by the new President, majority turnover in the city’s representation in Tallahassee, a revolutionary pension deal currently being approved by the city’s unions, and the imperiled fate of Enterprise Florida, this is a make […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 17, 2017

On Tuesday, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry addressed the latest downtown shooting at the Jacksonville Landing, which has already seen one gunshot victim declared dead. Curry, who ran on a public safety platform in 2015, has seen his rhetoric undermined by not only an uptick in gunplay and homicides, but an uptick at high-profile events downtown this month, […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 11, 2017

The city of Jacksonville and its police union resumed collective bargaining for the first time since November on Tuesday, with the sides starting far apart. The daylight between labor and management was significant as last year closed. There’s less daylight after the Wednesday session. The city made an improved offer, one which offers a bigger city […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 5, 2017

Before the television news had its first fragmentary reports of Wednesday night’s gunshots fired at Jacksonville’s ArtWalk, social media was lit with Tweets about the subject. The fascinating thing about the Tweets and Facebook posts, in aggregate: they were first-person accounts of what was going down, in real time, without the framing provided by reporters […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 21, 2016

According to the Jacksonville City Council auditor’s report, FY 2016 was a good year for the city of Jacksonville’s budget, highlighted by a $29 million favorable variance in a $1.1 billion budget. Revenues were $15 million above budgetary expectations, and expenditures were $14 million under projections. However, underneath the rosy picture, the report spotlighted issues with pension […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 15, 2016

On Thursday, Patrol and Enforcement Director Michelle Cook of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, presented a “good news/bad news” scenario. As she told the Jacksonville Journey Oversight Committee, the good news is that the JSO “violence reduction strategy” is working in some of the city’s more crime-plagued areas. The bad news: violent crime is spiking elsewhere in […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 12, 2016

On Monday afternoon, FloridaPolitics.com caught up with Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams and got his thoughts on an issue of key importance to the rank and file. Specifically, the pension negotiations currently underway between the city of Jacksonville and the Fraternal Order of Police. Sheriff Williams and Mayor Lenny Curry have messaged symbiotically on public safety concerns; however, […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 21, 2016

More transparency. More community engagement. More meetings. More body cameras. And higher millage rates. And that August pension reform referendum? Spoiler: that sales tax extension is not going to provide enough money to pay for what’s needed. Such insights abounded in the long-awaited final report from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office‘s strategic initiative task forces. It […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 8, 2016

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry briefed media Saturday morning on the catastrophe wrought by Hurricane Matthew. “It’s a new day here in Jacksonville,” Curry said, adding that we’re on the other side of the storm and “there’s a lot of work to be done.” More than 214,000 JEA customers lacked power as of 8:45 a.m. Saturday. Branches […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 7, 2016

On Friday afternoon, as the worst of Matthew threatened his city with hurricane conditions through nightfall, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry briefed media and a home audience on the storm. At his last briefing Friday morning, the message was “hunker down.” In the afternoon, the message was similar. “We are in the middle of it, so my […]

Tag: Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office

Lenny Curry outlines Jacksonville’s legislative priorities, talks pension and Enterprise Florida

Lenny Curry addresses MLK day shootings, plans to meet with Melissa Nelson

Lenny Curry sweetens pension offer to Jacksonville police, gives 30 days to respond

Downtown denizens claim Jax ArtWalk shooting was an anomaly

FY 16 a boon for Jacksonville’s budget, but questions loom

JSO ‘violence reduction strategy’ working in hot zones, but not everywhere

Mike Williams wants ‘competitive pay and benefit package’ for new police hires

Transparency, taxpayer money billed as solutions to Jacksonville police problems

Lenny Curry briefs media on disaster recovery; evacuees can return home at noon

Jacksonville braces for worst of Hurricane Matthew