Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiOctober 8, 2018

After over five years of work by the City of Jacksonville to meet Americans with Disabilities Act goals, the city got the all-clear from the Department of Justice on Friday. The DOJ Civil Rights division wrote city officials, noting that the city had fulfilled the terms of its voluntary, pre-litigative Project Civic Access agreement. The agreement, per […]

Staff ReportsOctober 7, 2018

Just like in 2016, we’re again asking every candidate, including incumbents, to complete a questionnaire we believe offers an interesting, albeit, thumbnail sketch of who they are and why they are running. If you are a candidate and would like to complete the questionnaire, email [email protected]. Significant other? Kids? My husband and I have five adult children […]

Staff ReportsOctober 5, 2018

This week in City Hall, a time capsule containing artifacts from 1960 was opened. Being it’s the 50-year anniversary of Consolidation, city leaders are (understandably) in a sentimental mode. But 50 years from now? One wonders if such sentimental pulls will prevail. What kind of letters would current City Council members write to those who […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 1, 2018

Fifty years ago Monday, Jacksonville (racked by corruption and governmental inefficiency at the time) embarked on an experiment with consolidated government. Though many debate the efficacy of the model, the case for Consolidation was made (or reiterated) energetically Monday evening at the Jessie Ball DuPont Center. The Jacksonville Historical Society’s Task Force for Consolidation hosted […]

Staff ReportsSeptember 28, 2018

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Five decades ago, Jacksonville consolidated city and county services. For 50 years since people have been arguing about whether it was a good idea. We saw it last week: a mayoral forum involving Mayor Lenny Curry and his five living predecessors (look for the replay Sunday on This Week in Jacksonville). Curry, seeking re-election, sounded […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 21, 2018

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry faces re-election in six months, and if August job numbers mean anything, the well-capitalized Republican incumbent should breeze through. The Jacksonville MSA’s unemployment rate sits at 3.5 percent, down from 4.2 percent a year ago. And that’s way down from near-term historical heights of over 11 percent in 2010. When Curry came […]

Staff ReportsSeptember 21, 2018

Inside seven weeks until Election Day, and it’s just a few weeks from the start of vote by mail. What that means: It’s getting late. It’s getting late for statewide candidates who come to Jacksonville and try to define themselves, struggling for attention from an indifferent media. And time is short for some candidates who […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 18, 2018

One of Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry‘s most trusted lieutenants, Chief Financial Officer Mike Weinstein, will leave City Hall Nov. 9. “Since 2015, during the transition between my administration and my predecessor’s, Mike Weinstein has been both trusted adviser and friend. His expertise and depth of knowledge helped me prepare balanced budgets that met our city’s priorities, create […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 17, 2018

Activists wanted early voting at Edward Waters College and the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. And now they’ve got it. Duval County Supervisor of Elections Mike Hogan confirmed such in an email to Jacksonville City Council members Monday, noting that “sites will be open to all eligible registered Duval County voters. These two additional sites […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 14, 2018

This week, Jacksonville celebrated a milestone in its history of bond ratings: its first standalone AAA rating. Meanwhile, its local utility suffered a setback. On Monday, CFO Mike Weinstein emailed that the city “received notification that Fitch Ratings has upgraded to ‘AAA’ from ‘AA’ the City’s excise tax revenue bonds.” “Our records show this […]

Tag: Jacksonville

Jacksonville fulfills terms of DOJ disability rights settlement

Meet Tracye Polson, Democrat running for Florida House District 15

Jacksonville Bold for 10.5.18 — Time in a bottle

Jacksonville commemorates Consolidation

Jacksonville Bold for 9.28.18 — A good idea?

Good news for Lenny Curry: Jacksonville unemployment down to 3.5 percent

Jacksonville Bold for 9.21.18 — It’s getting late

Jacksonville CFO Mike Weinstein headed out, treasurer Joey Grieve moving up

Jacksonville to expand early voting sites to University of North Florida, Edward Waters College

Jacksonville celebrates bond rating milestone, as JEA credit trends south