Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 8, 2017

The Jacksonville City Council’s Finance Committee approved the expansion of the city’s Human Rights Ordinance on Wednesday morning. The measure was approved by a 4-3 vote, with Bill Gulliford, Sam Newby, and Matt Schellenberg opposing expansion. The expansion would add sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression to the list of protected categories under the ordinance, which ensures […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 25, 2017

As with the morning collective bargaining session with the city’s fire union, the city of Jacksonville’s afternoon session with the police union saw a sweetened offer for police and corrections. But with the sweet comes the sour. The Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police held firm to the #YesToFRS position for new hires … and opened […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 25, 2017

On Monday, a political ally of Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry filed a bill that would close the Florida Retirement System’s defined benefit plan to new cities. This is particularly relevant to Jacksonville’s police and fire unions, both of which want to see new hires put in the FRS defined benefit plan as a condition of collective bargaining. […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 13, 2016

As city of Jacksonville negotiators square off with union heads for a protracted round of collective bargaining, Jacksonville General Counsel Jason Gabriel advises legislators to stay in their lane. In an email sent Friday to council members, Gabriel noted that “questions have been raised recently with respect to whether City Council members should accept invitations from union […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 18, 2016

An ongoing saga of the Lenny Curry administration in Jacksonville has been how to deal with the Senior Staff Voluntary Retirement Plan of the Police and Fire Pension Fund. Earlier this year, the Curry administration opted to scuttle the plan. Though it’s taken some time, a legal challenge may yet manifest from one of Florida’s top lawyers. The […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 23, 2016

For the Duval County School Board, the slogan might be “wake me when September ends.” Earlier in the month, the board evaluated Superintendent Nikolai Vitti, deeming him “effective,” even though below the surface questions loomed about widening achievement gaps inside demographic categories of the student population. From there, board chair Ashley Smith-Juarez, according to Vitti, scheduled a meeting […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 5, 2016

On Tuesday, Jacksonville Ethics head Carla Miller and General Counsel Jason Gabriel weighed in on the recent ad Angela Corey filmed at the State Attorney’s office. The short version: it is permissible for incumbents to film political ads in the taxpayer-funded buildings that house their offices, as long as challengers receive a similar unfettered consideration. Tuesday, Miller wrote […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 23, 2016

The ongoing battle between Jacksonville General Counsel Jason Gabriel and the Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Fund has simmered all spring and into the summer. Earlier in June, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and general counsel Gabriel took aim at the “arrogance and disregard for taxpayers” and “a blatant disregard of public records law” by the Police and Fire […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 2, 2016

The cold war between the executive branch and the police and fire pension fund in Jacksonville keeps heating up on the legal front. At the heart of it all: questions about the city charter, the function of independent authorities, and whether the pension fund is co-equal, in legal terms, with the government of the city […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 1, 2016

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and General Counsel Jason Gabriel have taken aim at the “arrogance and disregard for taxpayers” and “a blatant disregard of public records law” by the Police and Fire Pension Fund, as it relates to soliciting Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi‘s opinion on the legality of the PFPF’s Senior Staff Voluntary Retirement Fund. To that end, Curry […]

Tag: Jason Gabriel

Jacksonville HRO clears final city council committee

Jacksonville, police union haggle over body cameras, pensions

Jacksonville offers seven year agreement to firefighters in collective bargaining

Jacksonville General Counsel reminds City Council to stay out of collective bargaining

Jacksonville may face legal challenge on phasing out special pension plan

‘Broken’ Duval County School Board castigates media, each other in contentious conclave

Jax General Counsel OKs political ads filmed in public buildings

Jax General Counsel asserts primacy over JPFPF, via binding legal opinion

Jax General Counsel slams JPFPF subversion of his legal authority, city charter

Lenny Curry writes Pam Bondi, says Jax PFPF ‘ignore[s] the law’