Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiMarch 29, 2018

On the issue of the potential sale of Jacksonville public utility JEA, a narrative turning point occurred Tuesday. City Council members voted to expand the five-person special committee of sale skeptics to include the full council while divesting the panel of subpoena powers (such as those imposed on JEA CEO Paul McElroy two weeks prior). In […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 28, 2018

Jacksonville’s City Hall has been roiled for weeks with claims and counterclaims about whether or not Mayor Lenny Curry wants to sell the local utility, JEA. Tuesday evening saw a floor motion to successfully kneecap a five-person special committee that was evaluating whether or not JEA should be sold; the committee now includes everyone on the […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 28, 2018

On WJCT’s “First Coast Connect“, Jacksonville City Councilman Garrett Dennis sat for his first interview Wednesday since the Council made the decision to strip the JEA Special Committee of subpoena power and include everyone on council in the committee. As expected, Dennis (a member of what was a five-person committee and a staunch critic of selling JEA) […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 26, 2018

Jacksonville City Council President Anna Brosche got her task force to look at transparency in local government. The bill (2018-133) passed Tuesday’s Council agenda after having passed the Rules Committee unanimously last week, though the vote didn’t reflect issues between one committee member and a controversial nominee. “The Task Force on Open Government” will “undertake an in-depth review of […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 22, 2018

During a Wednesday public notice meeting regarding the pros and cons of selling JEA, John Crescimbeni, who chairs a special committee on the “potential sale” of JEA, advised a Council colleague who thought the local utility’s electrical component could fetch $5 billion on the open market to “stay tuned to our special committee.” That special committee met […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 21, 2018

Lost in all the drama and metadiscourse regarding Jacksonville’s potential sale of local utility JEA: whether the sale is good for the city or not. A meeting at 1 p.m. at Jacksonville City Hall between City Council members moved to resolve that question. Councilman Matt Schellenberg (the Council liaison to JEA, who is as open to […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 19, 2018

Committees run Monday and Tuesday for the Jacksonville City Council; high-profile measures ranging from cannabis regulation changes to a JEA sale straw ballot have already been deferred in Monday committees. JEA Referendum: Ordinance 2018-141 would set a public straw vote referendum on the November 2018 ballot regarding selling more than 10 percent of JEA. The […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 16, 2018

On Thursday, a Jacksonville City Council panel again delved into the relative merits of selling JEA, the local utility. As has been the case throughout this discussion, flashpoints of tension abounded, kicked off by a familiar antagonist of the Mayor’s Office. The tension led to not one but two witnesses refusing to testify, given the committee […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 9, 2018

Yet another group of Jacksonville community stakeholders will now weigh in on a potential sale of JEA, the city’s municipal utility. Friday saw the Jacksonville Civic Council announce its creation of a “public finance task force,” which will have a special committee to look at a potential sale or other options for the 128-year-old utility. […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 9, 2018

The Jacksonville Ethics Commission legislative subcommittee continued its inquiry Friday into conflicts of interest, transparency issues, and post-employment matters. The issue has a new urgency in light of the exploration of the sale of JEA, which could potentially offer incentives to outgoing officeholders and candidates. The discussion included those issues (and corollaries) such as the use […]

Tag: JEA

Lenny Curry denies pulling strings, intimidating Jacksonville City Council members over JEA issue

Alvin Brown: JEA a ‘tremendous asset … should remain with the people’

Duval drama: Garrett Dennis charges Lenny Curry team with intimidation, ‘subliminal tactics’

Jacksonville ‘open government task force’ passes city council

Jacksonville Council auditor throws cold water on JEA sale fever

Jacksonville City Councilor seeks $5B net for JEA electric sale; colleagues skeptical

Jacksonville City Council committee defers JEA sale straw ballot bill

Jacksonville City Council panel to subpoena JEA CEO Paul McElroy

Jacksonville Civic Council forms committee to ‘assess’ possible JEA sale

Jacksonville ethics panel probes tightening code in light of JEA sale talks