Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiAugust 23, 2016

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On Tuesday, the Friends of Hemming Park group got more capital for its operations when the Jacksonville City Council appropriated $132,618. Of that total, $74,618 went into a council contingency account, related to the Southwest Airlines allocated earlier this year, with the expectation a stage would be built. Meanwhile, $58,000 was allocated for August and September, to close […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 11, 2016

Spending will go up on public safety, stay flat in most other areas. Revenue will be up, though millage collection still isn’t back to where it was before the crash of 2008, and business tax collection is down almost 10 percent. These insights and others were to be heard in council chambers Thursday morning, as […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 18, 2016

Hopes were that Jacksonville would find its new Inspector General by the end of the summer. However, that search appears destined to go longer. A Monday meeting involving Council President Lori Boyer, Council Vice President John Crescimbeni, and Carla Miller of the ethics office revealed a general dissatisfaction with the shallow pool of applicants. Reopening the advertisement will […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 29, 2016

The Jacksonville mayor’s office budget reviews continued bright and early Wednesday morning, with the city council’s budget subjected to the tender mercies of Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa and Chief Financial Officer Mike Weinstein. There was little controversy. And in the case of the council, look for increased spending. And look for John Crescimbeni to, at long last, […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 15, 2016

Beach Boulevard and Atlantic Boulevard on Jacksonville’s Southside have seen better days. Their infrastructure — and their buildings — would be eligible for Social Security if they were people. Meanwhile, the neighborhoods nearby likewise suffer. Parental Home Road. Hogan Road. Grove Park. The northern stretch of Touchton. Windy Hill. These neighborhoods fall into a netherworld. They clearly […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 14, 2016

As Jacksonville continues to refine its Inspector General position, two bills to that effect highlighted a quiet agenda. One bill expanded the duties of the Inspector General to cover the entire consolidated government. It passed 18-0 without discussion. And a second sought to remove the provision that the Inspector General could not have been employed by the city […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 13, 2016

A sense of urgency permeated the Jacksonville City Council Vehicles for Hire committee Monday afternoon, as the longstanding special committee met yet again to determine regulations for Uber and Lyft, in what was supposed to be the last meeting of this special committee. Though insurance levels had been agreed upon, as was the concept of […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 7, 2016

On an otherwise quiet Tuesday in the Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee, the panel moved to remove the provision that the inspector general shall not have been employed by city government or any other governmental entity within two years before before being selected, unless the appointment was in the IG’s office. The bill, moved on an […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 6, 2016

Monday’s meeting of the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee included a discussion of Zika, expansion of the role of the inspector general, and approval of a July 18 date for Mayor Lenny Curry‘s budget address. All measures approved will require full Council approval next Tuesday. — 2016-320 would move $122,554 from the mosquito control fund balance to […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 3, 2016

On Thursday, the Florida Times-Union reported on a setback for a family business of Jacksonville City Councilwoman Katrina Brown. Councilwoman Brown’s CoWealth LLC was found to be in default for $590,000 in loans and grants, related to Jerome Brown BBQ Sauce, a barbecue sauce manufacturing company that hasn’t ramped up as quickly as was intended when Brown’s family […]

Tag: John Crescimbeni

Friends with benefits: Hemming Park group gets more cash

Jax City Council begins budget deliberations

Jax Inspector General search to be prolonged

More money in Jax City Council budget next year

How Jacksonville’s economic incentives leave the Southside behind

Jax City Council moves inspector general legislation

Jax Vehicles for Hire committee meanders to conclusion

Jax Council Rules committee relaxes inspector general ‘2-year rule’

Jax Finance Committee talks Zika, Inspector General, mayoral budget address date

A brief interview with Jax Councilwoman Katrina Brown