Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiNovember 10, 2015

In the third to the last Jacksonville City council meeting of 2016, the agenda had a couple of interesting items. Perhaps most interesting: two bills that would restore a pay cut made in 2010. As council went through some lengthy recognition ceremonies, a phalanx of police officers stood in the back of the room. Police […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 9, 2015

Rookie Jacksonville Councilwoman Anna Brosche, as chair of this special committee regarding the oft-criticized public service grants process, has chaired a number of meetings looking to streamline operations. A rain soaked Monday morning saw another one of these meetings. Attention, as in previous meetings, was paid toward refining the application process with a goal toward ensuring […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 4, 2015

An interesting power struggle on Jacksonville’s City Council right now revolves around the question of whether or not the Finance Committee has too much power over the budget process. On one side, freshman councilwoman Katrina Brown; on the other, statute and accepted tradition. To that end, Brown has scheduled public notice meetings to gin up […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 4, 2015

The one scheduled public notice meeting at Jacksonville’s City Council on Wednesday: Councilwoman Katrina Brown meeting at 3:00 p.m. with Councilman Tommy Hazouri on the subject of having the city’s annual budget bills considered by the whole Council for deliberation and vote. This would significantly alter the process, which involved seven day-long deliberations by the Finance […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 3, 2015

On Tuesday morning, the Jacksonville Recreation, Community Development, Public Health and Safety Committee handled a number of bills. One such: 2015-428, a bill from the Capital Improvement Project committee, which Councilwoman Lori Boyer discussed. “The real reason this particular bill was referred to RCDPHS,” said Boyer, was that it “provides that the administration in the […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 27, 2015

Jacksonville’s City Council meeting on Tuesday night was light in terms of agenda items; expectations going in were for some fireworks on the Planning Commission removal of Lisa King and Joey McKinnon, and, perhaps, council scrutiny of the embattled Inspector General Thomas Cline. As expected, King and McKinnon were removed in favor of Lenny Curry […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 26, 2015

A bill just introduced in Jacksonville’s City Council by Councilwoman Katrina Brown seems to be a proposed altering of the budget process, pushing for consideration in August by the Committee of the Whole. The bill seems to circumvent the Finance Committee’s exhaustive review of the Budget process, instead placing the responsibility on the entire body. […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 13, 2015

Finally, Jacksonville City Council meetings are lively again. Between reactions to a good chunk of Council being sued for texting a lobbyist during a budget meeting, the removal of a Lenny Curry appointment of Jay Demetree from the consent agenda, and a public comment protest campaign planned in reaction to the replacement of Planning Commission member Joey McKinnon […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 9, 2015

One of the controversies that won’t go away in #jaxpol is the narrative revolving around Jacksonville City Council members Reggie Brown, Katrina Brown, Scott Wilson, Tommy Hazouri, and Reggie Gaffney texting with Jacksonville firefighters union head Randy Wyse during city budget deliberations. Wyse was pushing, as Chris Hong reported in The Florida Times-Union, to ensure […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 8, 2015

The persistent, percussive oomph of oom-pah polka filled the air, drowning out the off-record conversations among elected officials and those they represent in Hemming Plaza on Wednesday night, as Jacksonville’s storied Art Walk held its third Oktoberfest celebration. The main attraction for political watchers: Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, who was joined by longtime Jaguars mascot Curtis “Jaxson […]

Tag: Katrina Brown

As police officers look on, Jax City Council punts on its own pay raise

Jax PSG committee continues work on streamlining grants process

Katrina Brown pitches Jax budget process changes to Council veterans

Katrina Brown attempts to build momentum for Jax budget process reform

Jax RCDPHS committee OKs capital improvement bill, LEAP $, Riverside dog park funds

Jax City Council OKs Planning Commission moves, scrutinizes inspector general

Jacksonville bill seeks to alter yearly budget process

Planning Commission drama enlivens Jacksonville City Council

Jax City Council “Text-ghazi”: much ado about nothing?

Lenny Curry leads Jax Artwalk Oktoberfest celebration