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A.G. GancarskiAugust 11, 2016

Even in a tight budget year in Jacksonville, the sheriff’s office, and the fire and rescue department still have to be fed. On Thursday afternoon, the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee took a look at public safety budgets. There was little in the way of controversy, even on enhancements, compared to the surprisingly contentious inspector […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 29, 2016

City leaders from the mayor’s office, the sheriff’s office, and the fire and rescue department rehearsed policy responses to a simulated terrorist incident Friday. In the 21st century Western world, terror is an ever-present threat. From the attacks in Brussels and Paris, to those closer to home such as Boston and San Bernardino, local policy […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 21, 2016

On Thursday, Jacksonville City Council members Lori Boyer and Aaron Bowman convened to discuss a piece of cure legislation, intended to resolve Council’s budget night decision to move $330,799 from stormwater to safety officer salaries. Before that meeting, I talked with Fire Chief Kurtis Wilson about the need for safety officers, something that has gotten obscured in the procedural drama […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 19, 2016

A recurring concern of the Lenny Curry administration: improving fire safety. To that end, some good news when Jacksonville leaders said Monday that Jacksonville is the largest city in the country to get a Class 1 rating. The Class 1 rating denotes, in the words of the administration’s Charles Moreland, “the highest service available.” Moreland, a former […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 5, 2016

Jacksonville City Council’s Tuesday Recreation, Community Development, Public Health, and Safety (RCDPHS) committee meeting was highlighted by Pension Tax and Public Health talk, and an extended discussion of a controversial Fire and Rescue salary allocation from September’s budget hearings. The Health Department’s Kelly Wells announced new initiatives, such as the 60 Days to Better Health challenge […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 5, 2015

A news release from Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry confirms talk that Kirk Wendland, who was part of CAO Sam Mousa‘s “budget SWAT Team” this summer, has been hired to head the Office of Economic Development. Wendland will make $150,000 per year as OED director. Wendland is director of business development at Stellar, an architecture, engineering and construction firm. […]

Tag: Kurtis Wilson

Jax City Council mulls police, fire budgets

Jacksonville rehearses “One Voice” response to terror scenario

Jax Safety Officer salary cure legislation moves closer to reality

Jacksonville achieves Class 1 fire safety rating

Jax rec committee talks public health, pension tax plan, JFRD budget

Kirk Wendland tapped for Jax OED