Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschFebruary 16, 2018

Before we get to federal and state news, let’s take a look at local drama. In what has been the roughest week for Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, his administration pushed forth to a skeptical City Council and the querulous crowd a controversial report Wednesday urging the sale of the local public utility. The valuation study […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 15, 2018

Brian Hughes, chief of staff for Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, has been cleared of charges that he violated any laws in an interaction earlier this week with a City Council staffer. Hughes had been accused of “accosting” Jeneen Sanders, assistant to Council President Anna Brosche, in a conversation over Curry’s office not being copied on an email from […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 15, 2018

At the request of Mayor Lenny Curry, the Jacksonville City Council met Wednesday to discuss a “valuation study” commissioned by local utility JEA, as what many observers see as a prerequisite toward “next steps” toward selling the utility. Council President Anna Brosche was adamantly opposed to the meeting, and expressed such Monday, which led Curry, for the […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 14, 2018

In what has been one of the roughest weeks in the tenure of Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, his administration presented to a skeptical City Council — and a more skeptical overflow crowd — a controversial report outlining the benefits of the sale of the local public utility. Profits could be up to $6 billion, the report […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 13, 2018

Save JEA now. That’s the rallying cry of a political committee (Florida Committee for Infrastructure Investment) designed to stop the exploration of selling Jacksonville’s utility in its tracks. The charge: “Mayor Curry and his buddies are trying to sell JEA behind your back. He has already been caught giving misleading statement to the media about the […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 12, 2018

A power struggle between Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and City Council President Anna Brosche continued Monday. The latest field of battle for the two Republican CPAs: the JEA valuation study that will be finalized Wednesday. Brosche rebuffed JEA Board Chair Alan Howard‘s call for a special Council meeting that day to discuss the study, which will suggest exploring the true […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 9, 2018

How to describe the January fundraising for political committees of Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and Sheriff Mike Williams? In a phrase: “Ho-hum.” Curry’s “Build Something That Lasts” brought in just $34,000, constituting the committee’s slowest month since May 2017. Except for $5,000 from Comcast, all of that money was local. The bulk of the $15,822 spent went to […]

Peter SchorschFebruary 9, 2018

In 2015, A.G. Gancarski coined a phrase: “Drive the narrative, or it drives you.” It came as a response to Alvin Brown’s failure to message efficiently in his mayoral election loss to current Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry. This axiom applies to politics up and down the ballot, from city council races to the presidency. Someone […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 8, 2018

It appears that Jacksonville may get state money for a priority project after all, money it has pursued since 2016. On Wednesday, Sen. Aaron Bean got $1 million into the Senate budget for the Talleyrand Connector, This project was originally pitched as a $50 million ask from the state ahead of the 2017 Legislative Session. Back then, the […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 7, 2018

Public Financial Management is developing a valuation report for JEA, and a draft released to media makes the case that Jacksonville’s utility may have a “new answer to the old question of whether the city should sell JEA.” The most telling paragraph in the 25-page draft of the potential sale comes at its close. “In […]

Tag: Lenny Curry

Jacksonville Bold for 2.16.18 — Power play

Jacksonville general counsel clears Brian Hughes in dispute with City Council assistant

Duval GOP chair backs Lenny Curry, turns on Anna Brosche

Jacksonville City Council pushes back hard against JEA sales pitch

Committee messages against JEA privatization

Bad blood: Lenny Curry, Anna Brosche clash over potential JEA sale ahead of Wednesday meeting

Quiet January fundraising for Lenny Curry, Mike Williams committees

Jacksonville Bold for 2.9.18 — Drive, or be driven

Jacksonville ‘Talleyrand Connector’ money slides into Senate budget

JEA draft valuation report lays out benefits of sale