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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 3, 2015

Jacksonville finally is on the verge of having a Charlotte’s Web bill, addressing cultivation, processing, and dispensing of low-THC cannabis. It comes after a tortuous process that spanned two classes of Jacksonville’s City Council, encompassed five months and two moratoriums, and took three joint workshops between Land Use and Zoning and the Planning Commission this fall. The […]

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. GancarskiNovember 2, 2015

A crowded agenda greeted the Jacksonville City Council’s Finance Committee on Monday morning, ahead of two Public Notice meetings featuring Finance Chair Bill Gulliford on the ever-controversial Police and Fire Pension Fund. Matt Schellenberg’s bill to allow a ballot measure to increase the maximum number of consecutive terms for council members to three met with pushback from council Vice […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 30, 2015

Hours after former Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney threw some cold water on the heated coverage of the Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Fund “forensic audit,” another former mayor gave FloridaPolitics.com brief comments on the audit released this week. Tommy Hazouri said he’s “going to thoroughly read the forensic audit,” all 143 pages of it, ahead […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 28, 2015

On Wednesday morning, the Jacksonville City Council Public Service Grants committee continued its efforts to refine the PSG Committee processes. The process, described as “broken” and “lacking credibility,” was a major sticking point in August and September budget talks. Some divergence among committee members could be observed in the utility of Requests for Proposals, with committee […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 28, 2015

On Wednesday morning, the Jacksonville City Council Executive Personnel Committee, including Council members Bill Gulliford, Lori Boyer, John Crescimbeni and Chairman Greg Anderson met briefly to discuss increases in salaries for staff and council members. Arguably the four most powerful council members, they almost invariably drive debate and frame narratives. Councilman Matt Schellenberg introduced a bill […]

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

Jacksonville’s City Council meets on Tuesday, and it could be a meeting dominated as much by interpersonal conflict as by legislation. One topic worthy of note: the presentation of Inspector General Thomas Cline. He gave a shaky performance last week in front of the Inspector General Selection and Retention Committee in presenting his six-month review. […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 22, 2015

When last we heard from Jacksonville’s Inspector General Thomas Cline, Councilman John Crescimbeni was going in on him during a Finance Committee budget hearing where Cline had to be coached through the answers to myriad questions. “I gotta tell you, I’m just not sensing a really high level of comfort with the direction we’re going […]

Tag: Lori Boyer

Katrina Brown pitches Jax budget process changes to Council veterans

Jacksonville holds final Charlotte’s Web workshop

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

Jax Finance Committee backs staff pay increases, punts on term limit increase

Tommy Hazouri on Jax PFPF audit: “We need to get to the truth”

“Broken” Jax Public Service Grants process fixes discussed in committee

Jax City Council looks to boost staff pay, personal compensation

Jax City Council OKs Planning Commission moves, scrutinizes inspector general

Inspector general, Planning Commission to take center stage at Jax council meeting

On shaky ground already, Jax inspector general grilled by IG committee