Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

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. GancarskiAugust 5, 2016

Even in the annals of unproductive Jacksonville City Council committees, the Vehicles for Hire committee held pride of place for its intoxicating blend of overheated lobbyist rhetoric, committee members who seemed to be in the tank for one side or another, and, in the end, a lack of meaningful consensus on workable regulations for Uber, Lyft, […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 20, 2016

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On Wednesday, the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee discussed a council auditor report, which contended the Friends of Hemming Park was “insolvent” as recently as May. Concomitant to that discussion: a deferred $150,000 allocation bill to cede new money to Hemming Park. And Mayor Lenny Curry seeking in his new budget to cut the appropriation to […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 18, 2016

After a budget presentation that saw draconian cuts imposed on the Friends of Hemming Park, with $250,000 of new money allocated in Lenny Curry‘s new budget, the Jacksonville City Council took some whacks at the pinata. A new council auditor’s report on FOHP detailed lots of incidental spending, including on coffee and meals that members of […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 6, 2016

Former Duval County Sheriff John Rutherford, a Republican in Florida’s 4th Congressional District race, rolled out key endorsements Wednesday. “I am proud to release this list of elected officials supporting my message of reforming Washington. Americans are sick and tired of a federal government that does not respond to their needs,” Rutherford said. The endorsers: Tax […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 21, 2016

The proposed referendum allowing local gambling magnate bestbet to bring 2,000 slots, if approved by voters in a November vote, to their Arlington location, cleared the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee Monday. Tuesday, it was the Rules committee’s turn to push their green buttons in support. In a unanimous Tuesday afternoon vote that had about as much drama […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 21, 2016

The passage of the revamped Public Investment Policy (PIP) was the big news to come out of Tuesday’s meeting of the Jacksonville City Council Recreation, Community Development, Public Health and Safety Committee. This was the final meeting of the combined RCDPHS committee, which will be split up and given sharper individuation and focus under incoming Council […]

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 Tuesday morning, the Jacksonville City Council Recreation, Community Development, Public Health, and Safety committee mulled Zika-related legislation. One bill, which moves $122,524 from the mosquito control fund balance to allocations for insecticide and equipment this fiscal year and next, was approved by the Finance Committee Monday. RCDPHS approved the bill 5-0 without discussion. A […]

Melissa RossJune 2, 2016

Despite a somewhat stalled process over vehicle inspections and background checks, the man heading up the regulatory argument in Jacksonville over Uber and Lyft says progress is hopefully imminent. I think where we’re going is a good place,” says City Councilman Matt Schellenberg. Schellenberg chairs the council’s Vehicles for Hire committee. “We hope to get […]

Tag: Matt Schellenberg
Image via AP.

Jax City Council begins budget deliberations

Final Jax ‘vehicles for hire’ committee report says taxis are over-regulated

Friends of Hemming Park scrutinized by Jax Council Finance Committee

‘Frivolous’ Hemming Park spending raises Jax Council concerns

Congressional candidate John Rutherford rolls out key Jax endorsements

Slots bill scores with final Jax Council committee

Public Investment Policy clears final Jax Council committee

Jax Vehicles for Hire committee meanders to conclusion

Second Jax council committee approves mosquito-control funds

Matt Schellenberg: taxis should ditch medallions, introduce their own apps like Uber