Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 25, 2017

On Monday, a political ally of Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry filed a bill that would close the Florida Retirement System’s defined benefit plan to new cities. This is particularly relevant to Jacksonville’s police and fire unions, both of which want to see new hires put in the FRS defined benefit plan as a condition of collective bargaining. […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 11, 2017

On Wednesday morning, the city of Jacksonville enhanced its pension/benefits offer to the police union. Wednesday afternoon saw a similar conversation with the fire union. Just as with the police union negotiations, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry was on hand at the fire union. The tone was more genial, with Curry and Wyse joking about some matters ahead […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 11, 2017

The city of Jacksonville and its police union resumed collective bargaining for the first time since November on Tuesday, with the sides starting far apart. The daylight between labor and management was significant as last year closed. There’s less daylight after the Wednesday session. The city made an improved offer, one which offers a bigger city […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 28, 2016

Subpoenas with a side of sauce. That’s one way to sum up the year. In Jacksonville politics, 2016 started with subpoenas being delivered to Rep. Corrine Brown and her clique at a barbecue place on the Northside. And it ended with a raid on Councilwoman Katrina Brown’s familial barbecue sauce plant on the Westside. Katrina […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 7, 2016

[Updated: 6:40 p.m. with commentary from Mike Weinstein, at the bottom of the piece.] In the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee Wednesday, Mike Weinstein, the city’s CFO, and Tim Johnson, the director of the Police and Fire Pension Fund, discussed a “waiver” in pension cost allocations that had been controversial in recent news cycles. Their joint appearance was […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 7, 2016

Two bills related to sports and entertainment cleared the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee on Wednesday. The first bill would increase city-imposed ticket surcharges for the Veterans Memorial Arena, the Baseball Grounds of Jax, and the Times Union Center for the Performing Arts, while adding surcharges for events at the under construction amphitheater and flex field at […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 7, 2016

Key Jacksonville officials leave for New York Wednesday, on a pivotal trip for meetings with various bond ratings agencies. 2015’s meetings saw a series of upgrades for the city’s position. Thursday sees meetings with Fitch and Moody’s. Friday offers some time with S&P. Mayor Lenny Curry, Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa, CFO Mike Weinstein, and Treasurer Joey Greive will […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 1, 2016

“Who knew what when?” That’s the question posed by Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police head Steve Zona in a two-paragraph open letter regarding the latest in Jacksonville’s police and fire pension fund drama. On Tuesday, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry expressed frustration over problems with calculations of a “waiver” from the Jacksonville PFPF that could result in an […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 23, 2016

Tuesday saw the Jacksonville Association of Fire Fighters slamming a pension reform proposal from City Hall. Wednesday saw the Fraternal Order of Police doing the same, offering its own proposals for police and corrections that include raises for all employees, pension benefits rolled back to 2015 levels for extant employees, and the Florida Retirement System […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 22, 2016

In 2015, the city of Jacksonville’s annual bond rating trip to New York City was a success, one which improved the city’s credit ratings and allowed the Lenny Curry administration to trumpet its successes well into 2016. Among the accomplishments: Better Jacksonville Plan sales tax revenue upgrades in February to A+ from S&P and Fitch, with a […]

Tag: Mike Weinstein
Sen Rick Scott in Sarasota. Photo by Jacob Ogles.

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Lenny Curry sweetens pension offer to Jacksonville police, gives 30 days to respond

Subpoenas with a side of sauce: The 10 biggest #JaxPol stories of 2016

Jacksonville CFO: money in $44M pension “waiver” is “hiccup” compared to total liability

Ticket surcharge, temporary seat bills clear Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee

‘Reform of the system’ part of the narrative on Jacksonville bond rating trip

Jacksonville FOP fires back against mayor’s office in pension flap

Jacksonville police union: defined benefit pensions are not ‘dinosaurs’

Agenda set for city of Jacksonville bond rating trip