Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiAugust 3, 2016

Running the risk of courting controversy with the local press, and perhaps some friction with Democrats and independents ahead of the Aug. 30 pension tax referendum, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry served as master of ceremonies at the Donald Trump rally Wednesday in front of a crowd of roughly 8,000 Trump supporters, which filled out further after his portion […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 26, 2016

On Monday evening, as the eyes of most Jacksonville Democrats were glued to their TV screens to see Philadelphia’s drama, a more local event, with more relevance in terms of local representation, was off television and in a local church. Candidates in Jacksonville’s House District 13, where incumbent Reggie Fullwood has drawn three primary challengers and […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 18, 2016

As promised ahead of Monday, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry‘s second budget was lean and devoid of much in the way of enhancements. A few city departments did come out ahead. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office will get 40 new police officers and 40 new community service officers, which augments the 40 of each provided in the current […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 15, 2016

The highlight of the most recent campaign finance report for “Yes for Jacksonville” was on the spending side. The political committee is promoting a yes vote on the Aug. 30 referendum to extend a current half-cent sales tax to address the unfunded pension liability. There was $150,000 committed to media advertising, part of a $193,000 spend that […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 28, 2016

The Arlington neighborhood of Jacksonville is like a former beauty queen who lost her looks. The strip malls look rough now — half empty in many cases, and the retail trends downmarket. The neighborhoods look rough — more renters than previous years, more owner-occupied homes headed into foreclosure, despite the strong macroeconomic numbers that would seem to […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 15, 2016

It’s hard not to like Jacksonville City Council President Greg Anderson. When the at-large councilman assumed the yearlong position of president last summer, one media headline lauded him as a “Southern Gentleman.” And despite the slings and arrows from people on and off the council, he has lived up to that designation. He came to the presidency […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 23, 2016

At an event celebrating the Jacksonville office of MacQuarie, which will create 125 jobs by the end of next year, Gov. Rick Scott and Mayor Lenny Curry took questions on subjects that were just a bit more contentious than job creation, including the Discretionary Sales Surtax bill making its way through Tallahassee, and the stalled […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 22, 2016

FloridaPolitics.com had a look last week at the numbers behind Jacksonville’s “pension tax” bill, designed to repurpose/extend the Better Jacksonville Plan half-cent sales tax. With the bill on the House Special Order calendar for Tuesday, a last-minute amendment was filed. “The payroll of all employees in classifications covered by a closed retirement plan or system that […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 11, 2016

2016-17, the bill repurposing Jacksonville’s Better Jacksonville Plan 1/2 cent sales tax for unfunded liability pension relief, is sponsored by the entire City Council. The bill resolves that relevant Florida statute “should be amended in order to permit counties with an already existing 1/2 penny sales surtax for infrastructure to extend and repurpose such tax for […]

Tag: pension tax
Las Vegas Strip transforms into a Grand Prix.

Lenny Curry serves as master of ceremonies on the Trump Train

Jax HD 13 Dems talk crime, pension tax, marijuana, LGBT rights, and biased media

Lenny Curry introduces lean budget, sells pension-tax referendum

Spending begins for Jax pension tax effort

Jax pension tax referendum gets resistance at Arlington town hall

Greg Anderson looks back on his Jacksonville City Council presidency

Lenny Curry, Rick Scott talk pension tax, HRO, 2016 election

Jax pension tax bill gets final amendment before House Special Order calendar

Entire Jax City Council co-sponsors Lenny Curry pension tax resolution