Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiAugust 13, 2016

In a signal of how important the pension-tax referendum is to Jacksonville’s public safety sector, the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters had the biggest donation of any group to “Yes for Jacksonville,” the political committee marketing the referendum to authorize a half-cent sales tax extension to address the $2.8 billion unfunded pension liability, in the most […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 11, 2016

Though two former Jacksonville City Council presidents, Bill Bishop and Stephen Joost, went to the press in opposition to County Referendum 1, which would authorize the extension of the half-cent sales tax through 2060 to deal with the $2.8 billion unfunded actuarial liability on public pensions, five more came out in support of the measure Thursday. Former […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 11, 2016

On a sweltering Thursday, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry convened with local police and fire union heads and AFSCME members to receive the union’s backing for County Referendum 1, the Aug. 30 plebiscite that would extend the current half-cent sales tax from 2030 to 2060, with the revenue used to guarantee payoff of the $2.8 billion unfunded pension […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 8, 2016

Jacksonville attorney John Winkler may want to debate Mayor Lenny Curry on the merits of the pension tax. But Curry’s not having it. Last week, Winkler challenged Curry to a debate, to be held Tuesday night on Jacksonville’s Southside. Winkler had expected to dialogue with Mayor Curry at a WJCT town hall event, but the scheduling fell […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 8, 2016

“Yes for Jacksonville,” the political committee set up to sell Jacksonville’s pension-tax referendum, raised $255,000 in the last week of July. All told, the committee has raised nearly $1.6 million, and has just under $1 million cash-on-hand. All of the new money was reported as received on July 29, with the usual big donors contributing big […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 5, 2016

Jacksonville lawyer John Winkler is one of the most outspoken opponents of extending the half-cent sales tax to deal with the city’s unfunded pension liability. To that end he has mobilized, with a political committee, a ubiquity in comment threads, and on Tuesday, he threw down the gauntlet to debate. “I hereby offer you a public opportunity […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 3, 2016

Along the lines of its commercials, currently airing on Jacksonville television in heavy rotation, “Yes for Jacksonville” pushed out a long-form web video this week as part of its closing argument for why the half-cent sales tax should be extended to re-amortize and retire the $2.7 billion unfunded actuarial liability faced by Jacksonville’s public pensions. […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 2, 2016

For the first time since an October rally at the Jacksonville Landing, GOP Presidential nominee Donald Trump will be in Jacksonville, this time at 7 p.m. at the Veterans’ Memorial Arena. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry will be there, his office confirms. However, when FloridaPolitics.com asked Curry’s office questions related to Trump’s contretemps with Khizr Khan and […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 25, 2016

On Monday, an emphatic Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry pushed back against the untimely release of a draft version of a sheriff’s task force report saying County Referendum 1 — extending the current half-cent sales tax to address pension costs — wasn’t going far enough without a millage hike accompanying it. The genesis of the Monday morning presser […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 22, 2016

On Thursday Kerri Stewart, chief of staff for Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, addressed the Jax Chamber North Council. Among the topics: Curry’s first year in office, the new budget and, inexorably, the pension tax referendum, which Stewart has been marketing around town along with Curry and members of the Jacksonville City Council. Stewart rattled off the mayoral priorities in the […]

Tag: pension tax referendum
Image via Palatka Main Street.

Fire union spends $50K on ‘Yes for Jacksonville’

Former Jax Council presidents back pension tax referendum

AFSCME backing illustrates unique marketing of Jax pension tax referendum

No debate on Jax pension tax for Lenny Curry

Yes for Jacksonville finishes July with $255K fundraising week, nears $1M cash on hand

Pension tax opponent challenges Lenny Curry to debate

‘Yes for Jacksonville’ releases longform web video pushing pension tax

Tommy Hazouri talks Lenny Curry, Donald Trump, and pension tax push to Dems

Lenny Curry describes leak of task force draft report panning pension tax as ‘purely political’

Kerri Stewart pitches pension tax to Jax Chamber North Council