Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiNovember 23, 2015

The Concerned Taxpayers of Duval County have arrived at a “semi-settlement” of their “Text-ghazi” lawsuit against the Jacksonville City Council members involved in forbidden texting during budget deliberations Sept. 21. Scott Wilson, Tommy Hazouri, Joyce Morgan, and Aaron Bowman agreed to terms. “Four of the nine city council members who were being sued over texting about […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 9, 2015

One of the controversies that won’t go away in #jaxpol is the narrative revolving around Jacksonville City Council members Reggie Brown, Katrina Brown, Scott Wilson, Tommy Hazouri, and Reggie Gaffney texting with Jacksonville firefighters union head Randy Wyse during city budget deliberations. Wyse was pushing, as Chris Hong reported in The Florida Times-Union, to ensure […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 9, 2015

The controversy about the Jacksonville City Council members who texted with firefighter union chief Randy Wyse during city budget deliberations in September rages on, and for one candidate for state attorney it has become a political issue. In a prepared statement, Wes White asserts that “members of the City Council engaged in a series of […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 8, 2015

In a memo to Jacksonville City Council, Council President Greg Anderson addressed the recent controversy involving members texting with Fire Union Chief Randy Wyse before a recent vote that restored salary and promotions for Fire Department members at the expense of the stormwater fund. To sum up, council members are prohibited, going forward, from texting […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 25, 2015

On Thursday, when walking to Jacksonville’s City Hall, I talked with a couple of Jacksonville Fire and Rescue personnel (in separate conversations) who were pretty happy about the Jacksonville City Council’s decision, made on a second vote, to take $320,000 from the stormwater fund and put it toward maintaining the positions of 17 district chiefs. […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 17, 2015

As the Jacksonville media digests and reports on Lenny Curry’s inaugural budget, most of us are struck by how positive the initial reaction to it has been, and so we write positive pieces. WJXT had one such piece: “Police, fire leaders like mayor’s budget proposal.” The story had positive comments from Randy Wyse and Sheriff Mike Williams, and Council […]

Kevin MeerschaertApril 21, 2015

The Jacksonville Police and Fire Pension Board of Trustees voted Monday morning to hold off on any appeal of a judge’s ruling that tossed out part of a 30-year agreement it had with the city. Last month, Judge Thomas Beverly stuck down the agreement saying the agreement from 2000 was negotiated in secret, a violation […]

Tag: Randy Wyse

“Semi-settlement” reached on Jacksonville council’s “Text-ghazi”

Jax City Council “Text-ghazi”: much ado about nothing?

Wes White calls for grand jury investigation of Jax Council texters

Greg Anderson drops hammer: no cell phones during Jax City Council meetings

Did text messages sway the Jax City Council firefighter pay boost vote?

Sam Mousa laments “inaccuracies and falsies”

Jax Pension Board will not appeal ruling tossing out 30-year agreement