Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiNovember 24, 2015

The penultimate Jacksonville City Council meeting of the year, on “getaway day” before Thanksgiving break unofficially begins, had, in theory, a light agenda with expected heavy public comment on the HRO and related issues. In practice, though the agenda was light and the public comment was robust, the HRO commentary was surprisingly muted. The agenda […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 24, 2015

The JEA Agreement Committee meeting last week brimmed with optimism over getting close to an accord on the contribution proposal. Would Tuesday’s meeting brim with similar good feeling and bonhomie? Not so much. JEA CEO Paul McElroy noted that “given where we are with our governance structure,” it would be necessary to have the board consider […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 20, 2015

10903884_1377369782571879_940179360091474229_o-1024x1024.jpg

Jacksonville City Councilman Reggie Brown has a problem in his sprawling District 10, which encompasses parts of NW Jacksonville, the Northside, and the Westside. To have an effective town hall meeting, he has to set up three events. The folks off Soutel Road, and the folks in Pickettville, have different concerns, preoccupations, and issues. And […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 18, 2015

Bill Gulliford celebrated his 72nd birthday by chairing the JEA Agreement meeting, promising, at long last, an extended discussion of the contribution formula, before a vote on it next Tuesday. The proposal specs: a 10-year agreement, starting October 2016; a contribution floor of $114,187,538; a reset of tax millage to achieve the floor; an annual […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 10, 2015

In the third to the last Jacksonville City council meeting of 2016, the agenda had a couple of interesting items. Perhaps most interesting: two bills that would restore a pay cut made in 2010. As council went through some lengthy recognition ceremonies, a phalanx of police officers stood in the back of the room. Police […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 4, 2015

An interesting power struggle on Jacksonville’s City Council right now revolves around the question of whether or not the Finance Committee has too much power over the budget process. On one side, freshman councilwoman Katrina Brown; on the other, statute and accepted tradition. To that end, Brown has scheduled public notice meetings to gin up […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 20, 2015

The Jacksonville Recreation, Community Development, Public Health and Safety Committee had a light agenda Tuesday morning. The big bill on the agenda was an amended and restated golf course lease and management agreement with Comstock Golf Management’s financially struggling nine-hole golf club at Blue Cypress in Arlington. Councilman Matt Schellenberg pointed out that “if you don’t […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 19, 2015

It seemed simple enough on the agenda for the Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee on Monday morning: a bill to allow a vehicle allowance for Supervisor of Elections Mike Hogan. However, the Wu Tang Clan “Can it all really be so simple?” rule definitely was in effect when the bill led to much broader discussion […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 13, 2015

Finally, Jacksonville City Council meetings are lively again. Between reactions to a good chunk of Council being sued for texting a lobbyist during a budget meeting, the removal of a Lenny Curry appointment of Jay Demetree from the consent agenda, and a public comment protest campaign planned in reaction to the replacement of Planning Commission member Joey McKinnon […]

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 […]

Tag: Reggie Brown

Jax City Council light on agenda, heavy on public comment

JEA Agreement contribution negotiations snag because of board turnover

Reggie Brown calls attention to Council mail out inefficiencies

JEA Agreement meeting addresses contribution formula proposal

As police officers look on, Jax City Council punts on its own pay raise

Katrina Brown pitches Jax budget process changes to Council veterans

Jax recreation panel backs Blue Cypress golf course deal

Jax Council Finance Committee looks to revisit city vehicle allowances

Planning Commission drama enlivens Jacksonville City Council

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