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A.G. GancarskiAugust 4, 2015

The Tuesday morning meeting of the Jacksonville City Council Recreation, Community Development, Public Health and Safety Committee happened as scheduled. A few highlights. The first order of business was a discussion of 2015-143, a bill marked “DEFER” in the agenda. Councilman Reggie Brown wanted to know why the city’s approach to accepting grants was “stagnant.” […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 4, 2015

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In some ways, northwest Jacksonville Councilman Reggie Brown is the most interesting member of the Jacksonville City Council right now. For one thing, talk that he might run for a State House seat (the gossip says HD 14, where the only competition at the moment is Leslie Scott Jean-Bart) persist. Brown, for his part, isn’t saying that […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 3, 2015

In Jacksonville on Monday morning, in addition to addressing reporters’ questions about her district lines being redrawn, U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown had another piece of business to attend to: launching a statewide petition drive for the November 2016 ballot to protect health care funding. The timing was not coincidental, since the news conference was called […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 29, 2015

Jacksonville’s Special Committee on the JEA Agreement doesn’t exactly grab the headlines. However, to those living in Jacksonville and subject to mandatory sewage, water, and power service from the public utility, the relationship between Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Electric Authority bears watching, as Florida Politics did during their Tuesday afternoon meeting. The meeting agenda identified […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 22, 2015

Optimism is the watchword at the St. James Building these days. You hear it from people on the outside, such as Jax Chamber Chairman Daniel Davis, who sent Curry a note this week that said it all: “Really glad that you are my mayor.” Spoiler alert: Don’t look for any drama when the Chamber gets […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 22, 2015

One of the big talkers in the Lenny Curry budget analysis cycle has been the rundown condition of sidewalks in Jacksonville. WJXT had a story on it on Tuesday, in which they observed that more than 500 sidewalk repairs officially are needed, some dating back three years. “I think a lot of quality of life is having […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 20, 2015

As our Reggie Brown interview indicated, there is a mood of what Ronald Reagan called “trust but verify” regarding the new Lenny Curry budget. This mood permeated Monday’s Finance Committee meeting, as one might expect. Powerful local lobbyist Paul Harden pushed for action on a bill that would push $1.2M for one of his clients, Steve Leggett, for repayment […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 20, 2015

Over the course of the day, we will have reactions from Jacksonville City Council members to the Lenny Curry budget. The first one we talked with, second term Councilman Reggie Brown, was cautiously optimistic. It was “presented well,” said Brown, who represents District 10 in the Northwest Quadrant,. The budget “was good on the surface,” yet “it’s […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 18, 2015

Thursday morning Jacksonville transition team budget reviews continue with the Office of Economic Development. 9:55: No revenue. Expenses: salaries down $33K. Health insurance up. Office of General Counsel allocation down by $65K. Removed extraordinary lapse, imposed by City Council last year. Flat budget; no major changes. 9:57: Why is parking under Eco Dev? Sam Mousa says that […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 4, 2015

One of the recurring issues in this country’s post-industrial epoch is assessing and fixing damage left by manufacturing operations that often have long since ceased operation. There are many consequences, and one such environmental consequence is “brownfields.” Jacksonville has its share: the old shipyards, and abandoned factories of all types, and pulp mills. The common […]

Tag: Reggie Brown
Last time this happened, the Earth got plants. Image via Popular Science.

Jax council committee mulls Van Wert, cadavers, blight

Reggie Brown questions nature of consolidation

Corrine Brown launches statewide health care petition drive

JEA and COJ: at “cross purposes and cross goals”?

Garrett Dennis takes over Jax Council Blight Committee, changes name to NICE Committee

Jim Love, Reggie Brown and sidewalk talk

Jax City Council: On Lenny Curry budget, “the devil’s in the details”

Reggie Brown reacts to Lenny Curry budget presentation

Jacksonville Transition Budget Review: Economic Development

Does EPA giving Jax $400K for brownfields cleanup matter?