Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiDecember 7, 2016

Key Jacksonville officials leave for New York Wednesday, on a pivotal trip for meetings with various bond ratings agencies. 2015’s meetings saw a series of upgrades for the city’s position. Thursday sees meetings with Fitch and Moody’s. Friday offers some time with S&P. Mayor Lenny Curry, Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa, CFO Mike Weinstein, and Treasurer Joey Greive will […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 1, 2016

“Who knew what when?” That’s the question posed by Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police head Steve Zona in a two-paragraph open letter regarding the latest in Jacksonville’s police and fire pension fund drama. On Tuesday, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry expressed frustration over problems with calculations of a “waiver” from the Jacksonville PFPF that could result in an […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 29, 2016

Tuesday saw negotiators from the City of Jacksonville squaring off with the Jacksonville Supervisors Association in collective bargaining. And substantial progress was made on key elements during two sessions. As with the other bargaining units, the city is negotiating with in the wake of the passage of August’s County Referendum 1, a considerable gap looms between what […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 23, 2016

Tuesday saw the Jacksonville Association of Fire Fighters slamming a pension reform proposal from City Hall. Wednesday saw the Fraternal Order of Police doing the same, offering its own proposals for police and corrections that include raises for all employees, pension benefits rolled back to 2015 levels for extant employees, and the Florida Retirement System […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 22, 2016

In 2015, the city of Jacksonville’s annual bond rating trip to New York City was a success, one which improved the city’s credit ratings and allowed the Lenny Curry administration to trumpet its successes well into 2016. Among the accomplishments: Better Jacksonville Plan sales tax revenue upgrades in February to A+ from S&P and Fitch, with a […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 16, 2016

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On Wednesday afternoon, Jacksonville City Council members convened to discuss a recurrent topic: enforcing regulations in Hemming Park. The so-called “front door to city hall” has encountered challenges of late, with the most recent narrative twist being the mayor’s office saying last week that it was time that the “Friends of Hemming Park” experiment end. […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 4, 2016

Incoming Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry are allies on more issues than not. A year ago, at the Sunshine State Summit, Curry and Corcoran lambasted the “liberal media” as impediments to a conservative governing agenda. Corcoran holds Curry in such high regard he’s even been known to make book recommendations to him. The […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 27, 2016

Note: a previous version of this piece asserted a connection between the family of Jacksonville CAO Sam Mousa and J.B. Coxwell. That connection was limited to Mousa having been an employee in the past. No current connection exists. We regret the error. Duval County and Jacksonville were spared the absolute worst of Hurricane Matthew’s fearsome […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 24, 2016

On Monday in Jacksonville, Gov. Rick Scott and Mayor Lenny Curry convened to discuss response to and recovery from Hurricane Matthew. In the fourth floor of Jacksonville’s Emergency Operations Center, Scott and Curry met along with a panoply of other state and city stakeholders. Media was allowed to observe a couple minutes of that meeting, in which the governor […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 11, 2016

On Tuesday, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry‘s Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa addressed the city council on how recovery efforts are going after Hurricane Matthew. There is lots of work ahead, and that work will have to be exhaustively documented for reimbursement purposes, and it will cost millions of dollars. Mousa noted the process, including engaging contractors, would be done outside […]

Tag: Sam Mousa
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 4/18/25-Candles and remembrances are left near the Unconquered statue a few hours after the Florida State University Gathering of Unity Vigil held Friday to honor victims of the recent mass shooting. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

‘Reform of the system’ part of the narrative on Jacksonville bond rating trip

Jacksonville FOP fires back against mayor’s office in pension flap

Jacksonville and its supervisors get closer to a deal on Tuesday

Jacksonville police union: defined benefit pensions are not ‘dinosaurs’

Agenda set for city of Jacksonville bond rating trip

Uncertainty over Hemming Park’s future pervades discussion of park rules

Despite Richard Corcoran’s opposition, City of Jacksonville will still have lobbyists

Jacksonville continues ‘aggressive’ approach to post-Matthew cleanup

Rick Scott, Lenny Curry talk Hurricane Matthew response, recovery

Up to $100M needed to get Jacksonville to normal after storm