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A.G. GancarskiSeptember 15, 2016

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On Thursday afternoon, a Jacksonville City Council subcommittee discussed “measurements of success” for Hemming Park. The object of Thursday’s meeting, said Chair Greg Anderson, was refining those measurements and discerning the “hook” that drives traffic to parks. Previously, the committee agreed on some big-picture goals: safety, cleanliness, and business friendliness of the park. Refining those desired goals, and […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 15, 2016

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A spirited discussion of the dispensation of surplus property in District 10 and Jacksonville’s lingering affordable housing issues highlighted Jacksonville’s NCIS committee Monday. The Real Estate Division requested authorization to declare 32 condo lots on Lane Avenue South in Common Elements, Brookewood A Condominium, as surplus tax reverted parcels after an investigation which determined the […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 11, 2016

Spending will go up on public safety, stay flat in most other areas. Revenue will be up, though millage collection still isn’t back to where it was before the crash of 2008, and business tax collection is down almost 10 percent. These insights and others were to be heard in council chambers Thursday morning, as […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 9, 2016

A historic Jacksonville landmark looks slated for preservation, and some long-delayed road and bridge projects are being prioritized, after Tuesday’s Jacksonville City Council meeting. Meanwhile, a discussion of housing funds led to an exegesis on public housing related to the problem-plagued Fairway Oaks development, built by Habijax on bad foundations, leading to structural damages. The Council […]

Peter SchorschJuly 5, 2016

One of the most undercovered, yet indispensable, parts of the fiscal year in Jacksonville: The Mayor’s Budget Review Committee, which is a misnomer, as one never actually sees the Mayor in the room. If the posted schedule is correct, that committee wraps Wednesday, with a “clean up” session slated for next Tuesday afternoon to resolve any issues left […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 5, 2016

On Tuesday, the Jacksonville Mayor’s Budget Review Committee performed an omnibus wrap up session, as budget review ends Wednesday. The usual players were analyzing the budgets: Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa, CFO Mike Weinstein, and Chief of Staff Kerri Stewart. The Tuesday session dealt with the “short list” of potential enhancements, bolstered by some small increase in property tax revenues, […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 1, 2016

Friday morning saw Jacksonville’s Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa, and CFO Mike Weinstein review the budgets for venues. Some highlights from the review of SMG budgets: The baseball stadium saw contractual services revenues down $319,000. Estimates were inflated, given revenue from the Armada underperformed projections at the time of budget submission last summer. Despite discussions of a new […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 30, 2016

Jacksonville’s capital improvement project budget list got reviewed Thursday by Mayor Lenny Curry‘s chief lieutenants, CAO Sam Mousa and CFO Mike Weinstein. Herein, some highlights of a capital improvement plan tempered with pragmatism and a deep desire to avoid incurring too much debt. All topics here are subject to change before budget is submitted. Public Works capital improvement projects ADA projects […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 29, 2016

The frolic and frivolity of the Jacksonville Mayor’s Budget Review committee continued Wednesday afternoon with a romp through the Public Works budget. Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa and CFO Mike Weinstein, as ever, presided. Below, just a few of the highlights: JEA LED streetlight conversions got kind words from Mousa, who liked them in high-crime areas. They […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 29, 2016

The Jacksonville mayor’s office budget reviews continued bright and early Wednesday morning, with budgets for the judicial system subjected to the scrutiny of Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa and Chief Financial Officer Mike Weinstein. The excitement in the room was palpable. Below, just a few of the highlights: General liability went up; there were a lot of slip-and-fall […]

Tag: Sam Mousa

Jax City Council panel mulls how to make Hemming Park more attractive

Over district councilman’s objections, Jax surplus property bill moves through committee

Jax City Council begins budget deliberations

Jax Council approves transportation plan, money for fort preservation

Jacksonville Bold for 07.05.16 — What the fiscal cliff looks like

Jax mayor’s budget review committee works toward final recommendations

Stadium, other venue budgets get once over from Jax mayor’s office

Jax mayor’s office talks capital improvement priorities for new FY

Fiscal pressures revealed in Jax public works budget review

Sam Mousa, Mike Weinstein review Duval court administration budget