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A.G. GancarskiJanuary 26, 2016

With two HRO expansion bills in public hearing at the end of the meeting, Jacksonville’s City Council steeled itself for another extended round of public comment. The legislative agenda? Light. But even the agenda meeting had allusions to the conflict to come, such as Bill Gulliford‘s quip about a city employee moving to the Beach, saying […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 20, 2016

The Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee had an active agenda on Tuesday, highlighted by term limits, texting, and other hot button issues. The most interesting thing on the agenda: a bill they all voted against. Rules came together and downed a measure to increase the statute of limitations on ethics complaints from 2 years to […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 18, 2016

Wu-Tang Clan’s immortal question “Can it all be so simple?” does not apply to the race to be the next Jacksonville City Council vice president. By the end of Tuesday, four candidates will have emerged. What looked to be at first glance a binary contest for City Council vice president-elect now appears headed toward a […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 15, 2016

Several Jacksonville City Council members on Friday gave their take on the comments Roy Bay made this week in public comment on HRO expansion. Bay, perceived by some people as a plant put up to make a false connection between the serial child molestation he confessed to and homosexuality, shocked those watching in the room and at […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 12, 2016

““Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There was never a democracy that did not commit suicide.” — John Adams “If we’d had a referendum in 1965, I’d still be on the back of the bus.” — Denise Hunt A light legislative agenda on Jacksonville’s City Council was offset by dozens of […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 12, 2016

The two-man race for the Council VP-elect between Republican Rules Chairman Matt Schellenberg and Democrat John Crescimbeni heated up Tuesday. On Monday, Crescimbeni (rumored to have a lot of oral commitments some months back) got his first signed commitment, from Republican Finance Chairman Bill Gulliford, who crossed party lines to do so. Tuesday saw Schellenberg scoring the […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 11, 2016

Two of the most powerful (and quotable) people on Jacksonville’s City Council, Finance Chairman Bill Gulliford and John Crescimbeni, met Monday afternoon to talk about Council leadership, specifically the latter’s VP bid. Crescimbeni, one of seven Council Democrats, is seeking the City Council vice presidency later this year, along with at least one other candidate (Rules […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 5, 2016

Jacksonville City Council’s Tuesday Recreation, Community Development, Public Health, and Safety (RCDPHS) committee meeting was highlighted by Pension Tax and Public Health talk, and an extended discussion of a controversial Fire and Rescue salary allocation from September’s budget hearings. The Health Department’s Kelly Wells announced new initiatives, such as the 60 Days to Better Health challenge […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 30, 2015

There’s no doubt 2015 was an amazing year in Jacksonville politics. A new mayor, 11 new members of City Council, and intrigue in Corrine Brown’s redistricting saga were among a few top-level highlights. While we have a reasonable sense of what happened in Jacksonville politics in 2015, the next question is what happens in 2016. Hence, a […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 17, 2015

In the competitive Republican Senate Primary, every endorsement counts. Including those collected in another candidate’s backyard. On Thursday morning, the Carlos Lopez-Cantera campaign announced an endorsement from Jacksonville At-Large Councilman Sam Newby, as part of what it calls an “extensive coalition across the state.” Newby, a favorite of those in the leadership of the Duval County […]

Tag: Sam Newby
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HRO testimony rocks Jax City Council yet again

Jax Council Rules Committee spikes ethics proposal

Jax Council VP race to Balkanize on Tuesday

Jax councilmen talk Roy Bay child molestation confession, HRO

HRO expansion talk roils Jax City Council

Jax Council VP race heats up; both candidates score commitments

Bill Gulliford backs John Crescimbeni for Jax Council VP

Jax rec committee talks public health, pension tax plan, JFRD budget

A.G. Gancarski’s 12 predictions in 2016 for Jacksonville politics

Sam Newby endorses Carlos Lopez-Cantera for Senate