Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiDecember 4, 2018

A bill approved Tuesday in the Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee would tighten ethics provisions for employees, officials, and board members. Ordinance 2018-822, filed by Council President Aaron Bowman at the request of the Jacksonville Ethics Commission, would mandate that officials and employees avoid leveraging their positions or resources for personal gain. The ordinance also sets up limits […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 29, 2018

On Thursday, a Jacksonville City Council subcommittee continued what is billed as a “comprehensive crime reduction inventory.” However, crime reduction may not be the only law enforcement concern for the legislative panel: A Florida Department of Law Enforcement report this week revealed that Duval County ranks 66th in terms of crimes solved. Its clearance rate hovers […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 20, 2018

Legislation that would introduce a number of transparency reforms to Jacksonville’s city government went down in the Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee Tuesday, despite bill sponsor Anna Brosche requesting a deferral. Rules, the sole committee of reference, is chaired by Councilman Tommy Hazouri, who asserted that the deferral request was too close to the meeting to be […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 12, 2018

With Jacksonville’s leading Republican officeholders all in for the Ron DeSantis campaign, October fundraising for their 2019 campaigns was on the back burner. And why not? Though Jacksonville has a Democratic plurality, and statewide candidates Bill Nelson, Andrew Gillum, and Nikki Fried all won here, local Republicans have no reason to doubt their ability to hold serve based on […]

guestOctober 30, 2018

This year’s ballot is full of proposed Constitutional amendments — some arguably good, and some bad. A contender for the worst among the bunch: Amendment 3. It is very misleading, and we urge voters not to be fooled. Upon casual inspection, Amendment 3 does not seem terrible. It purports to let voters decide whether the […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 16, 2018

Jacksonville political veteran Matt Carlucci, a Republican running for City Council in At Large Group 4, was the first candidate in the 2019 cycle to clear $250,000 raised. He did that by the end of March, a signal that Carlucci — a former Mayoral candidate, a previous member of the Council, and most recently, the head of […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 20, 2018

A familiar face is assuming the helm of Jacksonville’s Downtown Investment Authority, if only in a transitional role. https://twitter.com/GoMeteoric/status/1042541797824712705 Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry‘s chief of staff Brian Hughes will assume the interim CEO role, while pulling double duty as chief of staff until a new permanent DIA head is found. Though many members of the community saw a […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 19, 2018

Jacksonville University hosted six mayors — current mayor Lenny Curry, and his predecessors Alvin Brown, John Peyton, John Delaney, Tommy Hazouri, and Jake Godbold — Wednesday, with a topic as big as Jacksonville history itself. Namely, the city/county Consolidation fifty years prior. Consolidation brought an efficiency of services, but came with a price. African-Americans were divested of political power, and promises were […]

A.G. GancarskiSeptember 17, 2018

Monday morning, Jacksonville City Council Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety committee put the brakes on a long-tabled bill. But it will be back. The Homeless Bill of Rights measure was introduced by now suspended (and federally indicted) Councilwoman Katrina Brown months back. The bill (2018-308) contends that “the basic rights all people should enjoy must be […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 10, 2018

Fundraising for Jacksonville City Council 2019 races is in full swing, and here’s a look at the landscape. Unmentioned races have no filed candidates at this writing. In Jacksonville City Council District 1, Democratic incumbent Joyce Morgan filed at the beginning of August, with no appreciable fundraising. Her sole opponent, Republican Bill Bishop, raised $4,400 in July […]

Tag: Tommy Hazouri
Crowds gather to see Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. (Gabrielle Russon)

Jacksonville City Council panel moves to tighten ethics rules

Jacksonville Council members won’t blame Sheriff for low crime clearance rates

Clear as mud: Jacksonville City Council committee kills transparency bill

October slump: Governor’s race chills local political fundraising in Jacksonville

Jamie Shelton: Amendment 3 is a shameless attempt to dupe voters

Matt Carlucci leads parade of apparent Jacksonville City Council shoo-ins

Former Jacksonville mayors see no issue with Brian Hughes helming DIA

Jacksonville mayors talk highs and lows of Consolidation

Jacksonville homeless rights bill on pause

July looks like previous months in Jacksonville City Council fundraising