Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiJune 27, 2017

Just as there are some who look at a tranquil lake and assume the depths are likewise tranquil, there are those who look at a change of leadership in Jacksonville’s City Council and assume a similar tranquility. For the previous two years, that was true. When Greg Anderson in 2015 and Lori Boyer in 2016 took over […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 12, 2017

Three bills that had been expected to highlight the Tuesday evening agenda of the Jacksonville City Council won’t. The end result: an anticlimactic meeting, mostly because the committee process weeded out three bills that may have been sound policy, but were inconvenient politics – at best. Extra Pension Payment? No Thanks! Councilman Danny Becton had […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 6, 2017

Rumors of the Jacksonville TRUE Commission’s demise were overstated after all, with a proposed sunset of the oversight body withdrawn in Tuesday’s City Council Rules Committee meeting. Councilman Tommy Hazouri has been unhappy with the Taxation, Revenue Utilization and Expenditures Committee for much of his term – and Hazouri filed a measure to slash the membership of the […]

A.G. GancarskiMay 16, 2017

Rumors of the Jacksonville TRUE Commission’s demise look to be false, after serious pushback in a Jacksonville City Council panel against a bill that would sunset the body in three years. Councilman Tommy Hazouri has been unhappy with the Taxation, Revenue Utilization and Expenditures Committee for much of his term – and Hazouri filed a long-awaited bill […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 12, 2017

A Wednesday afternoon meeting of the Jacksonville City Council was intended to facilitate deeper inquiry into Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry‘s ambitious pension reform package. However, the big news was the downward impact of adjustments to payroll growth projections and COLA calculations after Monday’s meeting of the Police and Fire Pension Fund. “We still save a lot. […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 6, 2017

Jacksonville City Council members, upon hearing the details of the Lenny Curry pension reform plan, seemed optimistic upon first hearing. However, as they were not at the bargaining table, they questioned the parameters of collective bargaining agreements, and wanted more detail on the actuarial projections. ____ Councilman Bill Gulliford, instrumental in the 2015 pension reform deal, said […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 28, 2017

Two of the most veteran politicians on Jacksonville’s City Council, Bill Gulliford and Tommy Hazouri, discussed the newly-introduced pension legislation with Mayor Lenny Curry Tuesday. In what may be a sign of a smooth process to come, as the council spends much of April workshopping and mulling the changes to the city’s pension plans, both Gulliford and Hazouri […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 13, 2017

As we previewed last week, Jacksonville City Councilman Tommy Hazouri is looking to implement the next phase of the city’s response to human trafficking. In 2016, the city began a response, with awareness signs posted in strip clubs and massage parlors. However, Hazouri believes more can be done — and on Monday, the veteran pol met […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 10, 2017

On Monday morning, Jacksonville City Councilman Tommy Hazouri will meet with representatives from the State Attorney’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and others with an aim toward eliminating the scourge of human trafficking. Hazouri, who was successful in a push to get a law through in 2016 (2016-130), which mandated awareness signs to be posted at […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 9, 2017

On Wednesday, Jacksonville City Councilman Aaron Bowman continued his push for the vice-presidency of the 19-person legislative body with some success. Bowman solicited pledges from Tommy Hazouri, Greg Anderson, and Sam Newby, in an attempt to break a 3-3 deadlock with his opponent, Scott Wilson. Newby was sold without little prodding, noting that while he and Bowman were on opposite […]

Tag: Tommy Hazouri

Will the Anna Brosche era be trouble for Lenny Curry?

The bills Jacksonville’s City Council won’t consider this week

Jacksonville TRUE Commission sunset bill withdrawn

Stay of execution for embattled Jacksonville TRUE Commission

‘Slight adjustments’ drive City Council pushback to Jax pension reform projections

Jacksonville Councilors embrace, question details in Lenny Curry pension pitch

Key Jacksonville councilors warm to Lenny Curry pension bills

Jacksonville leaders move on human trafficking, an ‘industry without borders’

Jacksonville to redouble efforts against human trafficking

Aaron Bowman takes lead in Jacksonville City Council VP race