Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiAugust 13, 2016

In a signal of how important the pension-tax referendum is to Jacksonville’s public safety sector, the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters had the biggest donation of any group to “Yes for Jacksonville,” the political committee marketing the referendum to authorize a half-cent sales tax extension to address the $2.8 billion unfunded pension liability, in the most […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 11, 2016

Though two former Jacksonville City Council presidents, Bill Bishop and Stephen Joost, went to the press in opposition to County Referendum 1, which would authorize the extension of the half-cent sales tax through 2060 to deal with the $2.8 billion unfunded actuarial liability on public pensions, five more came out in support of the measure Thursday. Former […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 8, 2016

“Yes for Jacksonville,” the political committee set up to sell Jacksonville’s pension-tax referendum, raised $255,000 in the last week of July. All told, the committee has raised nearly $1.6 million, and has just under $1 million cash-on-hand. All of the new money was reported as received on July 29, with the usual big donors contributing big […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 3, 2016

Along the lines of its commercials, currently airing on Jacksonville television in heavy rotation, “Yes for Jacksonville” pushed out a long-form web video this week as part of its closing argument for why the half-cent sales tax should be extended to re-amortize and retire the $2.7 billion unfunded actuarial liability faced by Jacksonville’s public pensions. […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 1, 2016

On Monday, Jacksonville’s Director of Blight Initiatives Denise Lee tendered her resignation from the Lenny Curry administration. However, she will be helping to market the pension tax referendum as part of “Yes for Jacksonville,” Lee told FloridaPolitics.com Monday. Lee, a Democrat on Jacksonville’s City Council until 2015 who notably counter-messaged advertising from Mayor Alvin Brown as “race baiting,” […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 29, 2016

In the most recent reporting period from July 9 to July 22, the “Yes for Jacksonville” political committee raised and spent over $250,000, as the marketing campaign ahead of the Aug. 30 County Referendum 1 kicks into high gear. The money raised includes a blend of big-dollar donations, some from outside of Duval County, and […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 22, 2016

On Thursday Kerri Stewart, chief of staff for Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, addressed the Jax Chamber North Council. Among the topics: Curry’s first year in office, the new budget and, inexorably, the pension tax referendum, which Stewart has been marketing around town along with Curry and members of the Jacksonville City Council. Stewart rattled off the mayoral priorities in the […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 21, 2016

On Wednesday night, when the eyes of the political universe were on Cleveland, former RPOF chair and current Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry was closer to home, at Bistro Aix in San Marco. Curry, who’d been elected as a delegate to the Republican National Convention, stood down for an alternate. In fact, up until Wednesday evening, he hadn’t […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 15, 2016

The highlight of the most recent campaign finance report for “Yes for Jacksonville” was on the spending side. The political committee is promoting a yes vote on the Aug. 30 referendum to extend a current half-cent sales tax to address the unfunded pension liability. There was $150,000 committed to media advertising, part of a $193,000 spend that […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 13, 2016

On Tuesday evening, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry pitched young professionals on the pension-tax referendum slated for Aug. 30. The event took place in Shad Khan’s suite at EverBank Field. Matt Brockelman, the event organizer from sponsor Southern Strategy Group, said around 60 people attended and approximately $10,000 was raised for the “Yes for Jacksonville” political committee, […]

Tag: Yes for Jacksonville

Fire union spends $50K on ‘Yes for Jacksonville’

Former Jax Council presidents back pension tax referendum

Yes for Jacksonville finishes July with $255K fundraising week, nears $1M cash on hand

‘Yes for Jacksonville’ releases longform web video pushing pension tax

Denise Lee takes leave from Lenny Curry administration to work for ‘Yes for Jacksonville’

Diverse donor mix for political committee selling Jacksonville pension tax

Kerri Stewart pitches pension tax to Jax Chamber North Council

Lenny Curry, Tommy Hazouri sell pension tax to Jax ‘future leaders’

Spending begins for Jax pension tax effort

Lenny Curry pitches pension-tax to young professionals