Jacksonville City Council

The Jacksonville City Council met for the last time Tuesday before newly-elected members take their seats July 1.

Jacksonville’s next City Councilors have chosen who will lead them.

On Wednesday, the future council unanimously approved Greg Anderson and Lori Boyer as President and Vice President respectively.

Council President-elect Anderson says his top priorities are pension reform and public safety.

“We’ve got to make sure all of our neighborhoods are safe,” he said. “Really what that means is making sure that the new sheriff has the resources available and that he’s deploying them in a way that he feels like he’s catching up on some of the crime.”

The City of Jacksonville has $50 million more than previously believed, according to a recent audit. Jacksonville City Councilwoman Lori Boyer says the newly freed-up money is the result of more than a decade’s worth of accounting errors.

Wednesday at City Hall, Boyer said more than $500 million had been incorrectly accounted for.

But she says the funds were not spent inappropriately.  

Jacksonville residents will have a chance to hear directly from the candidates running to represent them on the City Council.

On Monday, April 20, the Jacksonville Public Library Board of Library Trustees and the League of Women Voters of Jacksonville First Coast are hosting debates and candidate meet-and-greets at four library locations.

The debates will be moderated by Melissa Ross and Karen Feagins of WJCT, Frank Denton, Florida Times-Union editor, and Ken Amaro of First Coast News. WJCT is a sponsor of the debates.

The Jacksonville Public Library wants residents to submit their questions for City Council candidates. Debates are planned at four area libraries April 20 for candidates who advance to the General Election.

It’s one month until primary election day in Jacksonville, but voting is already underway.

Duval County Elections Supervisor Jerry Holland says absentee ballots are already flowing into his office. 

As of Tuesday, Holland said the elections office had received more than 3,000 votes in the March 24 primary election. As of Thursday afternoon, that number has climbed above 6,000,

“We’re looking for something like a 35 percent turnout which is really going to be disappointing, but that’s kind of what the past predicts,” Holland said.

This month’s Liberty Street collapse in Downtown Jacksonville is raising the question of whether the city knew the street was faulty or badly damaged after another collapse on the same street in 2012. The city is suing the owner of a crane that was on Liberty Street when it caved in three years ago.

The Jacksonville City Council has passed a pension reform package in an effort to reduce the city’s deficit of more than $1.6 billion. Three council members voted against the bill, while 16 voted for it despite many of them expressing reservations.

Just after the vote Tuesday evening, council member Bill Gulliford said the measure goes a small way toward reducing debt, but the council still has its work cut out for it going forward.

Controversial art and tweets, JTA and a fire that destroyed a historic building are all in the headlines today.

Supporters of a straw ballot measure to take library funding decisions away from the Jacksonville city council by creating a special independent taxing district held a rally Tuesday morning in front of the public library downtown.

Plans to widen the Fuller Warren Bridge now include other improvements designed to make it more people-friendly. Jacksonville City Councilman Robin Lumb unveiled the revised plans Wednesday afternoon.

Marriage equality, EverBank Field and property taxes are in the headlines today.

Mayor Alvin Brown unveiled a budget proposal for next year that he says won’t require any new taxes.