Pension reform

Friday on First Coast Connect we held our annual Year in Review Media Roundtable with Florida Times-Union Reporter Andrew Pantazi, Charles Griggs from the Jacksonville Free Press, Folio Weekly Editor Claire Goforth and A.G. Gancarski from Florida Politics (01:01).    

We learned the identity of the popular Twitter account @SanMarcoTrain as we spoke with the “train” himself, Jack DeYoung, the Digital Director at Nuera Marketing (46:00).

Friday on our weekly “First Coast Connect” Media Roundtable, we featured Florida Times-Union reporter Sebastian Kitchen, Folio Weekly editor Claire Goforth and WJCT reporter Ryan Benk. We also spoke with Dylan Read, lifestyle director of Shearwater, about Earth Day events Saturday in St. Johns County. HandsOn Jacksonville CEO LeAnn Daddario told us about next Sunday’s Celebrate GOOD Festival and artist Lana Shuttleworth talked about her exhibit being unveiled Friday night at the Space Gallery. 

  Tuesday on “First Coast Connect” we heard from local labor attorney Tad Delegal about Mayor Lenny Curry’s pension reform plan. The First Coast Connect Book Club with blogger Stacey Goldring focused on the classic novel “The Stranger.” University of North Florida Communications Department Chair and director of the master’s program Brian Thornton talked about the school’s new master’s degree program in communication management and Florida Blue Foundation vice-president Susan Towler talked about being this month’s “Woman with Heart” raising awareness of Volunteers in Medicine. 

Friday on “First Coast Connect” our weekly Media Roundtable featured Florida Times Union reporter Dan Scanlan, WJCT reporter Lindsey Kilbride, Folio Weekly editor Claire Goforth and WJCT Business Analyst John Burr. We also spoke with local author Steve Berry about his latest thriller “The Lost Order” and we heard a live in-studio performance from Miami-based band Sofilla.  

Friday on “First Coast Connect,” was our weekly Media Roundtable. Our panel included Andrew Pantazi and Dan Scanlan from the Florida Times-Union and WJCT business analyst John Burr. We also heard from Florida Theatre president Numa Saisselin about its new partnership with Community First Credit Union and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Alhambra Theatre we were joined cast members of their current production of the play Come Blow Your Horn, Tod Booth, Lisa Booth and Jessica Booth.  

Updated at 2:20 p.m.:   

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry unveiled an austere city budget Monday that “reflects the constraints that we face due to increasing pension costs.”

Many services are remaining at minimum levels, while nearly a third of the whole budget is going toward pension costs.

Jacksonville voters are a step closer to deciding whether to extend a sales tax for the sake of reducing pension debt.

At the request of Mayor Lenny Curry, City Council President Greg Anderson has filed a bill that would put the question on the August 30 primary ballot.

A judge has sided with the city of Jacksonville in a legal challenge to City Council’s pension negotiations. A local watchdog group had asked Duval Circuit Judge Thomas Beverly  to block an upcoming City Council vote on a new Police and Fire Pension reform bill, but the group’s motion was denied.

 We broadcast live from the 2015 Generation W Women's Leadership Conference. Generation W founder Donna Orender joins us to discuss how the conference began and some of its noteworthy guest speakers.

We also look at the week's biggest news stories with our media roundtable. Topics include the mayoral and sheriff's elections, and the Jacksonville City Council rejecting a pension reform deal seven years in the making.