Jacksonville, Florida
October 1, 1968: The Jacksonville city and Duval County governments merged to form the City of Jacksonville. This is a historic photo of Jacksonville’s first City Council following consolidation. Many of the members are known for their acts of leadership, advocacy, innovation and service
Early today the state attorney’s office declined to prosecute community organizer Ben Frazier and another man after their arrest in December at a Jacksonville City Council meeting. The men had been charged with trespassing and resisting arrest. Frazier was there to call for removing Confederate monuments Read More …
It happened during the Florida vs. Georgia game in October, and again during the Taxslayer Gator Bowl, anti-Semitic messages were projected on buildings, giving the city a black eye while the nation’s eyes were on us. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said the projections didn’t violate Read More …
Get in the holiday spirit next Wednesday, December 7th with the City Council Holiday Celebration. Join your elected leaders at City Hall (117 W. Duval St) starting at 6:15pm for a holiday program featuring Jacksonville Arts & Music School, Cathedral Arts Project, and the Cultural Read More …
The City Council’s Critical Quality of Life Issues Special Committee working groups have three meetings scheduled for Monday; 9 a.m. to discuss homelessness, 1 p.m. on access to health care, and 4 p.m. on affordable housing. All three meetings are in the Lynwood Roberts Room at City Hall, 117 W. Read More …
Releasing balloons into the skies of Duval County is now against the law. Councilman Rory Diamond’s ban cleared the Jacksonville City Council this week — it classifies airborne balloons as litter and sets a $50 fine for releasing them. There are currently similar bans in other Read More …
The Land Use and Zoning Committee considers ordinances to grant historic preservation protections to the St. Nicholas Bethel Baptist Church and Bethel Church Cemetery. The ordinances would declare the church and cemetery local landmarks. 5 p.m., City Hall, 117 W. Duval St. Live stream the meeting here.
Nearly a hundred years ago (1923) Ford Motor Company purchased the former Bentley Shipyards property from the city of Jacksonville for $50,000. They commissioned architect Albert Kahn to design a smaller version of the company’s River Rouge facility. The 115,200-square-foot, $2 million complex was completed Read More …
Attorneys head to court Friday to spar over a suit that could affect next year’s elections in Jacksonville. A group of Jacksonville voters and social justice advocacy groups contend that Jax’ new City Council and Duval School Board districts amount to racial gerrymandering. Council redrew Read More …
Mayor Lenny Curry is taking another shot at removing the remaining Confederate monuments from public spaces. Curry’s proposed budget includes $500,000 for the removals, which will force the City Council to revisit the issue when it begins discussing Curry’s recommended budget this summer. Last month, Read More …
Although balloon releases at weddings and graduations might be Instagram-worthy, they can take an ugly toll on wildlife and the environment. That’s the argument behind a new bill that would ground balloons and air lanterns in Jacksonville. The proposal, which will be introduced at tonight’s Read More …
Sulzbacher is a step closer to building a $36 million complex on the Northwest side. The Jacksonville City Council unanimously approved a rezoning request Tuesday night for Sulzbacher Enterprise Village, which will provide housing and other services for homeless men along with a health care clinic for Read More …
Should Internet cafes be legalized and regulated in Jacksonville, three years after the city declared them illegal gambling spots and shut them down? Councilman Garrett Dennis thinks so, saying “adult arcades” are operating underground and should be regulated. His bill on the topic goes before the Neighborhoods, Read More …
The Jacksonville City Council will take its first step toward replacing Sheriff Mike Williams today when it meets at noon to set a special election to choose the next sheriff. What happens from there? It’s a little complicated, and includes the possibility that three new sheriffs could serve Read More …
Councilman Matt Carlucci’s proposal to provide $500,000 in funding for removal of Confederate monuments from public places goes before the Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee at 9:30 a.m. Monday at City Hall, 117 W. Duval St. Live stream the meeting here.
Congratulations to newly-elected City Council President Terrance Freeman and Vice President Ron Salem. Both were unanimously voted in by their fellow City Council members Tuesday afternoon. We look forward to their leadership, guidance, and hard work for the citizens of this great City when they Read More …
On Wednesday, families at Cedar Hills Elementary were sent an email from the school’s principal, Marva McKinney, informing them of a rodent infestation and measures being taken to combat the issue, including shutting down the schools cafeteria. The email (courtesy of First Coast News) “Hello Read More …
As a parade of speakers told the City Council at the Tuesday night meeting to let voters decide whether to remove historic monuments (including Confederate ones) from public spaces in Jax, Mayor Lenny Curry sent the council a different message by Twitter. “The Jax City Read More …