District 5 race highlights challenges facing Gilchrist County
Category: Local Government
Posted inFlorida
Clay County school board challengers make their case at League of Women Voters forum
Challengers vying for three Clay County School Board seats showed up to make their case to voters Monday night, while none of the current board members attended the forum.
Posted inLocal Government
In tense meeting, Jacksonville aviation officials refuse to drop potential lawsuit
After hearing from city officials, who said the suit would tear away at the fabric of Jacksonville’s consolidated government, the board allowed for a 30-day window to mediate with City Hall outside court
Posted inElections
What Florida’s tax rollback looks like through the eyes of one small town
When Floridians go to the polls in November to decide whether to cut themselves a break on property taxes, they may well be deciding to cut the lifeline of one of the state’s endangered species: its small towns.
Posted inElections
New statewide collaborative aims to close Florida’s local election information gap
A coalition of news organizations and university journalism programs have launched a new partnership to better cover local elections in Florida. The collaborative, which kicks off with school board election coverage for the August 18 primary, will make hundreds of stories available to voters across the state.
Posted inLocal Government
Jacksonville aviation officials prep lawsuit, accusing city of trying to ‘pickpocket’
The authority’s board of directors will meet Thursday in a special session to consider authorizing the litigation, which follows years of public and behind-the-scenes acrimony
Posted inLocal Government
Facing rising costs, JEA hikes electric, water rates again
For the average Jacksonville residential customer, the combined water and electric bill will rise from $231.67 to $239.83.
Posted inEnvironment
New law makes it easier to pave over Florida farmland
The bill’s sponsors say they’re defending Floridians’ property rights. Environmental activists say it’s the latest step the state legislature has taken to speed suburban sprawl and weaken local power to regulate zoning and environmental protections.
Posted inLocal Government
Newly released Carrico records raise questions about altered text messages in JEA probe
New questions are being raised about newly released public records tied to Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico and a state investigation into the attempted appointment of his boss to the JEA board.
Posted inEnvironment
Toxic Tides: Rising seas increase risk of contaminants in Jacksonville’s waterfront communities
More than 5,000 industrial facilities, water treatment plants, former defense sites, oil refineries and nuclear power plants across the coastal United States – often in or near historically marginalized neighborhoods – are now more likely to experience flooding.