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We anticipate State Legal professional Melissa Nelson to file for re-election quickly — possibly by the point you learn this.
However what occurs in 2028?
That’s the query occupying some native insiders.
Nelson, a Republican from western Duval County, could have served 12 years in workplace, and there are indications that Rep. Jessica Baker might wish to run.
Baker’s camp denies this curiosity, noting that rumors are being “pushed” nonetheless.
The case for Baker — a whole lot of law-and-order laws over two years in Tallahassee. Foreclosed from Home management after dropping a future Speaker’s race to Rep. Jennifer Canady, who was Gov. Ron DeSantis’ candidate, it’s exhausting to think about she will get to do rather more in her present function than what she’s doing now.
Baker critics be aware that she hasn’t tried many circumstances for an aspirant state legal professional, regardless of her function as an Assistant State Legal professional within the seventh Judicial District. Additionally, state legal professional places of work usually have folks in-house who already need that job and have the benefit of getting been in that individual system.
This can be a moot level if Nelson doesn’t stand down in 2028. Or there may very well be strain to drive her to rethink pursuing one other time period, corresponding to narratives being pushed to impugn her workplace’s effectiveness. We’ve seen this film earlier than, after all.
In the meantime, there’s a probability that Baker offers with a Main of her personal, much like the quixotic race that Christina Meredith ran towards her in 2022. We hear names which have run and misplaced earlier than, however they’d current an fascinating nuisance opponent in what’s in any other case a comparatively boring Main slate this summer time.
Path combine
The 2 Republican members of Congress representing Duval County are displaying the facility and revenue of teamwork by securing funding from the Democratic White Home for a key Jacksonville initiative.
U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean’s workplace notes that Jacksonville “will obtain $147,089,058 in federal funding for its downtown revitalization venture, the Emerald Trail.”
“The venture will assemble 30 miles of trails, greenways and parks to attach downtown Jacksonville to native companies, faculties and transit. The finished venture will revitalize the neighborhood, strengthening tourism and entrepreneurial alternatives,” Bean’s workplace claims.
The community of bicycle and pedestrian trails will join Downtown to 14 historic neighborhoods, 18 faculties, two faculties and practically 30 parks, notes DTJax.com, in writing in regards to the Metropolis Council’s conceptual approval of the plan 5 years in the past.
Bean and U.S. Rep. John Rutherford teamed up on the funding request, writing Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to assist the Jacksonville Transportation Company’s Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhood Entry bid for Emerald Path funds.
Management leap
A state Senator from Jacksonville is within the on-deck circle to guide her Democratic colleagues within the Senate, beginning in two years.
As introduced Wednesday evening, the Florida Senate Democratic Caucus unanimously elected Sen. Tracie Davis to guide the caucus beginning within the 2026-2028 time period.
“I’m impressed by my colleagues and honored by their religion in me with this election. I’ve devoted my life to public service to the residents of Duval County, and I’m delighted to have this title to struggle for all of our constituents throughout the state of Florida,” mentioned Davis. She’s going to succeed Sen. Jason Pizzo in that management function and comply with within the footsteps of her predecessor from Jacksonville, Audrey Gibson, who led the caucus between 2018 and 2020.
Present Chief Lauren Guide mentioned, “Davis has all the time been a fighter, not just for the residents in her district however for the greater than 21 million Floridians throughout our state.”
“Tracie’s vitality is sort of a lightning rod — she’s welcoming, variety, compassionate and sensible — and he or she is aware of the right way to get good work carried out to make the Florida dream a actuality — accessible, reasonably priced and secure. With Tracie succeeding Sen. Jason Pizzo as chief, Floridians can relaxation assured the Senate Democrats will probably be advocating for his or her finest pursuits,” Guide added.
“When Tracie began, she hit the bottom working. She negotiated good coverage for Floridians, and he or she confronted obstacles head on. I’m thrilled to have such an enthusiastic and fervent chief answerable for this mighty group of Democrats within the Florida Senate. I look ahead to her assist in persevering with to rebuild the Senate Democratic Caucus in order that Florida can return to a balanced state of purpose,” Pizzo added.
Missed alternative
A Jacksonville Democrat is just not pleased with how the Legislative Session turned out.
In a information launch, Rep. Angie Nixon famous that “the elite company donors of Florida’s bold Republican politicians have been the one winners.”
“Whether or not we’re speaking about Florida’s youth, working households or retirees, no matter celebration affiliation, practically everybody continues to wrestle below Florida’s affordability disaster. Now we have skyrocketing property and auto insurance coverage charges, together with the infinite rise in housing and utility prices and Republican leaders have wasted this chance to offer actual aid,” Nixon mentioned.
“As a substitute, we’ve seen too many assaults on the communities that wrestle, not solely with assembly their primary wants however with feeling secure of their communities and hopeful about their futures. All Floridians deserve the liberty to be wholesome and reside safely whereas attaining prosperity by means of their exhausting work, however Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican leaders have did not do their half in making it a actuality.”
The primary-term Democrat from Home District 13 will face a Main problem from former Metropolis Council and College Board member Brenda Priestly Jackson. The district has a prohibitive Democratic registration benefit, and whereas the Normal Election seemingly gained’t be meaningfully contested, the August election — and whether or not it’s open to all voters or closed with an impartial candidate opening a marketing campaign account — will probably be one to look at.
Credit score is due
Credit score unions might have pulled off the slickest transfer of the Legislative Session in an old-school meals struggle that felt like a blast from the previous in comparison with the tradition conflict clashes we’ve seen lately.
And there’s a Jacksonville connection.
The Home tacked an modification to HB 989, a precedence for CFO Jimmy Patronis. The modification permits credit score unions to just accept deposits from native and state authorities entities, one thing the for-profit banks say is unfair as a result of nonprofit credit score unions don’t pay federal earnings taxes.
The Senate by no means heard the difficulty in Committee however nonetheless accepted the modification.
Locals, together with Matt Brockelman, Jenny Busby, Jordan Elsbury and Rob Bradley, have been key to the lobbying effort.
As one supply linked to the hassle notes, the Governor’s Workplace went exhausting on it. The Home was locked down, whereas a take care of Senate Management helped, as did the banks overplaying their hand.
Good rent
The Florida GOP is reaching into Jacksonville for a key rent because it recovers from a rocky few months following the shame of former Chair Christian Ziegler.
Chair Evan Energy tapped Alexander Pantinakis as political director forward of a 2024 cycle, together with a Donald Trump bid to return to D.C. and Rick Scott’s Senate re-election bid.
“A political strategist primarily based in Jacksonville, Alexander Pantinakis has labored with dozens of profitable Republican candidates on the federal, state and native ranges. Pantinakis has deep ties to the Republican Social gathering of Florida, beforehand serving as Duval County’s elected State Committeeman, the youngest to serve within the state’s historical past. He has served in numerous management positions with the Duval GOP for over a decade. Pantinakis has additionally been acknowledged as one in every of Affect Journal’s ‘30 below 30 in Florida Politics’ and as one of many ‘High 10 Individuals to Watch in Jacksonville Politics’ by Jacksonville Daring,” notes the Florida GOP in saying the rent.
“Alex Pantinakis is a superb expertise. I’m extraordinarily happy that he’ll be part of us to assist us construct our grassroots operation to ship victories throughout Florida in November,” mentioned Energy.
Throughout his profession, Pantinakis has handled the nice, the unhealthy, and the ugly in regional politics. He’s among the many savviest and most sensible navigators of this area’s fascinating GOP politics.
Count on him to do effectively on this function, his newest in a sequence of developments, however seemingly not his final.
Housing assist
Aspirant householders in Jacksonville could also be in line for assist from the Donna Deegan administration so long as they’ve lived there for 2 years.
“The 2023-2024 Down Fee Help House Possession Pilot Program will present as much as 75% of complete down cost or closing prices, to not exceed $25,000.00, and who’ve a most gross earnings as much as 120% of the Space Median Earnings (AMI),” town introduced.
Singles making as much as $74,400 a 12 months are eligible, and the size goes up as household sizes broaden. A household of eight is eligible in the event that they make $140,280.
Cellular or manufactured houses aren’t eligible; the best qualifying buy worth is $335,000.
? You may apply directly with a participating lender.
Veep on lock
The race to guide Jacksonville’s City Council for the following 12 months seems to be all however over, with the presidential race locked up and the race for Vice President.
A number of sources verify to Florida Politics that Republican Kevin Carrico has 11 pledges from the 19 members of the Council within the vice-presidential race, yet another than the straightforward majority wanted.
Ken Amaro, Raul Arias, Joe Carlucci, Rory Diamond, Terrance Freeman, Nick Howland, Will Lahnen, Chris Miller and Randy White are all on board, as is present President Ron Salem.
Whereas pledges are merely commitments to vote for the candidate in the course of the management elections later this 12 months, Carrico, the Vice President of Operations for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, apparently is poised to be the companion within the management of present VP Randy White, who would be the subsequent President of the Council.
Carrico was elected from District 4 on Jacksonville’s Southside in a Particular Election in 2020 to fill an unexpired time period. He confronted no competitors in his 2023 re-election marketing campaign.
Waldron honored
The St. Johns County Fee is recognizing a former member who lately died with a venture in his honor.
At its March 5 assembly, the board voted for a three-mile, eight-foot-wide multi-use path as a part of the Shore Drive Path Undertaking in St. Augustine South to honor Paul Waldron by way of a movement from Roy Alaimo, the previous Ron DeSantis aide appointed to succeed him.
First Coast Information experiences that the path is controversial within the native space. Some fear that it’ll compromise tree constructions. Nonetheless, WJXT experiences that an arborist will seek the advice of on this venture to mitigate any disruption.
Waldron died in 2022 and had well being problems forward of that, together with a battle with COVID-19 again in 2020.
Residing proper
St. Johns County’s signature metropolis is getting wider recognition for high quality of life.
Southern Living claims it’s the finest small city within the state in its South’s Greatest Awards launched this month.
“St. Augustine has an extended and storied historical past that may be seen within the metropolis’s structure. Websites just like the Castillo de San Marcos, Fort Mose Historic State Park, Colonial Quarter, and Ponce De Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park discover that historical past and invite guests to study extra in regards to the Historic Metropolis’s wealthy previous.”
We’re not going to argue with this designation. Our solely qualm is that they may have mentioned rather more about what this metropolis affords.
Ups and downs
The six-county area coated by the Northeast Florida Affiliation of Realtors (NEFAR) had a combined bag of housing gross sales in February.
Officers with the affiliation are spinning the February housing sale figures as a rebound from sluggish January and vacation season numbers. Nonetheless, half of the six counties within the area noticed decreases in median gross sales costs in February.
Total, the area’s median residence gross sales worth noticed a modest enhance of two.8% in comparison with January. The worth included a rise to $385,000 in February.
The variety of closed housing gross sales in February did see a notable spike in comparison with January. Northeast Florida witnessed a 31% enhance in closed residence gross sales, ending at 1,491 for the month.
New listings of houses on the market additionally noticed a notable spike of three,359 houses positioned available on the market. That’s a 23% enhance in Northeast Florida.
“All of this factors to a rebounding market, partially as a result of cuts within the rates of interest,” mentioned Rory Dubin, President of NEFAR. “Northeast Florida stays a sexy vacation spot for households, retirees, traders and company relocations in addition to business properties on account of our unmatched infrastructure that features a global port and airport, railway system and wonderful roads.”
The Northeast Florida county-by-county breakdown for residence gross sales in February included:
— Duval County, Northeast Florida’s largest inhabitants, did see a notable 8.8% enhance within the median sale worth for houses in comparison with January. That determine elevated to $348,025.
— Putnam County was the most well liked Northeast Florida market in February, with a median residence sale worth of $245,000. That’s a stable 20% enhance over January.
— Nassau County was the opposite Northeast Florida county with a bounce in median gross sales worth, arriving at $461,250. Nassau noticed one of many highest will increase in median gross sales costs for houses in 2023. Nonetheless, February’s median gross sales worth enhance was solely a 1.4% upswing from January.
— St. Johns County, one of many fastest-growing counties within the U.S., nonetheless has the best median gross sales worth for houses in Northeast Florida, coming in at $499,995. However that’s a slight lower in worth, falling by 3.7% in comparison with January.
— Baker County registered essentially the most important Northeast Florida decline in median residence sale costs in February. Baker County fell 6.7% in comparison with January, settling in at $249,000.
— Clay County additionally noticed a modest decline of 4.4% in comparison with January, arriving at $348,950.
Assistance is on the best way?
Jacksonville’s Security Web hospital had its most profitable Legislative Session since securing $80 million for UF Well being Jacksonville’s Leon Haley Trauma Heart.
This 12 months’s wins included $15 million for operational assist, $75 million for its share of a $300 million pot put aside for behavioral well being instructing hospitals (together with Tampa Normal, Miami Jackson and UF Well being Gainesville), and, maybe of most consequence, the flexibility to position a gross sales surtax query on the poll for indigent care.
New CEO Patrick Inexperienced has a imaginative and prescient and state leaders seem like shopping for in.
Promotional announcement
Baptist Well being has a brand new VP of governmental relations.
Dane Bennett will deal with this essential function for the hospital, persevering with and enhancing the work he’s carried out for Baptist since 2022, when he turned Director of Authorities Relations.
“He has efficiently advocated for quite a lot of initiatives to higher serve the wants of North Florida and past, together with enhanced Medicaid reimbursement for Wolfson Kids’s Hospital; an appropriation for a brand new pediatric behavioral well being unit; extending Baptist Medical Heart Nassau’s rural hospital designation; and instituting a Collaborative Care Mannequin for Behavioral Well being in Florida’s Medicaid program,” Baptist notes.
As a former Marine Corps captain, Bennett was beforehand acknowledged in INFLUENCE journal’s Rising Stars Class 2022.
Jaguars carried out in free company after 1 day
It didn’t take lengthy. It hardly ever does in NFL free company. In lower than 24 hours, the Jaguars added 5 gamers and spent a lot of the crew’s remaining wage cap cash for 2024.
In keeping with Overthecap.com, after Monday’s flurry of exercise, the Jaguars successfully have $1,374,100 in wage cap house.
What does that imply?
Which means that the Jaguars are carried out spending until they reduce one other participant to make room or finalize a long-term take care of Josh Allen that may be structured to scale back his cap hit in 2024. If Allen performs on the franchise tag, he’ll value the Jaguars simply over $24 million on the cap this 12 months. Nonetheless, in the event that they restructure Allen on a five-year contract, he may make extra this 12 months with a signing bonus that may be prorated over the contract’s life for wage cap functions.
Now, the opposite possibility. The Jaguars would save $17.2 million in cap house in the event that they determined to launch left sort out Cam Robinson. Robinson is the Jaguars’ most bodily offensive lineman, a trait the Jaguars usually lacked in 2024. Reducing him would eradicate some muscle, though Walker Little may step into the place as he did when Robinson was injured final season.
Then, there’s the Calvin Ridley variable within the equation. The Jaguars reportedly need Ridley again, however as of Tuesday afternoon, he has not signed with one other crew. With the addition of Gabe Davis as a free agent, the Jaguars have a large receiver room that features Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Davis. Including Ridley to the combination would make for a potent quartet of wideouts. Add tight finish Evan Engram to the combination, and the Jaguars will seem like loaded on the pass-catching positions.
Then once more, Ridley struggled at occasions to run appropriate routes and, regardless of gaining over 1,000 yards, was too usually within the mistaken place at key occasions. Jaguars’ head coach Doug Pederson has talked about simplifying the offense this 12 months. Maybe that may enable Ridley to grow to be the 1,400-yard receiver he spoke of being earlier than the beginning of the 2023 season.
So, what has all of this spending carried out for the Jaguars? They nonetheless seem to have wants on the defensive position. They let Foley Fatukasi stroll in free company. He signed with the Houston Texans. Whereas we don’t know the main points of the protection that the brand new coordinator, Kyle Nielsen, will implement, it’s doable that Travon Walker may spend extra time together with his hand on the bottom.
The Jaguars have DaVon Hamilton to play nostril sort out. Jeremiah Ledbetter is about to again him up. Roy Robertson-Harris and Adam Gotsis are listed as defensive ends, however each may play inside if the Jaguars use a four-person line. Tyler Lacy, a fourth-round choose final 12 months, and Angelo Blackson are among the many reserves on the defensive position. It seems the defensive position may very well be a goal in the course of the draft.
The flourishing has ended, however there’s nonetheless extra work for the Jaguars to do to enhance the roster.
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