Politics
Jacksonville Bold for 9.2.26: Diggin’ Duggan
Gov. Ron DeSantis says there may be a path to advance some stalled priorities, such as “medical freedom” legislation that gives parents latitude in vaccinating their children and an AI bill of rights.
Speaking in Jacksonville, DeSantis said there was “nowhere to go but up” from former House Speaker Daniel Perez while praising Speaker Pro Tempore Wyman Duggan, who is currently leading the House.
In contrast to Perez, whom DeSantis disparaged routinely for more than a year, the Governor extolled the virtues of the Jacksonville Republican and likely 2027 mayoral candidate during a news conference in an area Duggan once represented in the House before redistricting in 2022.
“The new Speaker, he’s had a lot of conservative wins on his record. I know he wants to be hard charging on a lot of these issues,” DeSantis said at Cecil Field.
“What’s the appetite to be able to do it across both chambers? I would imagine it’s, quite frankly, probably not that high. That’s just kind of my sense. But these are issues that are going to need to be addressed sooner rather than later. Does it need to be September versus October, October versus November? You know, I’m not sure if that’s the case, but I do know that they need to be addressed. And I think they will, one way or another.”
Duggan was never elected to lead the House. But he does have the right to exercise the powers of the Speaker through the November elections.
The likely new Speaker in November will be Sam Garrison of Clay County.
DeSantis argued Monday that voters are “frustrated” by the artificial intelligence and vaccine bills not being heard by the House during Special Session, but he acknowledged there may not be recourse for them before they vote.
“Are there some things that could be done? Yes. Are we going to have the meeting of the minds, you know, prior to the election, to necessarily get it done? I don’t know.”
Duggan also praised DeSantis at the event, where checks were distributed for workforce education initiatives.
“Governor, thank you for your leadership on this issue,” Duggan said, touting the Governor’s efforts “focusing on skill trades.”
Tweet, tweet
Power move
Jacksonville’s public utility JEA is set for yet another permanent change of leadership.
CEO Vickie Cavey, who took a leave of absence at the end of July for reasons that were said not to be related to performance, is retiring effective Sept. 25.
Her resignation letter says she is leaving with a “heavy heart,” but that the move was right for JEA, her family, and herself.
At least in the short term, Chief Administrative Officer Jody Brooks will continue in an interim role until the JEA Board meets to decide the future.
Cavey, who worked for the utility for 34 years in various capacities, returned to JEA after retiring in 2024. She became interim managing director upon Jay Stowe’s departure, then became CEO in September of that year.
Though she was presented as a stabilizing force, the utility has experienced turbulence.
The Jacksonville City Council, the 4th Circuit State Attorney, and the Attorney General’s Office have been investigating issues related to JEA.
The City Council probe focused in part on an allegedly toxic workplace culture under Cavey and on uncollected capacity fees from commercial customers.
Attorney General James Uthmeier and State Attorney Melissa Nelson have been looking into the termination of the utility’s lobbying contract with Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm that includes former Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and his erstwhile Chief of Staff, Jordan Elsbury.
Still, Cavey has had one key ally.
Mayor Donna Deegan has advocated for Cavey as an “honest and trustworthy public servant.”
“Jacksonville owes Vickie a debt of gratitude for her many decades of exemplary service. I’m sending my best wishes and prayers to her and her family. The City of Jacksonville looks forward to working with JEA and its Board as we all move forward together,” Deegan said Tuesday.
Integrity on the ballot
Michael Ward ran a railroad, Hank Coxe ran The Florida Bar, and Warren Jones ran both the Jacksonville City Council and the Duval County School Board.
Now they’re looking to steer the 2027 election cycle via Integrity for Jacksonville, a nonpartisan 501(c)(4) that will run its own polling and review public records, candidate backgrounds and voting records ahead of the city’s 2027 elections.
“Servant leadership is not a slogan. It is a job requirement,” Chair Ward said. “As voters, we ask a lot of our elected leaders, and therefore the public is entitled to know who they are hiring.”
“Public trust is earned through transparency, accountability, and respect for the law,” Board member Coxe said. “Our goal is to provide accurate, sourced information and let voters draw their own conclusions.”
Coxe has a unique role in city government. General Counsel Michael Fackler is his son-in-law, and Coxe’s firm has been retained to help with the defense of city officials under legal scrutiny.
“In public service, disagreement is inevitable, but division does not have to be,” Board member Jones said. “During my years on the City Council and School Board, I worked with colleagues who held different views, but we shared a responsibility to serve the people who entrusted us with the work. That is the Jacksonville I know. This effort is about returning to that standard.”
Tweet, tweet
OneJax CEO
Rev. Beverly Dempsey is taking the helm of the pro-diversity Jacksonville nonprofit.
“An ordained Presbyterian minister with an MBA and MDiv, she brings a rare combination of theological depth and executive discipline. Her career spans Fortune 500 corporate marketing and banking, nonprofit executive leadership and parish ministry in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Jacksonville,” the organization posted on LinkedIn.
She is replacing former Duval County School Board member Elizabeth Andersen.
“As OneJax begins this next chapter, Rev. Dempsey will help guide the youth, interfaith and community-building programs that create the conditions for belonging and bring Jacksonville residents together across faiths, cultures and perspectives,” OneJax adds.
Glitch pitch
A new exhibit is coming to MOCA this week in the form of Ryan Rasmussen’s “Glitch.”
We can’t top the top-drawer critique of the work from the museum, so we include it here in full.
“Working with extruded aluminum, acrylic, projection mapping, and interactive systems, Rasmussen constructs large-scale sculptural frameworks that interrogate the structural and perceptual logic of built environments. Glitch consists of two interconnected structural systems: a freestanding tower of extruded aluminum and acrylic, rising approximately twenty-five feet from the atrium floor, will act as the “host” for a secondary accumulation of industrial materials and found objects. The two systems intersect in the middle zone of the atrium, producing an ambiguity fundamental to the work: it becomes impossible to determine whether the structure is assembling upward or collapsing downward, whether it is being built or being taken apart. This ambiguity is the architectural operation of the glitch.”
The opening celebration is Thursday evening. Doors open for donors at 6, but the public gets its chance two hours later.
That will give them a chance to perhaps finish the next paragraph, which also comes straight from the press release.
“We confront a paradox of our age: the relentless pursuit of digital perfection juxtaposed with the beautiful impermanence of our material existence. The glitching, shifting structure at the heart of the installation becomes a powerful metaphor for our contemporary existence – constantly in flux, simultaneously solid and ephemeral. Ultimately, this project aims to leave visitors with a profound sense of our entanglement with technology – neither fully separate from it nor entirely subsumed by it.”
JTA CEO
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) took its latest step to find new leadership for the organization.
The JTA Board of Directors unanimously approved the selection of Cleveland Ferguson III as interim CEO. The temporary appointment advances the effort to replace Nat Ford, who formally announced in July that he would be stepping down from the job.
Ferguson is a JTA veteran who has held several leadership roles during his time with the agency. He’s been with JTA since 2015 and was executive vice president and chief administrative officer for three years.
Ford is moving on to the CEO post at the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system in Texas. He will formally leave the First Coast for Dallas in October.
JTA Board Chair Aundra Wallace said Ferguson is a good fit to serve in the role until the agency appoints a permanent replacement for Ford.
“Cleveland is an experienced leader with a clear understanding of the organization and a plan to guide the JTA through an important budget cycle,” Wallace said. “He also has strong relationships with employees throughout the organization and with our community partners. That experience and continuity will serve the JTA well during this transition.”
Ferguson is expected to hold the CEO seat through the rest of the year or into early 2027, depending on when the Board of Directors selects a permanent replacement for Ford. The JTA Board of Directors also announced Thursday that it had selected KL2 Connects to serve as the executive search firm overseeing the national search for the next CEO.
Land ho!
The North Florida Land Trust (NFLT), along with several partners, has acquired 816.46 acres of land in Putnam County to be converted into conservation property.
The NFLT announced Monday a collective contribution of $2.67 million paid for a conservation easement on property within the family-owned Meetinghouse Groves. The state’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program accounted for half the funds for the purchase. The Putnam Land Conservancy picked up the tab for the other half of the acquisition.
The NFLT and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service also helped broker the deal.
“This is an example of a true partnership as we all came together to ensure this beautiful piece of property remains conserved land forever,” said Allison DeFoor, President and CEO of NFLT. “The family has been great stewards of the land for generations, and with this conservation easement in place, it ensures it will remain protected for generations to come.”
The newly acquired land is in the southern portion of Putnam County near Crescent City. Portions of the property are within the Ocala National Forest to Osceola National Forest (O2O) wildlife corridor, which winds through much of North Florida. The land is also adjacent to areas the NFLT has already preserved, such as Welaka Woods Conservation Easement near Lake Margaret and Silver Lake.
While there are already agricultural activities on the property such as citrus groves, there are also forested wetlands, wildlife habitats and additional sandhill lakes. The property was owned by the Padgett family, which has overseen the area for about four generations. That family has owned much of the property since the 1930s.
High water mark
Gov. Ron DeSantis has reappointed two members of one of the most prominent environmental regulatory agencies in North Florida.
DeSantis announced this month that he’s given the nod for John “Cole” Oliver and Janet Price to return to the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD). The pair are returning to the Board of Directors. The District focuses on regulatory issues involving drinking water and other environmental matters related to the St. Johns River, which courses through or impacts 18 counties, stretching from parts of the Treasure Coast along much of the East Coast to inland counties north of the Georgia state line.
Oliver returns to the SJRWMD from the Space Coast and is currently the Board’s treasurer. Oliver is a lawyer and partner in Lowndes Law Firm. Oliver has long been an active member of the Brevard County community.
Oliver serves on the Cypress Bank and Trust Board of Directors. He’s also a former member of the Brevard County Charter Review Commission and serves on the Canaveral Port Charter Review Commission.
Oliver has deep roots in Florida and obtained his law degree from the University of Florida. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Washington & Lee University and earned a master’s degree in finance from Louisiana State University.
Price, of Fernandina Beach, is technically retired but is leading an active life. She has a career steeped in environmental involvement. She was a senior manager of environmental affairs for Rayonier Inc.
Price was also Chair of the Aquatic Biology Committee as a member of the Forestry and Environmental Technical Advisory Group of the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement.
Price obtained her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of North Alabama and a master’s degree in aquatic biology from the University of Alabama.
Small biz is big biz
St. Johns County is making a big deal out of small business.
The county’s Economic Development Office, along with several other business support organizations, is holding a free small business resource event on Sept. 23 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Waterworks, 184 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine. The event is designed to connect local entrepreneurs and small business owners with various support opportunities that can help them grow and prosper.
“Small businesses are the heart of St. Johns County. When entrepreneurs take a risk, create jobs, and serve our community, they don’t just build successful businesses; they strengthen our local economy and help build a stronger, more vibrant community for everyone,” said Monica Dominguez, senior project manager for St. Johns County Economic Development.
The support organizations taking part in the event that will encourage entrepreneurs include the Small Business Development Center at the University of North Florida, the U.S. Small Business Administration, JAXPORT, CareerSource of North Florida and the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce, among others.
The event will also provide opportunities for networking, agency spotlights and the development of local business talent. While the event is being held in St. Augustine, it’s open to small business owners and entrepreneurs from throughout the First Coast.
Roster reset
The Jaguars’ final roster cuts are in as the team prepares to kick off the season on Sept. 13 at home against the Cleveland Browns.
There were no shocks, but a few mild surprises in the final moves made by the team on Sunday, including the departures of a pair of players drafted last season.
Linebacker Jack Kiser was waived. Kiser, a fourth-round pick out of Notre Dame last April, was recovering from a knee injury sustained in a drill on the first day of training camp. Kiser’s departure means that the Jaguars have only five linebackers on the roster with no backup for strongside linebacker Dennis Gardeck. This offseason, Kiser was listed as a starter at strongside linebacker, but the injury limited his availability.
Both Yasir Abdullah, a 2023 fifth-round draft pick, and Jalen McLeod, a sixth-round draft pick last season, were cut.
The Jaguars kept four tight ends. Starter Brenton Strange, second-round draft pick Nate Boerkircher, and fifth-round pick Tanner Koziol all made the roster.
Jacksonville traded tight end Hunter Long on Sunday, leaving Quintin Morris as the fourth tight end. Expect Liam Coen to utilize multiple tight-end sets more often this season.
The Jaguars also placed guard Patrick Mekari on injured reserve, which means that Ezra Cleveland, who started at left guard last season, will move to the right side and rookie Emmanuel Pregnon is expected to start at left guard. With the move of Anton Harrison from right tackle to left tackle, center Robert Hainsey is the only offensive lineman who will start for the Jaguars at the same position as last year.
The Jaguars also shook up the quarterback room, cutting Nick Mullens and Joey Aguilar while trading a sixth-round pick in 2028 with the Miami Dolphins for Quinn Ewers. Ewers started three games last season as a rookie in Miami, throwing three touchdowns and three interceptions. Ewers will back up Trevor Lawrence.
Interestingly, the Jaguars will enter the season with two players with nearly identical names: wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and defensive lineman Bryan Thomas Jr. Thomas, the receiver, is expected to be a starter with Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers, while Thomas, the defensive lineman, is expected to be a deep reserve at defensive end.
In addition to Mekari, the Jaguars also placed rookie defensive end Zach Durfee on injured reserve, designated to return. Offensive lineman Sam Mustipher was placed on season-long injured reserve.
So what are we to make of the Jaguars’ roster? There are questions, including on the offensive line and depth at pass rush. There is also the question of how much of an impact Travis Hunter can make on both sides of the ball. The Jaguars’ receiving corps is stronger than it was when Hunter was drafted last April, so the need for him to play on offense isn’t as great.
The Jaguars’ roster appears slightly stronger than last season, but the team will face a tougher schedule after winning the division. They will also play only six games at EverBank Stadium, all with a reduced capacity as renovations continue for the “Stadium of the Future.”
The most likely scenario is that the Jaguars will be about the same quality as they were a season ago but will finish the season with fewer wins because of the schedule. Answers will begin to emerge against the Browns in a week and a half.
The post Jacksonville Bold for 9.2.26: Diggin’ Duggan appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..