State officials haven’t yet descended on Jacksonville’s City Hall, but conflict about the impending visit brews all the same.
Jacksonville’s Democratic Mayor and Florida’s Republican Chief Financial Officer are exchanging some sharp words amid a dispute over a “simple form” the city wanted Blaise Ingoglia’s office to sign ahead of the Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) audit later this week.
“We go to great lengths to protect the integrity and safety of our network. As such, we require every external auditor to complete a standard one-page form to request access to our sensitive and sophisticated financial systems,” said Mayor Donna Deegan, invoking Chapter 2025(199), Section 124, saying the city was allowed “appropriate security considerations.”
The city seeks “information on the quantity and names of people who will need access to our secure financial system during their on-site visit on Aug. 7-8.”
The letter from Florida DOGE announcing the site visit did not contemplate “quantity” or “names.” Instead, it issued seemingly non-negotiable conditions to Jacksonville’s subsidiary government.
“Responses to the information requests below may be provided at the time of the requested access or may be provided electronically in advance by contacting us for access to a secure electronic portal to which documents and other types of data may be uploaded. You should note that financial penalties may accrue for your failure to comply with each of the following requests for access on those dates.”
The audit will consider procurements and contracts valued at $10,000 or more, as well as spending that predated the Deegan era, such as compensation records that go back to Fiscal Year 2019-20, when Republican Lenny Curry was beginning his second term.
There are 14 requests related to diversity, equity and inclusion and another five for spending associated with the so-called Green New Deal.
The audit will also dive into big-ticket spending, such as on the development of the old Shipyards property and renovation of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ stadium.
Lawson leaps in?
A former Congressman who once represented Jacksonville is looking at running for Governor.
Al Lawson, who held the seat in what was the 5th Congressional District from 2016 to 2022, is exploring a potential move in 2026.
“I need to let you all know that I am thinking about running for Governor,” Lawson wrote in an email first publicized by NBC News’ Matt Dixon.
He then issued a shot to presumptive front-runner David Jolly, who switched parties in recent years as part of a Never Trumper evolution.
“I think it sad that we are asking a Republican to run as a Democrat,” he added. “The African American community all over the state is not happy with this decision.”
Jolly raised roughly $1 million at last check, which is a notable sum, but which does not exactly close the door for the next move.
Nixon now?
Speaking of ambitious plans, consider what Jacksonville Democrat Angie Nixon is cooking up.
She’s been soliciting endorsements for a Senate run but was not willing to restrict herself to that lane in recent comments to Florida Politics.
“I like Congress. I like Governor. Maybe Senate. I dunno. Wherever the people want me,” Rep. Nixon told Florida Politics on Thursday.
Indications suggest the Senate will be her next move.
Josh Weil, who lost a Special Election in Florida’s 6th Congressional District back in April, was the most prominent Senate candidate to take on incumbent Republican Sen. Ashley Moody but announced Thursday he would be abandoning his nascent campaign for health reasons.
Regarding a potential Senate bid, at least one current state Senator has been asked for Nixon’s endorsement.
Likewise, a Democratic consultant told Florida Politics Thursday that trial balloons are in the air.
“All I’ve heard is that about five days ago. Angie said she is going to be announcing for Senate extremely soon. I know that has put a lot of pressure on former and current contenders on whether they would stay in the race or not.”
High honors
The Red Florida Dinner in Orlando served as a celebration of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles’ consulting career.
But Wiles told attendees the most rewarding result of her work wasn’t the ascension of candidates to public office but the emulation of techniques that have reshaped Florida politics over the last two decades and which continue to be adopted across the nation.
“I find it amazingly wonderful that almost every speaker has talked about voter registration and grassroots,” she said. “It is the backbone of what we do and why we do it and why we win.”
And win, she has.
Political leaders, some in attendance and some sending video messages remotely, recounted the series of victories Wiles racked up. That culminated in November, when she managed President Donald Trump’s successful campaign to return to the White House.
But Florida political leaders know the Jacksonville-based consultant’s work started long before that. She worked for Lenny Curry, a former Republican Party of Florida Chair, when he won the election as Jacksonville Mayor. That came after Wiles signed on as manager for a virtual political unknown named Rick Scott when the health care executive decided to run for Florida Governor in 2010.
Read the whole thing from Jacob Ogles here.
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Foxhole flap
Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico says he showed strength and resolution by limiting two of his colleagues to just one committee each, breaking with historical practice that assigns at least two committees per member.
“When you get a new football coach,” Carrico said Tuesday, “that coach always brings people that he wants in the foxhole with him. He’s often the coordinator; people that you’ve worked with in your career and that you know share your similar vision.”
“I want people that are going to be in the foxhole and be on those committees that are going to lead the city in the way that I envision that the city’s going to go and come up with the results that I think are going to be the best,” he added during an appearance on First Coast Connect.
Carrico snubbed Republican Matt Carlucci, with whom he had a confrontation earlier this year that led to the former having the Sergeant-at-arms remove the latter from the dais, along with Democrat Jimmy Peluso.
He put them both on just one committee: the low-profile Transportation, Energy and Utilities.
Only one stayed on that panel, though.
Peluso resigned from the committee last month in protest over what he sees as the underrepresentation of minorities and women on Council committees, leaving him with no assignments at all.
“He’s the one that boycotted his only committee and decided not to show up for work,” Carrico said of the U.S. Navy Commander.
Project progress
Residents of St. Johns County wondering about the progress of public projects such as road construction, additional parks and other new amenities now have easy access to updates online.
St. Johns County officials have launched a new “Featured Projects” webpage. That means residents of the Northeast Florida county can see the progress on hundreds of projects in one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation.
Officials say the interactive website launched this week is an effort to enhance local government transparency and community engagement.
The site offers the public substantial amounts of information on the projects. On the public works page, the county lists the total budget available for capital improvement projects, which is more than $466 million. It also provides a count of ongoing projects — which now stands at 107 — and provides links featuring the individual work sites.
Some of the links have videos and photographs. Others focus on projects to get underway, providing detailed budget information, a schedule for work to begin and a target end date.
“The launch of St. Johns County’s Featured Projects webpage marks a milestone in how St. Johns County keeps its residents informed with important projects they have asked for,” said County Administrator Joy Andrews. “This tool reflects countless hours of staff effort to honor our commitment to open government, and it empowers our community with the knowledge and insight to understand how public funds are being put to work.”
Land deal
The North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) has nailed another sizable land acquisition for conservation; this time it’s in Bradford County.
The wildlife and land preservation group inked a deal to purchase 79 acres in the North Florida county. The property is just west of Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, barely a quarter mile from the Water Oak Creek Preserve, which NFLT acquired in late 2024.
The latest acquisition will also help expand the Ocala to Osceola (O2O) Wildlife Corridor.
“This is another conservation win for Florida and for our staff, who are leading the charge to protect the natural spaces within the O2O because it is now or never,” said Allison DeFoor, president and CEO of NFLT. “We continue to preserve the last remaining natural spaces within the O2O, acre by acre. We appreciate the landowners’ willingness to sell us the property, and we will continue to work with other willing landowners to save these natural spaces.”
Read more here.
Youth movement
The American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida (ACEC Florida) has named Kari Pucker of Jacksonville as Young Professional of the Year.
Pucker is a traffic engineer with the Gresham Smith engineering firm on the First Coast, where she is a project manager.
Pucker has more than 10 years of experience. ACEC officials say she’s introduced new transportation engineering approaches in several projects across the state. She thrives in improving road safety.
“From leading innovative safety initiatives to optimizing traffic signals across Florida, her work is driven by a clear mission: to create safer, smarter and more efficient travel for everyone,” an ACEC Florida press release said.
Pucker earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from the University of North Florida. She developed her foundation in technical aspects at the school.
Traffic trouble
And it appears Jacksonville drivers need Ms. Pucker’s skills more than ever.
If you feel like you’re taking your life in your own hands on Jacksonville’s roads, you’re not alone.
Statistics show that Duval drivers are among the most imperiled in the country during rush hour.
Per a study from Moneygeek, Jacksonville has the seventh most dangerous commute in the U.S., and the most dangerous in Florida, beating out Miami, Tampa, and Orlando when it comes to fatal crash rates, which number 0.5 per 100,000 residents in the Bold New City of the South.
Just 0.02 separates Jacksonville from fifth-place Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the list.
This risible ranking is no real surprise, sadly.
This year alone, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports that 80 people have been killed on local roadways, with 5,260 crashes with injuries.
Deegan has rolled out corrective actions.
The city’s Vision Zero plan seeks to eliminate traffic fatalities and cut injuries in half within the next decade, as part of what the report released last month calls a “cultural shift that prioritizes safety in transportation planning, enforcement and everyday behavior.
The city has identified dozens of intersections where accidents are more likely to happen and to remedy those conditions, capital budgets will focus on traffic calming, pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure improvements and speed management.
Slowing down cars, the logic goes, will make people more aware.
CSX firefighters
Railroad company CSX is partnering with Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) to build a new, $1.5 million Hazardous Materials Training Institute. CSX will construct the facility at FSCJ’s south campus, adjacent to the college’s existing Fire Academy of the South.
This new institute will serve as CSX’s headquarters training facility, replacing a regional center previously located in Atlanta and supplementing the company’s mobile training locomotive.
CSX Chief Legal Officer Michael Burns said the center will feature multiple rail lines and various types of tank cars, ensuring first responders get hands-on experience to prepare them for real-world emergencies in a controlled environment.
The partnership builds on a long-standing relationship between the two Jacksonville-based organizations. At a groundbreaking ceremony, U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean highlighted the importance of such training by referencing the “catastrophic” 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. He stressed the need for first responders to have “full knowledge of what to do should disaster strike.”
The state-of-the-art facility will include over 1,200 feet of functional track with switches and signals, creating a comprehensive training complex that FSCJ President John Avendano believes will be “second to none” in the country.
CSX will design and build the facility, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year, with classes beginning in early 2026. Critically, all training is free of charge to first responders.
“You don’t want, the first time somebody ever sees a tank car, to be in the moment,” said CSX President and CEO Joe Hinrichs, emphasizing the project’s goal to build familiarity and confidence before a crisis occurs.
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Cuppa Jax
On the next Cuppa Jax, an engaging morning discussion with Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters.
Elected in 2022, Waters brings over 30 years of law enforcement experience to the conversation. He has served in leadership roles across Patrol, Investigations and Homeland Security, and was instrumental in launching the agency’s Violence Reduction Strategy. His administration is focused on increasing staffing, targeting violent crime, and building public trust through community partnerships and improved technology.
This is a prime opportunity for community leaders and residents to hear directly from the Sheriff about his initiatives and the pressing issues facing Jacksonville.
Cuppa Jax gatherings are designed to foster open dialogue. The event emphasizes interaction, with a guest speaker presenting for 10-15 minutes, followed by a robust Q&A and discussion session where participants can raise relevant topics. Attendees are also encouraged to make community announcements at the beginning of the program.
The event will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 13, from 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. at the Skyline Room in Riverplace Tower (1301 Riverplace Blvd.). The cost is $15, which includes breakfast provided by Fresh Fork. Paid and limited free parking is available nearby. Tickets are available here.
Preseason prep
The Jaguars prepare for the first preseason game of the year, and the only one at home, as they host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday evening (7 p.m. ET, WFOX).
While the final determination on how much time the starters will see has yet to be made, quarterback Trevor Lawrence said on Tuesday that he was preparing to play in the preseason opener.
“Not sure exactly what the plan is yet,” Lawrence said. “I think we’re still evaluating some stuff, but yeah, I’m ready to go if so. I’ll be excited to get back out there. It’s been a while, so anytime you can play – even preseason – it means something to get on that field. I’ll be ready to go if that’s the case. If not, the other guys will be ready to roll.”
While the Jaguars still have preseason road games at New Orleans and Miami the next two weekends, there is a benefit for Lawrence to play in the opener. With several new faces expected to start on offense, Lawrence can benefit from work behind the offensive line and in the passing game, especially with rookie Travis Hunter and free agent addition Dyami Brown, both of whom are expected to play significant roles at wide receiver.
“I think it does help,” Lawrence said. “Just from the standpoint, especially as a quarterback, you can get hit. All offseason and all training camp, you can’t get hit. Sometimes there’s a different time clock in the pocket. You try to always play it real in practice, but sometimes you kind of hang on to the ball and take a little bit more chances in the pocket because there are no consequences. When you’re live, it’s a little different.”
The Jaguars raised some eyebrows this week when the team first published a depth chart that included Hunter as one of three starting wide receivers. It appears more likely each week that Hunter could start on both sides of the ball when the regular season opens on Sept. 7.
Lawrence said he feels good about the progress the team is making in the first training camp under new head coach Liam Coen.
“I think that this can be a really good team,” Lawrence said. “I think we’re talented, our schemes are really good, we’re well coached. We’re still getting better and dialing in on the details, and we need to play cleaner and be better operationally and just gel more as units, but I really think – not to be cliché – the sky is the limit for this team.”
As for Coen, in his first camp as a head coach at any level, he is still working through how many snaps, if any, he will give the starters on Saturday. He said that he had been in contact with Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin to ensure that both teams were on the same page for the game.
“We’re still working through it,” Coen said. “We wanted to kind of get through these next two padded days, to evaluate, see where we’re at as a group, before making that decision.”
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