MICHAEL BOYLAN

A proposal to impose a new tax on Jacksonville restaurants and hotels to help the homeless population has hit a major roadblock.

The Jacksonville City Council is still working on plans to move the jail from its current location downtown to another area of town but it could take years before that happens.

Alberts Park in Mandarin has long been the home of the Mandarin Sports Association. Soon it will be home to a new dog park.

The Jacksonville City Council will soon take up a bill that targets people who use intersections to ask for money.

Residents in the Mandarin community who found flyers containing anti-Semitic speech on their lawns are wishing that there was current legislation in place to stop the recent string of events.

The Jacksonville City Council is responding to a banner that flew over TIAA Bank Field before the Jaguars game on Sunday. The banner had a Confederate flag and with the words “put monuments back” on it.

Farm Share will be distributing food at an event this week in Jacksonville.

There’s a push to bring tiny houses to Jacksonville properties.

A day after 15 community organizations or individuals signed an open letter to City Council President Sam Newby, imploring him to continue the work being done by Jacksonville’s Safer Together Committee, Newby responded with a memo thanking them for their service -- which he says is complete.

Fifteen community organizations or individuals -- including State Rep. Angie Nixon -- have signed an open letter to City Council President Sam Newby, imploring him to continue the work being done by Jacksonville’s Safer Together Committee.

In a surprise move, Jacksonville City Councilman Michael Boylan on Monday announced his resignation as Vice-Chair of the Safer Together Committee.

Efforts to create a Citizen Review Board (CRB) to investigate complaints against the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, including police-involved shootings, may be taking a detour.

There's an update on the possible plan to pause recycling pickup in Jacksonville.

For months, there have been delays in picking up yard waste in Duval County neighborhoods.

Members of the public had the opportunity Monday night via Zoom to weigh-in on how Jacksonville police are performing their duties.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The proposal to build a $445 million entertainment complex on Lot J of TIAA Bank Field -- the sole topic of another tense Jacksonville City Council meeting Thursday -- will not be voted on until Tuesday at the earliest. The deal calls for the city to invest $233 million in direct spending or loans by the city of Jacksonville to the developer for Jaguars owner Shad Khan, the Cordish Companies. That drew a sharp response from Council President Tommy Hazouri and questioning of the rules before the review of the plan resumed. The DIA, which was asked to review the plan last week, voted Wednesday to recommend City Council approval, but with some modifications. DOCUMENTS: DIA report on Lot J proposal | Council Auditor’s Office’s things to consider/concernsMark Lamping, the Jaguars president, has asked for a vote by the council by its last scheduled meeting of the year, which is next Tuesday.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville’s Downtown Investment Authority on Wednesday voted to pass a report on to the City Council, which recommends the Lot J project with changes. It would develop Lot J outside TIAA Bank Field in a deal between the city and the Jaguars owner, using a developer named The Cordish Companies. But if the ask is, we want you to reduce the public investment by $65 million, than the project doesn’t go forward,” he said. I think for a lot of us guys like myself who take these kind of things very very seriously that they would understand that.”The DIA’s approval with changes is just a recommendation for City Council about Lot J. All 19 City Council members are scheduled to take part in Thursday’s meeting where they could decide to put the measure on their agenda Tuesday night.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Duval County Canvassing Board on Friday started to reexamine nearly 250 mail-in ballots that were not counted due to irregularities. More than 124,000 vote-by-mail ballots had been received at the Duval County Supervisor of Elections Office by Friday afternoon. The election workers examine those vote-by-mail ballots and if there are any irregularities. It is up to the canvassing board to decide the voter’s intent and accept or reject each ballot. The board will continue to review ballots next week and begin signature verification for some vote-by-mail ballots next week.

Senior County Judge Brent Shore resigned from the Duval County Canvassing Board on Thursday, News4Jax confirmed. Judicial rules bar judges from political donations of any kind, and canvassing board rules bar members from displaying a candidate’s campaign signs. And I would expect that from my fellow members of the canvassing board,” Boylan said. The canvassing board has been at the center of a recent controversy that has captured statewide attention. News4Jax called the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission to ask if a complaint has been filed against Judge Shore.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With pressure building on the Duval County Canvassing Board to let the public see its review of vote-by-mail ballots, the board decided Tuesday to continue to exclude news cameras but to livestream the process. The meeting scheduled for Monday was delayed for 24 hours and announced at the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting the Supervisor of Election’s Office would livestream the ballot review via Zoom. News4Jax has shown the process for years: deciding the intent of the voter on any questionable vote-by-mail ballot. Canvassing board member and Jacksonville City Councilman Michael Boylan proposed the compromise, but the meeting was abruptly canceled before it was taken up. “I am working really hard to make sure we stay transparent through this process.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With pressure building on the Duval County Canvassing Board to let the public see its review of vote-by-mail ballots, the board decided Tuesday to continue to exclude news cameras but began livestreaming the process themselves. About one hour of Tuesday morning’s ballot review was streamed and the board returned and screen hundreds of more ballots in the afternoon. Example of a ballot that the canvassing board must sort out and have duplicated before it can count. (Duval County Supervisor of Elections)News4Jax has shown the process for years: the canvassing board deciding the intent of the voter on any questionable vote-by-mail ballot. Members of the canvassing board said the rule was added out of concern that voters' signatures could end up shown to the public even though News4Jax agreed never to show the signature -- and never has.

It was a decision News4Jax had hoped the canvassing board would have reversed or amended Monday, but instead, the board postponed its meeting until Tuesday. As of Monday, the no-camera rule still stood, banning what News4Jax has shown for years: the questionable vote-by-mail ballots that may not be counted. Now, members of the canvassing board are concerned that some signatures of voters might end up on air. Canvassing board member and Jacksonville City Councilman Michael Boylan proposed the compromise. She said her vote was based on information the board was told at the time that it protects voters' information, but she understands the concerns now being raised.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – News4Jax political analyst Rick Mullaney of Jacksonville University’s Public Policy Institute hosts this edition of “This Week In Jacksonville." Former Sheriff Nat Glover of Duval Citizens for Better Schools discusses the sales tax referendum on Duval County ballots. City Councilman Michael Boylan breaks down the JEA referendum for Duval County voters. Former U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire talks about his new book, “Dead Center: How Political Polarization Divided America.”

The sealed bids were due Monday morning and were opened at 2 p.m. amid a shroud of secrecy. JEA's staff isn't talking and City Council members have been advised to keep mum. "Rest assured, if and when a recapitalization event is presented to the Jacksonville City Council, we will ensure public participation," he said. Wilson said at that time, council members would be able to ask questions about the sale. The City Council is also looking to hire an outside attorney to advise it on the matter and council members will meet Tuesday.