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The Tributary’s Latest
Duval elections office asks city for millions to replace decade-old machines
By Hannah Lee
August 19, 2021
To prepare for redistricting and back-to-back elections in the fall of 2022 and spring of 2023, Duval’s county elections office is asking the City Council to boost its budget from $6.9 million to $9.4 million, a 35 percent increase.
The new budget will allow the Duval County Supervisor of Elections office to replace what it says are outdated equipment, bring on a new employee, cut down on voting lines, notify residents of their new districts and begin purchasing mail-ballot envelopes.
Despite the significant request, the office’s budget will continue to be lower than it was in peak years a decade ago, when adjusted for inflation.
Redistricting woes: Jacksonville won’t select School Board maps in time for 2022, says city lawyer
By Andrew Pantazi
August 19, 2021
Jacksonville’s City Council is not likely to draw new Duval County School Board seats soon enough to apply for the 2022 August elections, according to lawyers for the city.
At the City Council’s first redistricting committee meeting since Census data was released, Assistant General Counsel Peggy Sidman testified that the city’s redistricting plan wouldn’t go into effect for School Board races until 2024.
Under city law, redistricting plans must be approved at least nine months before an election. But it’s not clear why City Council couldn’t change the ordinance to allow them to approve redistricting plans later.
Four finalists selected for Jacksonville judicial seat
By Hannah Lee
August 17, 2021
A Northeast Florida nominating commission forwarded four finalists to Gov. Ron DeSantis to replace Circuit Judge Karen K. Cole, who is retiring Oct. 1.
Cole currently hears family law cases and has previously heard serious lawsuits.
Circuit judges handle the most serious state cases, including felonies, major lawsuits, juvenile delinquency and custody battles. Judicial nominating commissions forward finalists to the governor who must pick from the list of finalists.
In this case, the nominating commission selected three former prosecutors and a former guardian ad litem.
All four have previously applied for judicial appointments.
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