With unanimous support, the Jacksonville City Council has cleared the way for voters to approve the pension solution to appear on the Aug. 30 primary election ballot. The referendum extends a half-cent sales tax dedicated to paying down the City’s unfunded pension liabilities. The approval came with all 19 City Council members signing on as co-sponsors of the bill (2016-300). The vote is the final step in the legislative process Mayor Curry’ led to address the challenges and limitations created by the City’s crippling pension debt once and for all.

Elected officials and dignitaries joined Sheriff Mike Williams, Undersheriff Pat Ivey and Fraternal Order of Police President Steve Zona in front of the Police Memorial Building on Bay Street with the members of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) and the family and friends of fallen officers for the annual Police Memorial Day Observance.

Partnerships Accelerate Innovations in Local Government
 
The City of Jacksonville has teamed up with the University of North Florida (UNF) and the University of Florida (UF) to join the MetroLab Network, a network of 35 city-university partnerships focused on bringing data, analytics and innovation to local government. Members of the network address challenges facing the nation’s urban areas by researching, developing and deploying technologies and policies. 

The PNC Foundation, in conjunction with the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, announced it will award $510,000 over three years to arts organizations in three Florida counties, including Duval. The grants are part of PNC Arts Alive!, which has provided millions of dollars to support visual and performing arts and increase audience participation in communities served by PNC.

Nearly 900 Jacksonville University (JU) graduates walked across the stage to on the University's oak-covered Science Green to earn their degrees on Saturday, April 30. Mayor Lenny Curry was invited by JU President Tim Cost to give the keynote address during the ceremony. 

Mayor Lenny Curry and City Council President Greg Anderson joined Visit Jacksonville in the Atrium of City Hall on Monday, May 2, to kick off National Travel and Tourism Week. The week-long events highlight the significant role travel and tourism play in the city's local economy.

Local Organizations and City of Jacksonville Employees also Recognized for Service and Contributions
 
Demonstrating his commitment to programs, services and offerings that improve public safety, Mayor Lenny Curry is presenting a proclamation identifying April 24 – 30 as National Re-entry Week, an observance established this year by the U.S. Department of Justice. In its inaugural year, the observance aims to bring awareness to the challenges ex-offenders face re-entering society after incarceration. Students and leaders from the City of Jacksonville’s D.A.W.N. program will receive the proclamation from Mayor Curry during a ceremony being held tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Jacksonville is known for its rich military history celebrated by thousands of military families who live here. The city hosts the largest population of veterans and concentration of military bases throughout Florida. City Council President Greg Anderson, Jacksonville Jaguars President Mark Lamping, and City of Jacksonville Chief of Staff Kerri Stewart announced the 2016 recipients of the Jacksonville Veterans Resource and Reintegration Center community grants at a news conference held today at City Hall. In partnership with the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation, the City of Jacksonville’s Military Affairs and Veterans department are awarding $55,000 to veteran-serving organizations throughout the community. This is the third year of a five-year $1 million commitment from the Jaguars that funds community grants, permitting the City to support veterans and military families.

At the April 26 meeting of the Jacksonville City Council, Mayor Lenny Curry asked Council to support legislation (2016-300) to put his pension solution on the August 30 ballot for a referendum vote. The legislation is the next step in his administration’s efforts to address the challenges and limitations the City’s crippling pension debt is creating for citizens and communities throughout Jacksonville. At the meeting, all present City Council members signed on as co-sponsors to the bill. 

GE Foundation announced a $250,000 grant to The AGAPE Community Health Center Network to launch the One Heart cardiovascular community outreach program to screen 10,000 Jacksonville residents for cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions over the next two years.  One Heart, a partnership between AGAPE, the Florida Department of Health in Duval County, and Florida A&M University, will host large-scale screenings and events at community-based organizations, primarily in Jacksonville’s urban core known as Health Zone 1 - an underserved community largely at-risk for chronic conditions and where more than 30% of deaths are attributed to cardiovascular disease.