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Dr. Horner Speaks at TEAM UP Kickoff Event

August 21, 2012

Education Commissioner Dr. Donnie Horner addresses the TEAM UP Conference sponsored by the Jacksonville Children's Commission in this video.

Council Approves Downtown Investment Authority

August 15, 2012

Nine-member board will serve vital role to grow area economy

The Jacksonville City Council unanimously approved Mayor Alvin Brown’s proposal to create a Downtown Investment Authority (DIA) that will focus on Jacksonville’s urban center with a goal of building a more vibrant and competitive city.

“Already, there are entrepreneurs and major job creators investing in Downtown Jacksonville. The DIA will intensify the effort to direct good-paying career opportunities and economic activity to our city center,” said Mayor Brown. “I thank City Council for giving such comprehensive attention to the goal of attracting new Downtown residents and visitors, increasing the value of our Downtown properties, and helping to restore economic security for all of Jacksonville.”

Legislation creating the DIA (2012-364) received unanimous Council approval on Wednesday night. The Mayor and City Council will select a nine-member board of directors to oversee the DIA on an unpaid, volunteer basis.

IBM Smarter Cities Challenge Team Gets to Work Downtown

August 07, 2012

Three-week project focuses on revitalization at no cost to taxpayers

A team of IBM experts, funded by a grant from the major technology services company IBM, has started a three-week project to determine realistic solutions to revitalize Downtown Jacksonville.

The project is part of the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge grant program, a worldwide initiative to provide a total of $50 million worth of services and technical assistance to the most progressive 100 cities around the world through 2013. The project carries an approximate value of $400,000 and requires no tax dollars.

Jacksonville was selected earlier this year among eight cities nationally and 33 globally after Mayor Alvin Brown and a number of stakeholders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors met with IBM representatives at City Hall to make the case for Downtown.

Efforts to Save St. Johns River Ferry Continue!

July 30, 2012

Florida State Representatives Janet Adkins and Mike Weinstein; Jacksonville City Council Vice President Bill Gulliford; Save the Ferry Task Force members Elaine Brown, Aaron Bowman, Rich Redick and Larry Williams announced today that efforts to “Keep the Ferry” continue, despite a disappointing response from the Secretary of Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) that operating funds for the St. Johns River Ferry will not be provided for this year. The Secretary of FDOT has indicated the Department is not in the position to provide operating funds for the upcoming year, however discussions continue as to the possibility of FDOT contributing money for capital project improvements necessary in the next few years.

City Council Meeting Rescheduled

July 27, 2012

In accordance with Ordinance 2012-466-A, the first City Council meeting in the month of August 2012, has been rescheduled to Wednesday, August 15, 2012, due to the date of the 2012 Primary Election.

University of Georgia and University of Florida Hall of Fame Inductees Announced

July 06, 2012

The City of Jacksonville Sports & Entertainment Office is pleased to announce the inductees into the City of Jacksonville’s 2012 Georgia/Florida Hall of Fame. The 2012 inductees include David Greene and Charles Whittemore from the University of Georgia (UGA) and Doug Dickey and John L. Williams from the University of Florida (UF).

Mayor Signs Economic Development Legislation

June 28, 2012

Plan streamlines process to make Jacksonville more competitive

Mayor Alvin Brown’s plan to streamline city job-creating functions by transforming the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission into an executive-run Office of Economic Development is now official.

Mayor Brown signed his economic development legislation (2012-212) today at 9:30 a.m. while commending City Council for the unanimous vote on June 26, 2012, backing the mayor’s vision for Jacksonville’s future.

“This is more than policy and it’s more than structure,” said the mayor. “It’s the unanimous opinion of our elected City Council to do what’s right for the taxpayers. It’s the conversation-starter with business leaders wondering where to expand or relocate. And it’s a solution for the nearly 38,000 people in our city who remain out of work and deserve a chance to rebuild themselves.”

Council Approves Mayor's Economic Development Plan

June 26, 2012

Legislation streamlines operations to make Jacksonville a more competitive city for jobs

Jacksonville City Council has approved Mayor Alvin Brown’s plan to make Jacksonville a more economically viable city by streamlining job-creation efforts while increasing the focus on sports, entertainment and special events.

“In today’s economy, there is no time to wait. Cities all over America are working hard to create jobs. Jacksonville must work harder – and smarter – to put people back to work with good-paying, career-driven opportunities,” said Mayor Brown. “I applaud our City Council members for their dedication to making Jacksonville more competitive.”

With council’s approval of the mayor’s economic development legislation (2012-212), the mayor is moving forward with transforming the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission to create the Office of Economic Development. The new office replaces a commissioner system of oversight with a Chief Economic Development Officer who will be appointed by the mayor and approved by Council to serve the public in a day-to-day executive capacity under a mission to make Jacksonville more competitive.

Mayor's Military/Veterans Job Outreach Efforts Get $218K Grant, Award

June 26, 2012

Mayor Alvin Brown has announced two major steps forward in his administration’s goal to deliver quality, cost-effective services to Jacksonville’s military and veterans community.

The U.S. Department of Labor is giving the City of Jacksonville a $218,260 grant to help homeless veterans get job training.

The Florida Committee for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) has bestowed the Pro Patria award on Mayor Alvin Brown’s Jobs for Veterans program, a public-private partnership with the Jacksonville Military Veterans Coalition and more than 80 employers. This represents the highest honor the ESGR, a Department of Defense agency, bestows to recognize best practices. Normally the award goes to a business, but for the first time the award went to a municipality to recognize Jobs for Veterans.

Local Mom and Filmmaker Honored at Student Academy Awards

June 22, 2012

Heather Burky from the Art Institute of Jacksonville, and local mom of three, was one of ten U.S. students honored for excellence at the 39th Student Acadmey Awards on Saturday, June 9. Burky's documentary, Lost Country, followed three Cuban expatriates who fought Fidel Castro.

Burky's award is the first time a student from the Art Institute of Jacksonville has been honored in the annual competition organized by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, which administers the annual Academy Awards. The goal of the student awards is to support excellence in filmmaking for the up-and-coming generation.

Read the full article from USA Today.

Learn more about Jacksonville's thriving film community

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