09:15 PM EST Share The Northeast Florida business group says Jacksonville City Council should pass the bill but reduce money for JTA’s Skyway upgrades to $190 million.
Plans to increase the Duval County gas tax to pay for nearly $1 billion in transportation projects gained the endorsement of the Jacksonville Civic Council on May 10, but millions in the plan to modernize the Downtown Skyway could instead go toward the creation of the Emerald Trail network of parks.
The Civic Council urged city lawmakers to pass a proposed increase and extension to Duval County’s local option gas tax to pay for nearly $1 billion in transportation projects, but reduce the amount planned to modernize the Skyway.
Following comments at a Feb. 3 Council Subcommittee meeting by Mayor Carlo DeMaria directed to Councilor Gerly Adrien about her “laughing” on camera being a distraction, Adrien has taken to the airwaves in Boston and to the print media in Boston to condemn the comments, while Mayor DeMaria is ready to go on GBH Radio this week to defend his comments.
Adrien published an op-ed in the Boston Globe on Feb. 8 regarding why, as a Black woman, she thought the mayor’s comments were inappropriate, and then appeared Feb. 9 on the Greater Boston TV show with Jim Braude on GBH. Since then she has appeared on other media outlets, and the mayor now is going to appear on the Margery Eagan and Jim Braude GBH Radio show this Wednesday, Feb. 17.