Political Florida

City Misses $1.6 Million in Parking Tickets Because of Computer Glitch

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Thousands of first coast drivers are just now getting parking tickets from years ago.

Last week, Lisa Crawford received a $63 bill for an unpaid $20 parking ticket - dated September 2011.

"It was very frightening because it said it could impound my car, and I look at September and I'm like, oh my God I'm on borrowed time," Crawford said.

The notice Crawford received from the City of Jacksonville's collection agency was one of 24,000 sent out in the past few weeks, according to the city's public parking officer Jack Shad.

Crawford's bill was a tiny part of $1.6 million in fines the city hadn't reported to the collection agency because they didn't realize they were missing.

"Some people were talking about how they were getting letters that the ticket went back three to five years," Crawford said.
 
The city now expects those fines to be paid.

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Clouds Showers Coming From Gulf

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --Patchy fog may form this morning but it will rain again this afternoon.  very isolated areas with small hail and
gusty winds 60% high 86.  More showers Thursday  with only
20% chances for the weekend..

Increasing northeast winds will modify the afternoon heat by the weekend.

 

 

How Term Limits Could Affect Duval's Constitutional Officers

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Duval Clerk of Courts Jim Fuller is preparing to move into the new courthouse, but doesn't know if a recent Florida Supreme Court ruling will allow him to serve as clerk.

"I'm letting the general counsel handle that for me. Just trying to figure everything out," he said.

Fuller, now in his third term as Clerk of Courts, has already qualified for the fall elections. But last week, the Florida Supreme Court ruled constitutional officers like him are subject to term limits.

Attorney Lindsey Brock's law firm sued the City of Jacksonville in the late '90s to stop term limits on the Clerk of the Courts office and won.

"Now they've looked at it again and said we think we got it wrong back then," said Brock.

Brock said the recent ruling was focused on Broward County, but when the court included charter counties like Duval and Clay, it re-instated term limits -- basically two terms and you're out.

GMJ Saturday: Great Gifts for Mom

Still clueless over what to get Mom for Mother's Day? Try shopping local at the Town Center, Avenues, or Orange Park Mall. All three have the best gift ideas including great electronics, clothing, and jewelry for the woman in your life.

Clean Out Those Cabinets: Stamp Out Hunger is Saturday

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Check your mailbox!  The Stamp Out Hunger food drive is Saturday and letter carriers have been dropping off donation bags at homes all over the First Coast this week.  

This is the 20th year of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Food Drive.  

The donation drive is designed to make giving easy.  All people have to do is put some non-perishable food in a bag and leave it by their mailboxes Saturday.  Postal workers will take the donations and transport them to Second Harvest of North Florida.  

Doctors Use Eco-friendly Technology to Ablate AFIB

Doctors Use Eco-friendly Technology to Ablate AFIB

JACKSONVILLE, FL – Richard McCoy, 66, has always enjoyed an active lifestyle between tending to his greenhouse, working full time and playing with his three grandchildren. When all of this was compromised by a heart condition, McCoy’s doctors turned to Soundstar®eco technology to help fix his ticker.