Clearing the post-its from my wall …
I heard something interesting during Tuesday’s Green Cove Springs City Council meeting when newly passed Amendment 3 was mentioned by a resident. She was afraid the council would pass on the loss of $4.3 million in revenues by increasing fees.
While nothing has been voted by the rest of the board, councilmember Tom Centracchio and Mayor Darren Stutts assured her they don’t intend to charge residents for the shortfall.
In fact, Centracchio said he and interim City Manager Mike Null started paring the city’s budget a year ago when Gov. Ron DeSantis challenged the legislature to increase non-school homestead exemption from $25,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 in 2028. The amendment received 61.98% approval from Florida voters.
While Centracchio didn’t provide many details other than mentioning the city has saved significant money by not replacing the assistant city manager, he told the Rotary Club of Green Cove Springs on Monday there already are ideas for $4.3 million in savings that could include a revamping of the city’s human resources office and eliminating some of the police department’s “toys.”
Stay tuned….
The busiest NFL team during the trading deadline was the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s clear they believe this is their best opportunity to win the Super Bowl.
The Jaguars were the best complete team in the AFC before they added defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Davon Godchaux and safety Jessie Bates. Now they’re even better.
General Manager James Gladstone may only be 36, but he is wise beyond his years. He said he wasn’t just addressing immediate needs; he was team building.”
When everyone was focusing on Brian Thomas Jr., the Jaguars decided to hold onto the former first round draft pick. By not moving the wide receiver, the team’s faith may help him get past his rash of drops.
Also, no team plays quicker than Jacksonville. The Jags have outscored their opponents 127-43 in the first half this year….
Now that the sun has set on another NASCAR season, it’s time to wonder if it’s also set on Denny Hamlin’s chances on winning a championship. He’s 46 years old, and he’s finished in the top five of the Cup Series standings 11 times without a title.
No driver in stock-car history epitomizes the frustration of racing season’s stretch drive. He’s experienced just about every way to lose the championship: wrecks, bad pit stops, slow cars and being outperformed.
Every season finale brings its own heartache. Hamlin led a race-best 87 laps last Sunday, but his chances faded quickly after his Toyota brushed against the wall at 165 mph later in the event. He finished sixth
Hamlin raced against Jimmie Johnson during his run of seven championships. Now he’s against Larson, who seems to be on the threshold of creating his own dynasty.
“I went through this generation’s Jimmie, I think that’s the only way you can describe it. When it comes to playoff time, they perform their best. That’s something that Jimmie used to do. Jimmie was a guy that could get tons of speed out of the car. Kyle is the same – you could argue even more speed.
No driver in NASCAR history has won more races without a championship. His 46 career wins is ninth best in the sport’s history.
“I would think next year would be my last best shot,” he said. “Obviously, we just did not perform at a championship level the last nine races [before Sunday’s finale]. So, this is what you get.
“You just don't know how long that you're going to continue. If anyone really did a deep dive in the sea, what happened in the Playoffs or Chase for the 11 years after year, it's an anomaly of things that just doesn't make sense, that just don't happen. Some of it's just execution. We're not performing as well, and we're not executing as well. It’s so frustrating because you know that you're definitely capable, but you have to still play the game.”
