At a news conference on March 29, Mayor Lenny Curry joined the Jacksonville Jaguars, SMG and the Jacksonville Armada FC to announce that the U.S. Men’s National Team is returning to Jacksonville on Sept. 6 for a World Cup qualifying match against Trinidad and Tobago.

Mayor Introduces Leadership for Re-established Neighborhoods Department
 
Mayor Lenny Curry introduced leadership for the Neighborhoods department during a news conference held this afternoon at City Hall. The introductions follow last week’s unanimous vote of approval by City Council for the mayor’s reorganization bill. The Neighborhoods department will be responsible for neighborhood and housing services, code and regulatory compliance, animal and mosquito control, and citizen issue support. 

Governor approves Mayor Curry’s Pension Legislation Bill
 
This afternoon, Gov. Rick Scott signed legislation, approving Mayor Lenny Curry’s plan to address Jacksonville’s crippling pension debt. This plan grants municipal governments the ability to extend existing surtax revenue to address pension liability. The bill limits participation to those local governments whose underfunded retirement benefit is below 80 percent of actuarial funding. 

In a signing ceremony in his office shortly before the March 22 City Council meeting, Mayor Lenny Curry signed a new five-year contribution agreement between the City of Jacksonville and JEA. He was joined at his desk by City Council members and JEA officials to announce the new agreement.

First Approval for the City of Jacksonville Since 2011
 
In a vote of confidence for the City of Jacksonville, the Florida Legislature has approved appropriations funding that will address Mayor Lenny Curry’s key priorities for the city such as public safety and support for neighborhoods. Jacksonville has secured nearly $1.86 million in funding from the state toward projects including Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Jax Journey’s Jacksonville Re-Entry Center (JREC), replacement of the Moncrief-Dinsmore bridge, and Julington-Cormorant stormwater improvements. This is the first time since 2011 appropriations for the City of Jacksonville have been secured.