It’s Easier Here: Mayor sits down with newspaper, Brosche is behind, Jacksonville a retirement paradise

Feb. 13--A daily Florida Times-Union newsletter with local political commentary by columnist Nate Monroe on all that is easy -- or sleazy -- in the Bold New City of the South.

ABOUT THIS TIME YESTERDAY MORNING, I was riding an elevator with Mayor Lenny Curry up to the Times-Union's fifth floor conference room.

Curry came in Tuesday to sit down with the editorial board for an endorsement interview, and it's tradition for reporters and news columnists to sit in and ask a few questions. Brosche is coming in at a future date. Kudos where it's due: Curry sat down and answered every question we asked for about an hour. I wish he would be willing to do this more often.

I CAN'T SAY THERE WERE MANY SURPRISES. Part of the meeting was Curry reciting his accomplishments over his first term -- fair enough, it's an endorsement interview after all. Curry remains ardently opposed to any tax or fee increase, even one that could be dedicated toward the kind of children-services programs that fall under the umbrella of the Kids Hope Alliance, an organization formed by his administration by combining the former Children's Commission and the Jacksonville Journey. So in his (likely) second term, we will have to continue to hope incremental growth in the city's budget because of rising property values continues unabated -- and that's just so we can stay in the status quo.

CURRY ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED that global warming and sea-level rise are real and something Jacksonville needs to be concerned about. He wouldn't say whether he believes these changes are being driven by mankind. He also wouldn't go as far as acknowledging that the area encompassing the sports entertainment complex by TIAA Bank Field is an area of flooding concern. Although Lot J -- the potential (likely) future home of JEA's new headquarters -- is on higher ground than the properties around it, the general area is prone to flooding. I know because I remember not being able to make it over to the stadium in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Irma because the whole area had standing water. Here's a helpful reminder from First Coast News.

MY COLLEAGUES have more details on that interview they'll include in future stories on the election.

BREAKING NEWS: CURRY IS THE FRONTRUNNER Survey shows Lenny Curry winning Jacksonville Mayor re-election, by Florida Politics' A.G. Gancarksi.

If the election for Jacksonville Mayor were being held today, Republican Lenny Curry would be elected, per a new survey from St Pete Polls.

The poll revealed that Curry has a sizable lead over opponents Anna Brosche, Jimmy Hill, and Omega Allen.

Curry is the choice of 58 percent of those surveyed (a number that would end it in March if it holds). Brosche is favored by 20 percent of those surveyed, Hill four percent, and Allen three percent.

Though Brosche has been courting Democratic support, Curry (a former Republican Party of Florida head) carries the demographic with a 43 -28 percent advantage over his challenger.

Curry also enjoys 55 percent support from Independents and 75 percent support from Republicans.

Not a huge shocker.

WHAT MILLENNIALS LOVE TO HEAR: Northeast and North Central Florida ranked in the top 10 for affordable places to live for retirees, by the Daily Record's Mark Basch.

With bitterly cold weather plaguing much of the country last week, it's a good bet that many residents in northern states were daydreaming about retiring to sunny Florida.

Their first image may be the beaches of South Florida, but when potential retirees start looking at their wallets, several cities in Northeast and North Central Florida will be more appealing, according to 55places.com, an information website for active adult communities.

The website last week offered a list of the most affordable U.S. cities for retirement and four of the top six were in Northeast and North Central Florida, including Jacksonville at No. 4.

GOOD CAUSE: From the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5-30 (the local guys)

Ofc. Chris Rousselle suffered a bad neck injury and will be out of work for as much as a year after a suspect struck fellow Ofc. Josh Wiggins with a stolen vehicle while fleeing from a robbery and kidnapping suspect last month ... Recognizing that the suspect was extremely violent and witnessing his intentional attempted murder of his fellow officer, Chris Rousselle placed himself in harms way to capture the monster who was fleeing ... Now, Ofc. Rousselle needs YOUR help. His insurance and Workman's Comp have been extremely helpful but there have been expenses that are uncovered and his loss of extra work have placed him and his family in a tough spot financially.

Please consider helping this community hero who risked so much for Jacksonville. No donation is too small and every cent is greatly appreciated.

The GoFundMe listed below is a great way to contribute but you can also contact us directly at (904) 338-4280 for other options.

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Email Nate Monroe at nmonroe@jacksonville.com. Sign up for Nate's daily newsletter.

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