Ballard Partners recently hired Lenny Curry as a consultant. Shortly thereafter Mayor Deegan terminated Ballard’s contract with the city.

Ballard Partners was surprised to receive notice of this termination as they believe they have done a great job for the city. They tout the fact they have represented the city for the last 8 years – the same 8 years Lenny was Mayor.

Ballard may be good at lobbying but they made a serious mistake to hire the guy responsible for losing Republican voters to our first Democrat female Mayor. Lenny may have been in the Mayor’s seat for 8 years but this last election proved people were tired of his antics and bully platform. His next in line successor Daniel Davis hired Lenny’s campaign consultants and would have done business the same old way in Jacksonville and the voters knew it.

Ballard should have known it too.

The Deegan administration will be looking for a new lobbying firm that will focus on bringing more federal grants to the city. That was a major promise in her campaign and she appears to be sticking to it.