JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville City Council approved two ordinances Tuesday night that will provide funds for firefighting equipment and neighborhood improvements while establishing oversight for a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) Board for the Eastside neighborhood.
The council approved Ordinance 2026-0036, which created the CBA board. The board will oversee $40 million in funding secured during the Stadium of the Future negotiation.
The plan spread that funding out over seven years.
“One of the reasons I ran for mayor was to finally invest in the neighborhoods that had been left behind for decades,” Deegan said. “This new CBA board will review and approve millions of dollars in funding to support workforce and economic development, affordable housing, and homelessness initiatives.”
The board will manage funds designated for workforce development, affordable housing, and homelessness initiatives in the Eastside area.
“We were so grateful that finally, we had people that heard us and understood what we were saying, and also agreed with what we were saying, trying to make sure that this was a good competitive process, and that it was equal amongst everybody,” Latavia Harris, Together East Side Coalition Inc. vice president, said.
“I think this avenue needs a lot of attention,” Nigelle Kohn, Florida Avenue Main Street Director, said. “If we are really going to be able to benefit that program and that development, this avenue really needs to come back. There needs to be restaurants, there needs to be retail, there needs to be vibrancy along this avenue.”
In a separate vote, the council passed Ordinance 2025-0900, which provided $850,000 for thermal imaging equipment for the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. The measure also allocated $400,000 to address litter and blight through enhanced cleanup efforts, surveillance cameras at illegal dumping sites, and targeted code enforcement.
“Cleaner streets and safer neighborhoods are cornerstones of community pride, property values, and public safety,” Mayor Donna Deegan said in a news release about the vote.
The ordinance also set aside more than $1 million in a reserve account for future use.
Both measures passed with bipartisan support. Deegan thanked the council for their cooperation in advancing these initiatives, which she said were about building trust in city government’s ability to serve all of Jacksonville effectively.
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