JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville City Council is closing in on a final vote on the city’s next budget on Sept. 22, but a proposed cut tied to affordable housing is drawing reaction from the public — and could set up a fight on budget night.
The city’s budget process began in July, when Mayor Donna Deegan submitted a proposal totaling more than $2 billion. Since then, council members have spent weeks reviewing the plan line-by-line through the City Council Finance Committee. The full council is scheduled to take up the budget later this month — a meeting that in past years has stretched late into the night.
Affordable housing funding cut draws public outcry
During Tuesday’s City Council meeting, multiple speakers used public comment to urge council members to restore $4.9 million that had been included in the mayor’s proposal for affordable housing.
“The affordable housing trust fund is very important,” one speaker told council. Another called it “a desperate need for affordable housing in this beautiful city.”
City staff has said the $4.9 million could assist roughly 600 to 700 households through a mix of single-family and multi-family programs, including down payment assistance and a utility tap-in program.
At a separate meeting Tuesday, Councilman Matt Carlucci said he plans to propose an amendment on Sept. 22 to put the funding back into the budget.
“This is an important issue to Jacksonville. I hear about it all the time as an at large council member.” Carlucci said.
Carlucci described “workforce housing” as help for residents such as first responders, nurses and teachers who may not qualify for traditional assistance but still struggle to afford a home in Jacksonville.
“So many people in Jacksonville that need a place to call home and I think it’s worth fighting for so I’m going to keep at it,” he said.
Finance chair: revenue uncertainty driving cautious budget choices
Council Finance Chair Will Lahnen said the budget was crafted with uncertainty in mind because of a Nov. 3 vote on property tax changes that could affect local revenue early in the new budget year.
“Just keeping with the mantra that this is not the year for new things given the uncertainty,” Lahnen said. “Why do we want to move something from this bucket to that bucket.”
Lahnen said any attempt to add funding back into the budget should include a clear plan for what would be cut or reduced to keep the budget balanced.
“I’m hoping a council member leads with what the offset is,” Lahnen said, referring to last-minute budget amendments.
He also argued that some housing-related programs — like down payment assistance — have been funded through other sources in prior years, and questioned shifting those costs into the city’s general fund during a period of uncertainty.
Council president points to contingency plan tied to November vote
City Council President Nick Howland said council leaders believe they have crafted a strong budget while limiting overall spending.
“We have fully funded public safety, fully funded critical infrastructure, fully funded essential services while spending less than the year before,” Howland said.
Howland said the potential revenue impacts of the property tax question — referred to by council members as Amendment 3 — have been part of the discussion throughout the budget process. He said the budget includes contingency funding that could be used depending on the outcome of the November vote.
What happens next
The full City Council is scheduled to vote on the budget on Sept. 22. Carlucci has said he plans to offer an amendment that would restore the $4.9 million for affordable housing.
Even if the budget passes, council leaders have emphasized that funding decisions could shift later in the year depending on the result of the Nov. 3 property tax vote and the city’s revenue outlook.
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