JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville City Council is set to vote Tuesday on Mayor Donna Deegan’s proposed $2 billion budget, a spending plan shaped by public safety and infrastructure needs — and uncertainty surrounding a statewide property-tax amendment.
The proposed $2.03 billion budget would preserve reserves while increasing funding for roads, sidewalks, septic-tank phaseout projects and public safety, according to prior News4JAX coverage.
Deegan held her final budget community meeting Monday at Edward White High School, giving residents one last opportunity to weigh in before the council vote.
“We’ve invested a lot of money into infrastructure — potholes and road resurfacing,” Deegan said. “We are efforting to get back the $4.9 million we put for affordable housing. It’s the thing people tell us the most that they want to see.”
The City Council’s Finance Committee removed nearly $5 million in affordable housing funding from the mayor’s proposal. Councilman Matt Carlucci has said he plans to introduce an amendment restoring the money.
City staff said the funding could help about 600 to 700 households through programs including down payment assistance and utility tap-in assistance.
Amendment 3 remains a concern
Council members have spent weeks reviewing the budget and discussing how to balance the needs of a growing city with the possibility of major revenue losses.
The proposed statewide property-tax amendment would expand the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. It also would limit how local governments use property-tax revenue.
The measure must receive at least 60% voter approval to take effect.
Jacksonville’s city auditor has warned the city could lose roughly $300 million annually if the amendment passes. Deegan has previously said that would amount to about one-third of the city’s budget and could affect roads, libraries, parks, housing and public safety.
RELATED: Mayor Deegan on recently passed Florida property tax overhaul: ‘Hurt more people than it helps.’
“From the beginning, there has been discussion of what can we do to inoculate ourselves against Amendment 3, and of course we cannot,” Deegan said. “We have robust reserves, which is good. We wouldn’t have to worry about that amendment until next year should it pass, but it would be devastating, frankly, to everything — all our services.”
The amendment also has drawn opposition from law enforcement and firefighter groups, who warn that reduced local revenue could affect staffing, response times and infrastructure repairs.
Council office renovations proposed
Councilman Rahman Johnson is proposing to transfer $500,000 from a public safety contingency fund to renovate council offices at City Hall.
Johnson said the money would not come directly from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office or Jacksonville Fire and Rescue operating budgets. He said some offices are in poor condition and need repairs.
“Now is the time to do it,” Johnson said. “If Amendment 3 is realized and we hit — the council auditor says eventually we’ll get hit for $300 million — well, we would have to reevaluate a whole lot of things.”
Johnson said the offices have not received major improvements since 1999 and cited deteriorating desks, damaged furniture and mold.
The half-million-dollar transfer remains a proposal. Council members are expected to consider several amendments before voting on the final budget.
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