At-large Republican Nick Howland took the helm of the Jacksonville City Council Thursday, delivering an optimistic message.
“Things are looking bright for the city of Jacksonville,” Howland said.
He cited public safety, infrastructure, and government services as three core areas where the government is excelling.
“During this presidency, we’ll focus on the core first. And then we’ll push further. Our mission this year will be to make local government work better for you. And we’ll do that through three additional priorities. Fiscal responsibility, accountability, and job creation.”
He also said that while the outcome of the property tax amendment on which voters will decide in November is unknown, he hopes it passes because “the affordability crisis is real” and the savings will help homesteaders.
The Finance Committee, which will be chaired by Will Lahnen and vice-chaired by Chris Miller, will scrutinize “every line” of the budget during August’s hearings.
“Of every dollar of spend this year, we’ll ask three questions. Is it core? Is it duplicative, and do we have the money? When you set aside public safety, this year we will strive to deliver a smaller budget than we did last year. And this has not been done in Jacksonville since 2019.”
Some funding will be held below the line, in reserve, due to the uncertainty the amendment creates as to revenue starting in 2027.
He also proposes a new economic development mechanism by “having Jacksonville companies pay our completion grants for us in return for a credit against their future commercial and industrial property tax liabilities. We’re calling it third party development incentive funding, or TDIF.”
Ultimately, Howland believes the city “must be leaner, smarter, and get more creative with our money.”
Howland also says he will bring CPACs to the table during Finance hearings this year, allowing these neighborhood groups to have their recommendations considered.
Transparency is also key. He noted the Jacksonville Aviation Authority hasn’t been recording its meetings, and that JEA hasn’t recorded workshops or committee discussions.
Howland, a Navy veteran, also says he wants to mandate that a condition of economic development will be to have military veteran set asides tied to the money.
“Under new legislation I will introduce next week, at least 10% of all new jobs created in part by a city incentive will go to military veterans, guard, reserves, or active duty spouses. We will call it the Stand for Service Act.”
The bill will be introduced next week.
Howland also intends to set up an inclusive committee structure, in a meaningful break from outgoing President Kevin Carrico, who relegated some members to one committee while giving others disproportionate power.
“This year, out of our 10 chair and vice chair leadership positions, eight will be first termers. Five will be military veterans. It’ll be bipartisan and everyone on this Council will have two committee assignments. It’s a structure designed to operate as a team. We can disagree on policy. We can debate politics. We can even argue procedure, but we all want what’s best for the city.”
Howland said committee assignments will be released Friday, but noted that Mike Gay will chair the Rules Committee.
Additionally, the Jacksonville Aviation Authority will be pressed to ensure that Cecil Spaceport ramps up this year. He believes the space sector is booming and that the city has a unique opportunity to take a leadership role.
“The market is booming, and it’ll pass us by if we don’t move quickly.”