Mayor Donna Deegan presented her FY26-27 $2 billion budget proposal to the Jacksonville City Council at a special meeting on Monday, July 20.
“Jacksonville is a city on the rise, and our proposed budget continues that momentum,” said Deegan. “Every spending decision we make is geared to deliver a positive return for our citizens and make Jacksonville more affordable. We do that by making it healthier, safer, more competitive, more prosperous, and more prepared for the future.”
The proposed budget increases by one percent from the prior year, reflecting an increase of approximately $22.6 million. With Deegan noting that public safety is the top priority, more than half of the general fund budget – $1.07 billion – is allocated for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.
“As promised, it delivers a third year of salary increases and returns our first responders to a defined benefit pension,” Deegan said. “It invests in the equipment, training and technology that support those who bravely protect us.”
Included in this budget proposal is $586,110,854 for the FY26-27 Capital Improvement Plan, with just over $1.25 billion allocated for the Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan. Key infrastructure projects feature significant increased budget allocations for road resurfacing ($36 million, increased by $13.2 million), $12 million for new and repaired sidewalks and stormwater drainage projects ($25 million).
“These are not luxuries,” Deegan said. “These are the bones of our city. If they are weak, everything else costs more. If they are strong, everything becomes possible.”
These infrastructure dollars could have significant impacts on the historic communities within our Resident readership and both city council members representing these neighborhoods – District 7 City Council Member Jimmy Peluso and City Council Vice President Joe Carlucci, representing District 5, shared comments with Resident News on the matter.
“What I’m anticipating is that we’ll see a lot more work on our sidewalks than we have in years,” Peluso said. “We’re seeing more money to go to sidewalk improvements and fixes than we’ve seen in a very long time. So that’s incredibly exciting to me. We’re also seeing more money for drainage projects than we have in the past, which is also really exciting.”
Carlucci shared the following statement with Resident News via text message:
“I’m proud to share that I secured more than $10 million in infrastructure funding for District 5 over the next four years, with a major focus on drainage improvements and pedestrian safety. As vice president, I’ll continue working to identify and deliver larger-scale infrastructure projects that improve our neighborhoods and strengthen District 5 for years to come.”
Featured FY26-27 capital investments include the following allocations for several projects for Parks and Recreation:
Museum of Science and History: $27 million
Riverfront Plaza: $25 million
Lonnie Miller Park: $10 million
Emerald Trail (Hogan’s Creek to Riverwalk): $8 million
James Weldon Johnson Park: $5.75 million
Shipyards West Park: $5 million
At a press conference following the budget presentation, Deegan addressed the possibility of having to make necessary adjustments to her proposal following the November vote on Florida Amendment 3 – the Homestead Tax Exemptions, Property Assessments, and Spending Restrictions Amendment.
“Everything’s going to be affected,” Deegan said. “Our job here over the next little while is to simply make people aware of the fact that when you have to cut a third of your budget, pretty much a third of everything is under scrutiny for going. We’re hopeful that we can continue to move the city forward in the ways that we outlined today, and I think that’s what most people in the city want.”
This presentation kicked off the city council’s three-month process of reviewing, amending and approving the proposed budget.
Deegan also added she will resume her series of budget town hall meetings with the community, beginning Aug. 5.