After the leader of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority seemingly floated bringing back tolls during a meeting with City Council members, Mayor Donna Deegan and JTA are saying, respectively, that’s a non-starter and that reporters misinterpreted what was said.
While it’s still not clear how the agency will resolve a $39 million operating deficit, what’s clear is that there is no appetite to impose road usage fees on motorists, meaning the costs will be socialized some other way than reimposing fees to use roads, a practice discontinued in the 1980s after voters approved a half-cent sales tax to replace them.
JTA faces a $39 million budget gap, but Jacksonville leaders are putting the brakes on renewed tolls.
“During the City Council’s first Financial Audit and Oversight Committee Meeting with JTA, the possibility of tolls was discussed. Jacksonville has been down this road before, and the people have already spoken loud and clear. I will oppose any effort by JTA, a regional state agency, to bring back tolls that would make it even more expensive to drive in our city. There are many other solutions that should be considered to alleviate the current financial crisis. Tolls are not one of them,” Deegan said in a rare Saturday morning declaration from her press office.
The Mayor expects the Board to “get the fiscal house in order,” though it’s unclear how confident she is in the seven-person panel’s ability to do so. This week, she proactively issued an executive order that “encourages” Jacksonville Board appointees to get financial training. She expects the City Council will codify the recommendations.
JTA blames “inaccurate reporting” for the misinterpretation, claiming that Interim Chief Executive Officer Cleveland Ferguson III “did not propose or advocate for reinstating bridge tolls.”
“During the discussion, he noted that tolling remains a dormant capability under the JTA’s authorizing statute and referenced it in the historical context of the JTA’s former role as an expressway authority.”
While new tolls aren’t in the mix, tapping gas tax authority is. JTA will soon be able to use $30M for debt after the City Council gave them a green light Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, if Byron Donalds is elected Governor, he says he may make some changes to the Board; four members are appointed by the state executive.
“We want to make sure that these agencies have a consistent ability to operate and deliver on the mission that they were created to do in the first place, so if we’re going to have to go through and trim some operations and make some adjustments, we will do that, because at the end of the day we have to be mindful of the taxpayer who pays for all of it,” Donalds said, per WOKV.
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Demetree dollars
Jacksonville mayoral candidate Wyman Duggan continues to draw financial support for his challenge to Deegan next year, with $25,000 coming in Sept. 28 from Jay Demetree and various companies he owns (Pentagon Properties, SMP, and Shops of Bartram Walk).
Jay Demetree helps fuel Wyman Duggan’s mayoral bid with a $25,000 contribution.
Duggan’s “Better Jacksonville Committee” raised $30,000 and collected nearly $2,000 in interest during the week ending Oct. 2, with more than $1.45 million on hand.
Deegan’s “Duval for All” committee raised $1,250 during the same period and spent more than $22,000 on consultants. The committee has more than $2.2 million on hand. Deegan also has almost $200,000 in her campaign account.
Thirteen candidates have filed and maintained active campaigns. The qualifying deadline is in January. The First Election is in March, and if no one gets majority support, the top two finishers move on to the General Election in May.
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One-on-one
Former Jacksonville University and ABA basketball great Artis Gilmore is entering politics, and he’s bringing a formidable presence to the 2027 campaign.
Artis Gilmore trades the basketball court for the campaign trail. Image via Gilmore campaign.
Gilmore, a Democrat, will face Jacksonville City Council President Nick Howland in At-Large Group 3, a countywide race.
Howland starts off the race with a considerable financial advantage. His Florida Freedom PAC has more than $340,000 on hand. He also has roughly $105,000 in his campaign account.
However, Gilmore presents a challenge born of genuine local celebrity.
Democrats are making a concerted effort to take at-large seats this cycle. A Special Election earlier this year in AL-1 saw Mone Holder flip what had been a GOP stronghold, replacing Terrance Freeman, who resigned to run for state House.
Howland issued a statement regarding the campaign ahead and his opponent.
“As a young boy growing up outside Chicago, I lived and breathed the Bulls — and Artis Gilmore was one of the greats. I welcome him to the race and look forward to a spirited campaign featuring a robust debate about Jacksonville’s future,” Howland said, before pointing to his record.
“This race needs to be about who can deliver results for our city. I’m proud to have delivered safer streets, stronger infrastructure, and high-paying jobs for Jacksonville families. We’ve made real progress, and I’m running for re-election next year to keep that momentum going. Nobody will work harder than I will to earn the trust of Jacksonville voters.”
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Great Scott
While the current Jacksonville City Council President faces a formidable challenger next year, former President Scott Wilson appears to have a clearer path back to the dais.
Republican Wilson raised more than $45,000 in his first fundraising report for the District 4 race, while his competition didn’t come close.
Scott Wilson builds an early fundraising lead in his bid to return to Jacksonville City Council.
Neither of his opponents has raised more than $1,300 thus far.
With incumbent Kevin Carrico standing down for re-election, Wilson is in decent shape.
Reggie Redux
Another man looking to return to the Council is also in good shape.
Former Council member Reggie Gaffney, Sr. reports nearly $70,000 raised so far in his bid to take District 10, where incumbent Ju’Coby Pittman is term-limited.
Reggie Gaffney Sr. seeks a City Council comeback in District 10. Image via The Florida Times-Union.
Eight candidates are currently on the ballot. Keshan Chambliss is the next leading fundraiser, having brought in nearly $11,000. Geraldine Ford-Harden has raised more than $7,000.
District 10 is heavily Black and Democratic. The only Republican running, Marcus Givens, has not yet recorded any fundraising.
If Reggie Sr. wins, he could serve with his namesake son, who is running for re-election in District 8. Reggie Gaffney, Jr. has raised more than $50,000 so far in a three-way race. His closest competition, Andrea Waugh, has raised a little more than $7,000.
NEFAR numbers
September home sales saw a notable drop along the First Coast for the third month in a row in both annual and monthly closings.
Northeast Florida saw 1,608 closed sales last month, according to the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors (NEFAR). That’s down 7.7% from September 2025, when 1,742 homes sold, and down 8% from August, when 1,748 homes sold.
The median price for the six-county area showed a modest increase in September, though. That figure was $398,566, up 2.8% from $387,842 a year ago. It’s also up 1.1% from August, when the median price was $394,340.
Northeast Florida home sales cool again, even while the regional median price edges higher.
Active inventory on the First Coast stood at 6,348 homes for sale last month. That’s an 18.4% drop from 7,783 a year ago, and down 1.7% from August’s 6,458.
Duval County, home to Jacksonville, followed regional trends with 844 closed sales, down 5.3% from a year ago and 7.8% from August. The median sales price was $344,000, up 4.2% from a year ago and 3.5% from August.
St. Johns County had 401 closed home sales in September, down 10.3% from a year ago and 1% from August. The median sales price in St. Johns was $575,000, up 2.7% from last year and 0.6% from August.
Clay County home sales totaled 221 in September, down 6% from September 2025 and 10.9% from August. Median sales prices dipped in Clay, coming in at $355,000, down 2.7% from last year and 4.1% from August.
Nassau County posted 96 closed sales in September, down 13.5% from last year and 19.3% from August. The median sales price in Nassau was $496,500, up 4.5% from last year and 9.3% from August.
Road warriors
A major portion of St. Johns County’s road system advanced recently as county officials held a ribbon-cutting for the widening of County Road 210.
The project widened the road for about 3 miles between Greenbriar Road and Cimarrone Boulevard. The road was widened from two lanes to four lanes, and the infrastructure work cost about $42.5 million.
St. Johns County officials cut the ribbon on a wider County Road 210 — and hopefully shorter commutes.
County Road 210 is a major connector in north St. Johns County. It runs through the Nocatee housing development, into Palm Valley, and to the coastal areas of Ponte Vedra Beach. Crews also installed sidewalks on both sides of the road, upgraded pedestrian connections, and added new traffic signals.
“There are some major infrastructure improvements that are going on in St. Johns County with the attempt to improve the quality of life for all the citizens of St. Johns County, and that’s what we’re committed to,” said St. Johns County District 1 Commissioner Christian Whitehurst.
“The work included bridges, sidewalks, drainage improvements and new traffic signals, all of which contribute to how this corridor functions. We appreciate the patience of residents and local businesses throughout construction and the efforts of everyone who helped deliver this project.”
The funding for the 210 work came from impact fees and the Transportation Trust Fund. Construction began in June 2023, with Osiris 9 as the civil engineer and Eisman and Russo Inc. providing construction engineering and inspection services. Superior Construction Co. was the contractor for most of the construction work.
Water World
Another ribbon-cutting is in order this week in St. Johns County, as turf gives way to a different kind of surf.
County officials are celebrating the completion of the Water Reclamation Facility on State Road 207. The event is set for Thursday at 9 a.m. at the water complex at 3055 State Road 207 in Elkton.
The wastewater treatment and reclamation facility was activated on May 11. While it treats wastewater, it also produces and distributes reclaimed water for irrigation, helping conserve drinking water.
St. Johns County’s new water reclamation facility gives wastewater a useful second act.
The water reclamation plant can treat up to 3.2 million gallons per day. It can expand to 6.5 million gallons per day.
The plant also includes about 15 miles of water pipelines connecting the facility to the St. Johns County utility system. The system is designed to prevent more than a million pounds of nutrient pollutants from entering the Matanzas River.
County Commissioners Clay Murphy and Ann Taylor are among the dignitaries who are taking part in the ceremony.
Getting Trashy
St. Johns County will offer free shredding and lithium battery collection on Saturday.
The county, along with FCC Environmental Services and Shred-it, will provide shredding and collection from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Ponte Vedra Branch Library, 101 Library Blvd., in Ponte Vedra Beach.
While the county wants to collect lithium batteries for disposal, officials are advising that the event is for St. Johns County residents only.
Officials are asking residents to bring paperwork, bills, and other documents to be securely shredded on site. The county will also safely recycle any household lithium-ion batteries and properly dispose of those materials.
The county encourages residents to bring personal documents on both white and colored paper; documents with staples or paper clips; file folders and file hangers; and lithium batteries from items including cellphones, laptops, tablets, and other rechargeable batteries found in household items.
There are limitations, though. County officials say they won’t accept three-ring binders, cardboard, or items generated by commercial activity.
St. Johns County offers a clean sweep for old documents and household lithium batteries.
Jaguars SWOT analysis
The Jaguars’ trip to London started with a wild win, but a last-second victory over the Philadelphia Eagles catapulted Jacksonville to a 4-1 start for the second consecutive season. The win was significant in several ways.
First, the record itself. Through NFL history, teams winning four of the first five games of the season go to the postseason nearly 87 % of the time. Since the playoffs expanded to 14 teams, 90 % of teams starting 4-1 have qualified. So, pencil in the Jaguars for a playoff spot.
Jaxson de Ville takes the plunge in London, where the Jaguars return with postseason ambitions. Image via The Associated Press.
Second, the AFC South race is coming into shape. The Jaguars are the only team in the division with a winning record, and they will face the Houston Texans (1-4) on Sunday at Wembley Stadium (9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network).
Finally, the way the Jaguars won the game matters. It wasn’t pretty, but teams that have postseason success find ways to win. Teams are not guaranteed to have their best performances every week, so beating a team two years out of winning the Super Bowl is a positive sign.
Perhaps now is a good time for a SWOT analysis of the Jaguars.
Strengths: The rushing defense; a rising quarterback; Parker Washington; Cam Little.
The Jaguars continue to be nearly impossible to run the ball against. Jacksonville allows only 63.8 yards per game, best in the NFL. They have conceded only three rushing touchdowns this season. That kind of defense travels well and does well in all weather.
Trevor Lawrence continues to play well, but more notably, his floor has been raised. Even in his non-dominant games, he’s still making a positive impact and throwing some “wow” passes. Many of those “wow” throws also turn into “wow” catches for Washington. Other than the win over Cincinnati, where he was not targeted often, Washington has become a go-to pass catcher. His six receptions for a season-high 124 yards and two touchdowns against the Eagles accounted for most of the Jaguars’ explosive plays.
When they don’t find the end zone, Cam Little can put up three points from almost anywhere on the field. He remains a long-range weapon. The 57-yard game-winner against Philadelphia was only in question because the Jaguars had backup long snapper DeVon Hamilton in the game.
Weaknesses: Passing rush, offensive line play, penalties.
Travon Walker has two sacks; Josh Hines-Allen has 1.5. No other Jaguars have more than one sack. As a team, the Jaguars have 11 sacks, tied with a bushel of teams for 12th in the NFL. The Jaguars are tied for 10th in the league in quarterback hits, although 11 of the 33 QB hits came against the Bengals, a team that has struggled to protect quarterback Joe Burrow for years.
The offensive line has not protected the quarterback well. According to ESPN’s Pass Block Win Rate metric, the Jaguars are 29th out of 32 NFL teams. While Lawrence has been sacked 10 times, a middle-of-the-pack number, the team has faced more pressure than needed.
Through the first three games, the Jaguars were among the NFL’s least penalized teams. Since then, Jacksonville has risen into the top quarter of teams in penalties. The trend must reverse if the Jaguars want a historic postseason.
Opportunities: a clear path to the divisional title, increasing Travis Hunter’s usage
With the rest of the AFC South struggling, the Jaguars simply have to hold serve to win the division. Topping Houston on Sunday would go a long way to securing another divisional crown.
The Jaguars also have a chance to start working Hunter into the offensive game plan more often. Over five games, Hunter has been on the field for just 22 offensive snaps, with two catches and one rush. None of his plays this season have been explosive. He has made a difference on defense, where he has averaged nearly 50 snaps per game.
Threats: injuries, the AFC playoff picture
Starting left tackle Anton Harrison had a knee MRI this week after leaving the game on Sunday. He is expected to miss some practice time this week, and his status for the game against the Texans is still unclear. Several other defensive starters (defensive backs Montaric Brown and Eric Murray, among them).
After the Jaguars play the Texans and return to Jacksonville to enjoy a bye week, they could be firmly in the driver’s seat for the division, but battling for the top seed in the AFC is another story.
The Kansas City Chiefs are unbeaten. The Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills each have just one loss. Six other teams trail the Jaguars at 3-2. The Jaguars must navigate this minefield to have the best chance at postseason success.
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