Donna Deegan rolls out new $1.9B Jacksonville budget, addresses Donald Trump shooting

Jacksonville City Council Republicans who said they were eager to see what Democratic Mayor Donna Deegan would propose in the new budget finally got some detail on the biggest budget in Jacksonville history.

But before they did, elected officials, including Mayor Deegan, addressed the attempted assassination of Donald Trump via invocation and comments from the Mayor herself.

“Please allow me to take a moment to reflect,” she said.

She brought calligraphy of the Prayer of St. Francis in response to “what we’ve all been through in the past day and a half” regarding the Trump assassination attempt.

“You hear me talk a lot about love and unity. But I think we see over and over again, that it’s our only path forward.”

“It is a solemn responsibility that all of us have to each other … to find that love for each other, to disagree agreeably, to see each other’s humanity,” Deegan said, adding that she is “grateful” for the Council, and that Jacksonville can be the “spark,” a “shining city” as “we all try to grapple with another tragedy in our country.”

From there, she moved into her formal presentation of the $1.9 billion budget for her city on the “precipice of greatness.”

It is up more than $165 million over Fiscal Year 2023-24, with $489 million in capital improvement projects (CIP) spending, including “more than $150 million dollars of CIP projects are aimed at making good on those promises in Districts 8, 9, and 10,” she said, referring to three Urban Core districts that have struggled despite repeated promises from leaders over decades.

She also explained her decision to clean up the CIP, removing projects that weren’t moving forward.

“In the past, our Capital Improvement Plan carried the weight of projects which never got beyond the concept phase of building. That weight represented a threat to our credit rating and our financial strength,” Deegan said.

“So we had a mutual goal with the City Council to clean up the CIP. Today — our CIP is leaner, more responsible, and more representative of reality with hundreds of millions of dollars in old, never started projects removed. It will continue to improve our standing with the credit rating agencies.”

The emergency reserve would also be increased $25 million, to more than $128 million in the proposed budget.

She also wants “the rest of the Community Benefits Agreement,” meaning the $94 million carved out by the City Council when it passed the Jaguars’ stadium deal last month, and she harkened back to that accomplishment in her remarks.

“How many told us we couldn’t get that historic Jaguars deal done with the time table we set out? What a testament to the power of collaboration. An agreement to build the Stadium of the Future where our proud cry of Duuuval will be heard for the next 30 years. A crowning achievement that will also allow for the completion of our riverfront parks and that will be made even better when we pass the rest of the community benefits agreement.”

The Mayor also said she wanted “defined benefit” pensions for cops and fire, though details on that proposal, which involves allowing first responders to enter the Florida Retirement System, remain vague.

What’s less vague, meanwhile, is that Deegan wants more police on the street, with 40 new officers proposed, part of a plan to add 200 in four years.

Meanwhile, more money is going to the chronically underfunded UF Health.

“We are making a $56 million investment into the operating budget of our safety net hospital — UF Health — and another $38 million for capital improvements. This additional funding strengthens our commitment to this critical asset in our community and ensures they can continue providing care to our most vulnerable citizens,” Deegan said.

Another budget impact was created by state law compelling local jurisdictions to end public sleeping by the unhoused, called an “unfunded state mandate on homelessness” by Deegan.

“The budget is directing $10 million in 2024-2025 to address the requirements of the new law making it illegal to sleep in public spaces. We anticipate the total cost of this initiative to be $15 million and we are calling on the private sector to close the gap,” the Mayor said.

Affordable housing is also a priority of this budget.

“The City is placing a one-time, $10 million contribution into an ‘Affordable Housing Loan Fund’ as the seed money to attract an additional $30 million in private and philanthropic investments,” Deegan said.

“This innovative public-private partnership will help to address chronic funding shortfalls and will ultimately yield $120 million in new multi-family rental housing — with the potential for more than 1,000 affordable housing units being built. Even before this fund is created, Jacksonville will have nearly 4,000 affordable and low-income housing units completed by the end of 2025 because of our strong focus on addressing this challenge.”

Deegan also addressed her vision for downtown revitalization, which has been an issue for Mayors going back decades.

“One of those catalytic projects is the downtown riverfront. It was the spark that made Tampa’s downtown ignite, and it will do the same for Jacksonville,” Deegan said.

“We are investing in the Metropolitan Park Marina Fire Station, Museum and Dock; the new Museum of Science and History; and marina, bulkhead, dock, and lighting work along the North and Southbank. The CIP now also includes the funding negotiated with the Jaguars to complete Riverfront Plaza, Shipyards West Park and Metropolitan Park.”

The Council Finance Committee will have hearings on the budget through August, with a final vote in late September ahead of the October 1 effective date.