Jacksonville Bold for 6.25.25: DOGE Days of Summer

The Jacksonville City Council’s DOGE Committee is now a memory, and what’s left are the recommendations.

Chair Ron Salem released them this week, and while it’s hard to take issue with any of them, it’s also hard to understand precisely why much of this wasn’t best practice and implemented as a matter of course.

One major problem identified is the handling of capital projects, and the description of the issue implies equal misfeasance by both the legislative and executive branches.

“Departments should start the closeout process around three months after the project is completed, assuming all invoices have been received, so that they can be processed and paid,” goes the recommendation.

Indeed, the Council hasn’t been able to tell when a project ends either, since the Mayor’s Office hasn’t been informing them.

Imagine if you and your spouse had this attitude about capital projects at home. Is the new deck done? IDK, who can say?

So yeah, the Mayor’s Office should be disclosing this information.

But the burning question is why the City Council hasn’t been keeping track of the completion of capital projects on a real-time basis. Isn’t that what the Finance Committee should be doing?

Another burning question is what exactly goes into deciding whether capital projects are needed, given that the Finance Committee is about to head into a month of budget deliberations in August, DOGE recommends that “due diligence is performed for any new or replacement of existing libraries, community centers, and senior centers proposed in future CIPs to ensure that the demand/use lines up with community needs and current habits (e.g., shift to more online services at libraries may mean less using physical spaces).”

The Council also envisions itself taking a larger role in police and fire budgeting as “employees begin participating in the Florida Retirement System (FRS).”

They believe “overtime will need to be controlled since it is pensionable and adequate staffing levels will be needed to lower the cost of overtime,” though right now “the cost of overtime is cheaper or at least a similar cost to adding additional full-time staff.”

They also envision themselves taking a more active role in the pension program for first responders, which is currently run by an independent Board.

“The Jacksonville Retirement System and the Police and Fire Pension Fund do work together and leverage significant portions of their investments to reduce money manager fees. It was discussed that further research would be performed to determine how City Council could influence the investment policy to encourage this process.”

With this process wrapped up, it raises questions about branding.

This has little to do with Elon Musk’s DOGE or that of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

It nibbles around the edges, bringing up best practices — many of which Salem could have insisted upon while he was Council President a couple of years back.

Ultimately, the test of its enduring value will be how many of the Committee’s recommendations are implemented under Council Presidents Kevin Carrico and Nick Howland.

Land’s sakes

The University of Florida has secured about 20 acres of land in downtown Jacksonville, along with some $50 million in funding needed to build a new campus.

The Jacksonville City Council has approved a transfer of the land to the university in the LaVilla area in the western part of the inner city. Council members also agreed to provide the funding needed to support construction of the new campus, which will serve as the Florida Semiconductor Institute.

“The City Council’s vote today is a testament to a shared vision for the future for both UF and for Jacksonville,” said Mori Hosseini, Chair of the UF Board of Trustees. “This investment will create a world-class campus that serves Jacksonville’s workforce, fuels innovation and expands opportunity for generations to come.”

UF officials say they’ll move forward with closing on the property within weeks. The $50 million approved by the City Council on Tuesday increases the city’s total investment to about $100 million. With private contributions and state funding, the total cash total for the UF Jacksonville campus now amounts to $300 million.

City Council President Randy White said he considers the city’s financial contribution to the UF campus to be an asset.

“The council recognizes the importance of UF Jacksonville to the city’s future. This is an investment of tax dollars that will pay dividends for decades,” White said.

The political class in Jacksonville has been supportive of the UF campus relocating downtown. Mayor Donna Deegan has taken the lead on the project begun under Lenny Curry and was pleased with the Council’s action on Tuesday.

“Jacksonville is committed to being at the forefront of talent development,” Deegan said. “As our economy grows and embraces new technology, the need for a skilled workforce is more important than ever. Our partnership with UF sends a clear signal that Jacksonville is at the forefront of innovation.”

Good bill

Gov. Ron DeSantis has approved a measure designed to better provide mental health treatment to detainees in Florida jails and prisons.

The Legislature approved the “Tristin Murphy Act” after emotional testimony during the committee process, and even on the floor of the House and Senate. The measure is named after Tristin Murphy, who committed suicide in a Florida prison in 2021.

The legislation calls for the state to establish probation conditions for defendants with mental illness, sets requirements for work assignments for those detainees and expands training options under the criminal justice, mental health and substance abuse grant programs.

Sen. Jennifer Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican, crafted the measure (SB 168). The bill gained momentum after Senate President Ben Albritton, a Wauchula Republican, added his support.

Bradley said she’s relieved the measure is now law and praised Murphy’s parents.

“Their tragedy has inspired so many to take action to help people struggling with mental illness get the help they need. If someone commits a serious, violent crime, they need to be incarcerated for public safety. This bill provides a different path for less serious crimes where the defendant, their family, and the community would be better served by allowing the defendant to receive the necessary mental health treatment,” Bradley said.

Two-front war

House Speaker-designate Sam Garrison has drawn a second Primary challenge, which is unusual for someone poised to lead a legislative chamber in 2027.

This time around, it’s Cory Allan Jett of Middleburg, who joins Antonette Harmon in the race.

The two political newcomers have a challenging task ahead of them.

Garrison’s associated political committee, Honest Leadership, has roughly $1.5 million banked at last count.

He also has more than $21,000 in his campaign account.

Garrison has never been primaried and has never received less than 67% of the vote in a General Election.

Fire funds

While it’s still not clear what exactly caused the fire that engulfed dozens of vehicles and heavily damaged a parking garage at Jacksonville International Airport (JIA) in May, it’s obvious now that it’s going to cost tens of millions of dollars to repair the damage.

This month, Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA) Board members reviewed the situation at the hourly parking garage to the east, at the entrance to JIA concourses. They concluded that it would take approximately $38 million to repair the structure.

The blaze engulfed much of the multistory parking structure on May 16 and torched about 50 vehicles before Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department personnel could bring the intense blaze under control. The fire was so powerful that there was damage to the concrete structure on several floors.

JAA officials confirm most of the vehicles have been removed from the garage site. They believe the fire started in one vehicle, a BMW, but it’s still not clear what sparked the inferno.

That parking garage was designated for hourly parking, and officials said the airport lost substantial revenue while the facility has been closed for the past month. That lost revenue amounts to more than $3.5 million.

Park life

Incoming Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico says bringing activity to the city’s parks, via a Special Committee on Park Programming, is going to be one of his priorities when he takes the gavel next month.

“If we don’t have the programming and the people in those parks … then we just have world-class parks with no momentum,” the Southside Republican said on “This Week in Jacksonville.”

Whether Jacksonville’s parks are “world-class” or not is a matter of subjective interpretation. Still, Carrico is by no means the first City Council President to take on the challenge of making them better.

During the same interview, the incoming President also expressed optimism about working with Mayor Donna Deegan.

“Yes, we disagree sometimes on policy issues. I’m a Republican. She’s a Democrat. We don’t always agree … but I think both of us love this city,” he said. “I’m not going to do anything that’s going to harm the ability to move Jacksonville forward to a world-class city.”

Second time around

A Westside Democrat is making it official and running for a second term on the Jacksonville City Council.

This month, Rahman Johnson opened a campaign account for his re-election bid in District 14.

He’s currently alone in the race, with a No Party candidate already withdrawn.

Johnson defeated Republican John Draper in May 2023, getting nearly 53% of the vote against the political veteran.

Unmoved unemployment

The unemployment rate in Florida came in at 3.7% for May, unchanged from the April figure.

FloridaCommerce released the new jobless figure. While the rate held steady month to month, that rate is still higher than any number seen in 2024.

Last year closed with a 3.4% unemployment rate. The rate has steadily increased from there, with no declines so far this year.

In the year-over-year comparison, the latest unemployment rate for the Sunshine State is up a notable 0.4 percentage points from May 2024’s figure of 3.3%.

Florida’s jobless figure is still lower than the national rate. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reports the jobless figure across the country was 4.2% in May, unchanged from April. It’s the 55th straight month that Florida has had a lower rate than the nation.

The FloridaCommerce Bureau of Workforce Statistics and Economic Research reported that there were 414,000 Floridians who were unemployed last month out of a workforce of 11.2 million people.

Jacksonville is experiencing higher unemployment rates compared to other areas of Florida. The First Coast city reported a 3.6% unemployment rate in May. That’s up slightly from April’s rate of 3.5% and up by 0.4 percentage points from May 2024, when the figure was 3.2%.

Ferry Fix

More than a month after being shut down, the St. Johns River Ferry Service is once again running across waters that extend State Road A1A on the First Coast.

The ferry trips crossing the river in the northern area of Duval County were put on hold after the ferry vessel hit a loading ramp and damaged the ramp structure on May 4.

The ferry returned to taking vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians across the river this month after completing repairs to the loading area. The fix was completed about two weeks ahead of schedule, according to the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA).

While the primary reason for the shutdown was to repair the loading ramp, JTA officials say crews took advantage of the downtime and also completed required maintenance stipulated by the U.S. Coast Guard. Since crews utilized that time, they completed those maintenance requirements about a year ahead of schedule.

Art for Art’s sake

Jacksonville artists are being honored for their work, which is among the best on the First Coast.

The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville (CCGJ) announced the top picks for its 48th Annual Arts Awards presented by AT&T.

Eight people or organizations were selected for “their significant contributions to the city’s vibrant arts and culture landscape.”

The honorees include the Blue Jay Listening Room, Brian Niece, Don Zentz, Milt Russos, John A. Lumpkin II, Kemal Gasper, Leadership Jacksonville and Diane Brunet-García will also be honored as the 2025 Catalyst Recognition recipient.

Those named as part of the awards will take part in a ceremony Sept. 5 at the Florida Blue Conference Center. The event is being called “Fire & Ice” this year.

“For nearly five decades, the Arts Awards have recognized creative leaders, cultural catalysts and artistic innovators who are defining Jacksonville’s thriving creative economy,” said Diana Donovan, executive director of the CCGJ. “This year’s Fire & Ice theme reflects the dynamic forces that fuel both quality of life and economic growth. When fire and ice meet, they make STEAM — a powerful symbol of how science, technology, engineering, arts and math intersect to drive our city forward.”

To watch the announcement video, please click the image below:

Ho-hum Jax

Jacksonville has beaches, a diverse population, shopping centers, areas with clubs and nightlife, and yet, it’s the most boring city in America, according to at least one analysis.

FinanceBuzz, an auto insurance advisory company, analyzed data from the 75 largest American cities and found the so-called “Bold New City of the South” to be pretty ho-hum. Analysts labeled the First Coast burg “the most boring city in the U.S.”

The study analyzed elements such as population makeup, culinary scenes, outdoor activities, nightlife, celebrations and other things to do to tabulate an “excitement score.” Using those metrics, Jacksonville appears to be pretty dull.

Jacksonville racked up an excitement score of a measly 14.3, the lowest score for any city.

With nearly 900 square miles of land within city limits, Jacksonville is America’s largest geographic city. However, that expansion is apparently part of the problem, contributing to the lack of excitement in the Northeast Florida metropolis.

“This means there are large stretches of the city where population density is relatively low, naturally leading to lower instances of things like nightclubs and award-winning restaurants. In fact, 54% of all restaurants in Jacksonville are chains, tied for the fourth-highest rate in the country, while the city has the third-lowest rate of nightclubs and fourth-lowest rate of concert venues per capita of any city,” FinanceBuzz analysts concluded.

Tallahassee wasn’t far behind with an excitement score of 20.5, tied with Phoenix, Arizona. The Florida capital finished ninth on the list of most boring towns across the country.

Sporting JAX

Jacksonville’s new top-tier professional women’s soccer team has announced its preseason schedule ahead of the inaugural season in the USL Gainbridge Super League. The club will host Scottish champions Hibernian FC and Welsh club AFC Wrexham in a pair of preseason friendlies in August.

Sporting JAX also announced a pair of closed-door preseason matchups at the University of Florida and NWSL side Orlando Pride.

The matchup with Hibernian FC, known as Hibs, will take place at UNF’s Hodges Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 2. The meeting with Wrexham is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 10. Tickets to both games are on sale, as are tickets for the USL Gainbridge Super League regular season fixtures.

Hibs won the ScottishPower Women’s Premier League in a 1-0 victory over Rangers, marking the club’s first title in 18 years. There is a connection between Sporting JAX and Hibs through the late Ron Gordon, who acquired the club in 2019. Gordon was an early investor in Sporting JAX.

Wrexham has risen to prominence since being purchased by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The duo bought the club in 2020, and the men’s team has earned promotion three straight years and will play in the English second division next season. The club has been featured on the FX documentary series “Welcome to Wrexham,” which has been credited with growing the club’s fan base. Last year, the Wrexham women completed a U.S. Tour including matches in Southern California and Portland, Oregon, where 10,379 fans watched a friendly between Wrexham and Portland Thorns FC Academy.

Hodges Stadium holds roughly 9,500 for soccer.

“Starting our preseason against a top European side like Hibs is an exciting challenge and an important milestone for our club. Following that with a matchup against a well-organized team like Wrexham will give us the sharp edge we need going into our debut season,” said Sporting JAX head coach Stacey Balaam. “We can’t wait to host these exceptional clubs and take the field to represent Jacksonville and the entire First Coast in front of our home supporters for the first time.”

The USL Super League launched last August with two Florida-based teams meeting in the finals on Saturday. The Tampa Bay Sun defeated Fort Lauderdale United 1-0 after extra time to win the first Super League championship.

Jacksonville will be the first expansion team to join the league and the ninth team overall. The league earned Division I status from U.S. Soccer before kicking off the first season, joining the NWSL as a top-tier professional women’s soccer league in the United States.

Sporting JAX is the only club joining the league for the second season. Other clubs are expected to come online in future years in Chattanooga, Indianapolis, Madison, Oakland, Palm Beach, Phoenix, and Tucson.

Sporting JAX has announced nine players signed to the roster for the inaugural season, including some with local connections. Center back Georgia Brown, a former USF star who played for Florida Elite’s USL W League team last season, was recently called up for Scotland’s U-23 team, and former FSU standout Ashlyn Puerta were the first players announced on May 21. Others with local ties include UNF All-American Zara Siassi, former Florida Gator and Orlando Pride midfielder Parker Roberts, and Flagler forward Andrea Fernandez, who was named the national player of the year in Division II.

The team is expected to announce more signings in the coming weeks as training camp approaches. The team is scheduled to report for camp on July 7.

Sporting JAX will be the first entirely professional women’s sports team in Jacksonville. The men’s team will play in the USL Championship, expected to kick off in March.