JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan presented a $1.92 billion budget, the first composed entirely by her administration, to the City Council on Monday.
The proposal also includes $489 million in the 2025 portion of the five-year Capital Improvement Plan, which is $1.95 billion in total from 2025-2029.
Deegan’s 2024-25 budget, which is $165 million more than the previous year’s request, addresses everything from public safety to infrastructure to public health.
“Our proposed budget makes investments that deliver the best return for our citizens, continue to make good on the broken promises of consolidation, and create the ignition point that will take Jacksonville from potential to progress,” Deegan said in a statement after the presentation. “The time is now to choose what type of city we want to be. Let’s be one that lifts as we climb.”
Despite the budget increase, Deegan said that the city did not bring in as much revenue as expected, which meant taking a hard look at funding priorities. Deegan said the city will have to dip into the city’s operating reserves for some initiatives.
“We have a lot of things we want to do, and we just can’t do them all yet, and will probably never be able to do them all at once,” Deegan said. “I’m very proud of this budget. I think it’s an incredibly good budget. The fact that these guys were able to do as much as they did with the resources we have is pretty incredible.”
DOCUMENTS: Budget proposal and Capital Improvement Plan
Mayor Deegan says even with dipping into the reserves, the remaining money in the reserves is well above the target in city code. Councilman Ron Salem said dipping into reserves for him is problematic.
“The reserves are there for a reason,” he said. “When we have a hurricane or natural disaster, we have to front that money and pay for all the expenses and submit those dollars to FEMA and we’ll pay it back, which may take several years. So the importance of having good reserves is something that is very important to me and I think other members of the council.”
One of the priorities of the mayor’s budget was public safety.
Sheriff T.K. Waters had asked for 40 additional officers to put on the streets, and the budget presented by the mayor accounts for those 40 extra officers. It also includes $28 million to build new fire stations around Jacksonville.
The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department requested just shy of $400 million, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office asked for $630 million, including the additional 40 officers.
“As the agency grows, and I know it’s not necessarily a comfortable number, but this is what it costs when we run an agency our size. The number of people that work there, and for us to be, what I believe, is the best agency in the world, to continue to do that,” Waters said.
The mayor stressed that Jacksonville has grown over the last year -- and for those reasons, there need to be changes.
One of the main topics was addressing homelessness.
One of the key takeaways on that front is:
- $10 million to launch a homelessness program to comply with state law that bans sleeping in public places
- The city is looking to partner with the private sector to come up with an extra $5 million for the project
Other budget items include:
- The Downtown Riverfront including MOSH, the Riverwalk, and Met Park
- Library, park and pool improvements
- Road construction
- Improving city venues like renovating the Ritz Theatre and Museum, 121 Financial Ballpark and VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
Another big component is the $94 million Community Benefits Agreement for workforce development, affordable housing and addressing homelessness that was left out of the just-completed Jaguars stadium deal.
MORE: ‘We deserve it’: Eastside residents hopeful ‘Community Benefits Agreement’ deal pans out
A special committee overseeing the CBA, which is aimed at improving the Eastside, officially launches Monday.
And council members, including Rahman Johnson, are watching closely.
“As you remember, I was one of two votes to keep the Community Benefits Agreement along with the initial contract. So I’m certainly interested to see where this goes,” Johnson said. “One of the things I want to make sure, when I see that legislation proposed is that we get it in, and we get it out on time. That we don’t defer it over and over. People have been waiting for so long to get help and to be seen.”
Deegan told News4JAX anchor Kent Justice on This Week in Jacksonville that she’s optimistic that council members will agree with the need for the CBA investment.
“I think council is seeing by and large the benefits certainly of the Eastside portion. And we’re going to show them why the workforce development, the affordable housing and the homeless initiatives are also really key to making sure that we get where we want to go in this city,” Deegan said.
Johnson is also passionate about the Capital Improvement Projects the mayor shared earlier this month.
Some of the big items on that list include:
- $16 million for Hogan’s Creek Stormwater Improvements
- $50 million award for MOSH as it preps to move to the Northbank
- $6 million for James Weldon Johnson Park and over $38 million for three new fire stations
Council members will now thoroughly review the budget, starting with the finance committee, which will meet several times starting in August.
The City Council’s vote on the budget is scheduled for September.
Budget highlights
The Mayor’s Office provided the following highlights from the 2024-25 budget proposal.
Infrastructure
- Downtown Riverfront/Resiliency
- Metropolitan Park Marina Fire Station, Museum and Dock ($14,310,000 in 2025 / $37,590,000 total)
- Museum of Science and History ($3 million in 2025 / $50 million total)
- Northbank Riverwalk and Bulkhead, as well as Northbank Marina ($15 million in 2025 / $115 million total)
- Southbank Riverwalk – two docks, bulkhead and riverwalk development ($13.2 million)
- Parks & Libraries
- Library Renovations at Oceanway and Beaches locations ($4.2 million in FY25 / $5.5 million total)
- Park and Pool improvements at 14 facilities ($24 million)
- City Venues
- Renovations at the Ritz Theater, 121 Financial Ballpark, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, and Performing Arts Center ($25.1 million)
- Additional funding in 5-year CIP for ongoing repairs and maintenance at city venues
- Road Construction/Resilience
- Annual target funding met for critical infrastructure projects including road construction, drainage, pedestrian crossings, and sidewalks. ($62 million for transportation in FY25; $21 million for drainage in FY25)
Public Safety
- 40 additional police officers
- New fire station construction ($28 million)
- Additional funding for security at the Courthouse, Lonnie Miller Park, Friendship Fountain, and Riverside Skate Park ($138,119)
Health
- UF Health investment to care for vulnerable citizens ($56 million)
- UF Health capital project investment ($38 million in FY 25, $24 million annually thereafter)
Affordable Housing & Homelessness
- Affordable Housing Loan Fund: $10 million
- Homelessness program to comply with state law: $10 million
- Eviction prevention funding: $300,000
Economic Development
- 2 positions in support of new procurement code
- Economic development investments:
- $10.5 million in previously approved Downtown Investment Authority completion grants and forgivable loans
- $24 million in Office of Economic Development grants, loans, REV grants and qualified targeted industry payments for companies that have relocated to or expanded operations in Jacksonville
Community Funding
- Arts Funding/Cultural Council ($7 million)
- Public Service Grants ($7.2 million)