Special Meeting of City Council for Mayor's Budget Address - July 20, 2026
Special Meeting of City Council for Mayor's Budget Address - July 20, 2026
This special meeting of the Jacksonville City Council, convened on July 20, 2026, at 9:00 a.m., featured the presentation of the proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 budget by Mayor Donna Deegan. The meeting included an invocation, roll call, opening remarks by Council President Nick Howland, the mayor's budget address, and subsequent questions and comments from council members. The proposed budget totals approximately $2 billion, a 1% increase over the prior year, attributed to commitments to first responders. No public testimony was received from citizens.
Invocation and Opening Remarks
- Councilmember Amero led the invocation, reflecting on the city's history and the challenges ahead.
- Council President Howland emphasized the council's role in the budget process, noting the separation of powers and the legislative branch's authority over appropriations. He called for cooperation and respect between branches.
Mayor's Budget Address
Mayor Deegan presented a proposed $2 billion budget, emphasizing fiscal discipline, transparency, and a return on investment for taxpayers. Key points include:
- Fiscal Responsibility: The budget rises only 1% over the previous year, does not draw from reserves, and does not increase non-public-safety employees. Credit ratings improved (Fitch upgraded to AA+; S&P and KBRA reaffirmed AA).
- Infrastructure: $36 million for road resurfacing, $12 million for sidewalks, $25 million for septic tank phase-out (more than doubling previous commitment), and $25 million for stormwater drainage projects (with a 6:1 return on investment in avoided flood losses).
- Public Safety: $1,073 million commitment for JSO and JFRD, including a third year of salary increases and restored defined benefit pension. The budget notes reduced homicides and gang activity, and a top ISO rating saving $300 million annually in property insurance.
- Affordable Housing: $6.3 million total investment, including an affordable housing trust fund now over $5.5 million, and support for the emergency rental and eviction protection program.
- Health and Social Services: Health Link Jacksonville saved $9.3 million in ER costs on a $2 million program (5:1 ROI). Elder care food security delivered 271,000 meals, reducing the waiting list by 66%. 988 Crisis Call Center has a 98.7% de-escalation rate.
- Homelessness: Full funding for JFRD's Path Outreach Team, shelter bed expansion, mental health offender program, and urban rest stop. The mayor stated that doing nothing is more expensive than funding what works.
- Economic Development: $4 million for the Out East community benefits agreement, plus tools for attracting employers and supporting small businesses.
- Education and Libraries: Continued support for River City Readers program and public libraries; noted Duval County Public Schools earned an A rating for the second consecutive year.
- Arts and Culture: Funding for public service grants and the Cultural Council maintained at previous year levels, with a 20:1 ROI for arts and culture.
- General Principle: The mayor argued that many so-called discretionary programs are actually upstream core investments, and deferred maintenance is hidden debt.
Council Comments and Questions
- Councilman Carlucci (19th or 20th budget address) praised the mayor's optimism and completeness, drawing a personal connection to former Mayor Tommy Hazouri (the mayor's cousin). He expressed gratitude for her service.
- Councilwoman Pittman thanked the mayor for addressing broken promises, particularly on septic tank phase-out in the north side, and for infrastructure investments. She expressed support for working together.
- Councilman Salem asked about public posting of the budget. The mayor's staff confirmed it would be filed immediately and posted to the gateway and website.
- Councilman Amero commended the mayor for addressing deferred maintenance, calling it cowardice, and emphasized the importance of fulfilling the public safety commitment.
- Councilman Carlucci (second time) noted that by ordinance, the budget must be delivered to every public library in Jacksonville that week.
- Councilman Peluso expressed excitement about road resurfacing and drainage dollars, and asked about future town halls. The mayor confirmed town halls would start August 5th and run through early September.
Key Outcomes
- The proposed budget was formally presented and is now turned over to the council auditors and the council finance committee for review.
- No votes were taken during this meeting.
- The budget will be posted publicly and available in libraries.
- Town halls to discuss the budget with the public will begin August 5, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
All right, good morning. I call to order the special meeting of the city council for the mayor's budget address. It's 9 a.m. on July 20th, 2026. Councilmember Amero, uh, our chaplain for the third consecutive year. Would you plead leave us, please lead us in the invocation followed by the pledge? Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning, everyone. Let us pray. Gracious God, we thank you for yet a new day, a new year, a new opportunity to serve this community with a heart full of service. God, I ask you to continue to cover this body. Cover the mayor, cover the leadership and city council, our new president, Nick Howland. Cover this nation, cover public safety, cover our troops at war. Cover this city. You've been with this city since it was founded in 1822. We were there when we consolidated in 1968. And you've been with us down through the ages. We need you to be with us one more time. God, as we look beyond the horizon, there are some heavy winds that we must face. But you are the master and commander, and you're in charge of the helm. So be with us in everything that we do. Remind us that the reward for everything is public service. Meeting this community and its needs, providing it with the quality of life that is expected. We ask these things in your son's holy name. And everyone says amen. I pledge allegiance. Thank you, Mr. Amero. Roll call, please. Thank you very much. Well, welcome back, everyone. I hope uh each of the council members and staff had the opportunity during the council breaks to rest, recharge, and prepare for the year ahead. I notice in the audience, of course, we have the mayor and her staff. We have Sheriff Waters, we have Chief Golden. Thank you all for being here. In my view, this is the most important meeting in the council year. Not because it's our first, but because it begins the three-month budget process where this council makes its most important policy decisions. This month our nation has celebrated the 250th anniversary of American independence. When the founders later gathered to write the Constitution, they understood that concentrating too much power in one branch had been the great failure of autocracy. So they carefully separated powers. One branch would make the laws, another would execute them. And that lawmaking extended to the power of the purse. The authority to approve how public dollars are spent was deliberately placed in the legislative branch because that's the branch closest to the people. That same principle is reflected in state governments across the nation and here in our consolidated consolidated local government. When public revenue comes from taxes, whether it comes from taxes, fees, in entities' operations, grants, or government services, whether it touches the city's general fund or not, the principle never changes. Public funds are budgeted and appropriated through the legislative process. It's simple, but it's brilliant. The mayor and our independent authorities propose budgets. The council reviews amends and appropriates them.
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