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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Jacksonville Finance Committee Budget Hearing #3 – August 20, 2026

City Council — Thursday, August 20, 2026

BodyJacksonville, Florida

SessionCity Council

DateThursday, August 20, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 3:06:30

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0:01

Meeting three to review the fiscal year 2627 proposed budget by the finance committee.

0:07

We'll start off with introductions starting with my left.

0:11

Angela Moyer, budget officer.

0:13

Mike Weinstein, Mayor's Office.

0:15

Philip Peterson, Council Auditor.

0:17

Brian Parks, Council Auditor's Office.

0:19

Mary Stefopoulis, Office of General Counsel.

0:21

Good morning, Chris Miller, at large group five.

0:23

Will Lane in District Three.

0:26

Good morning, Terrence Freeman at large group one.

0:30

Mike Gay, District Two.

0:31

Randy White, District 12.

0:33

Ron Salem, group two at large.

0:36

Matt Carlucci at large group four.

0:38

Countemor, City Council District 1.

0:41

All right, good morning, everyone.

0:42

Good morning to all of our guests we have here this morning with us.

0:45

A couple of administrative things for the committee members.

0:47

So we do have a few excused uh absences for different parts of the day, so we will have to make sure we are keeping quorum.

0:54

Uh councilmember Diamond has an excused absence until mid morning.

0:58

Uh councilmember Johnson uh is uh he'll be here with us shortly, hopefully, but then he will be out for about an hour around lunchtime.

1:05

And then council member Freeman, I believe you are leaving around three o'clock, is my understanding.

1:10

330, gotcha.

1:12

Okay.

1:12

So those are the only uh absences I have here.

1:16

Uh also want to do a summary like I did at meeting number two, just to show where we are in the budget process.

1:22

Uh so far of the proposed budget of 2.026 billion.

1:27

We've already reviewed 1.67 billion of that.

1:31

So we've reviewed 82 percent of our general fund budget.

1:34

Uh we'll have the uh independent authorities, uh, most of them will be here tomorrow, and then JA will be next week, but within our own general fund budget, we've already done a review of 82 percent of that total dollar amount.

1:45

Of that combined, we have amended about one percent of that, uh, but some of that is just in a special council contingency right now of 2.5 million.

1:53

Uh we've sent 12.7 million to the reserves, and we have 7.6 million in what we're calling the amendment three referendum uh contingency account.

2:03

So the total combined so far of the two billion dollar submitted budget, we have amended about 23 million dollars of that or just over one percent.

2:12

So that is where we are at now.

2:14

I see no committee members in the queue.

2:16

So with that, I will turn it over to Mr.

2:18

Peterson to talk about courts.

2:24

Mr.

2:24

Parks, I mean, all right.

2:27

Through the chair.

2:28

Uh so in in your budget book on page 381 is the general fund courts.

2:32

Um we are going to go through the courts, the state attorney, the public defender, and the clerk of courts today.

2:36

And before we kind of get in that, I just want to mention that we are required as a county to fund the facility costs, construction, maintenance, utilities, security, telephone and computer networks, and systems for all of these areas.

2:47

Um, some of these do have different funding sources, but I do want to just kind of get that out of the way to start with.

2:52

So with the courts general fund, the budget includes the CERC and county courts' expenses as well as the Guardian Ad Lightum.

2:59

Salaries are going from 682,000 up to 691,000 for the standard 3% increase.

3:04

Employer provided benefits are going from $85,605 up to $121,915 for the group health increase we discussed last week.

3:13

Internal service charges are going from $4,571 up to $5,5314.

3:19

This is primarily primarily due to an increase uh related to an all-year's adjustment from in the prior year that reduced this cost.

3:26

Um so it's going up by $1.25 for building cost.

3:30

And then the there's an increase of $371,000 for computer systems maintenance and security due to the change in allocation methodology.

3:38

Professional contractual services are going from $610 up to 18,585 due to water water delivery service being moved into this line item.

3:46

Other operating expenses are going from 173,791 up to 442,473.

3:52

Uh the net increase is mainly due to an increase of 198,000 for the annual lease of new security scanning devices.

3:59

Um there was also an increase of 50 59,399 for furniture and repair equipments that is now being covered with in the FY2526 with a carry forward based on the recommendation below.

4:10

The debt management fund repayments are going from 93,250 down to zero due to the audio visual equipment replacement project being repaid on page four of our handout.

4:19

You'll see the food and beverage of $1,500 for conferences and meetings hosted by the Chief Judge.

4:24

Um next, you'll see the B1A grants, which are the scheduled continuation grants that have no city match.

4:29

There's three grants listed there for a total of 606,953.

4:33

There are no employees or part-time hours associated with those.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Budget█████████████████████████████████████37%

Parks and Recreation███████████████████19%

Public Works████████████12%

Waste Management███████7%

Public Safety██████6%

Procedural████4%

Public Transportation███3%

Public Engagement███3%

Animal Welfare███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Jacksonville Finance Committee Budget Hearing #3 – August 20, 2026

The Finance Committee held its third budget hearing on August 20, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 12:38 PM. Chair Will Lahnen presided. The committee reviewed 13 budget areas including courts, public defender, state attorney, clerk of courts, tax collector, supervisor of elections, administrative services, solid waste, fleet management, copy center, parks and recreation, and planning and development. Of the proposed $2.026 billion general fund budget, 82% ($1.67 billion) had been reviewed to date, with approximately 1% amended. Key decisions included moving $1,029,841 in riverfront parks contingency to a special council contingency and approving several auditor recommendations.

Consent Calendar

Courts (General Fund, Courthouse Trust Fund, Teen Court, Consolidated $65 Court Fines): Approved unanimously (Miller/Gay) the auditor recommendation to replace capital outlay carryforward items with $59,399 for furniture and $146,520 for computer equipment. No other recommendations.
Tax Collector: Approved unanimously (Miller/Freeman) two recommendations: reduce interest income by $100,904 (double-budgeted) offset by fund balance; add $327,861 in capital outlay carryforward for office equipment.
Solid Waste Disposal Fund: Approved unanimously (Miller/Johnson) to eliminate $100,000 in contributions from private sources (offset by increased general fund loan) as funds lacked specific use authorization.
Non-Class I Solid Waste Fund: Approved unanimously (Miller/Johnson) to reduce Transfer Out from $510,076 to $254,090 for the Chaffee Road Project.
Fleet Management Vehicle Replacement Fund: Approved unanimously (Miller/Johnson) to correct a scrivener’s error on Schedule B4c.
Parks and Recreation General Fund (Auditor Recommendations): Approved unanimously (Johnson/Gay) to move $600,000 for James Weldon Johnson Park from contingency to contractual services and to attach the Jacksonville Riverfront Alliance (JRA) annual budget to the Budget Ordinance.
Concurrency Management System: Approved unanimously to shift revenues between cost centers (accounting only).

Public Comments & Testimony

No public comments from citizens were recorded. Officials and department heads provided testimony and answered questions.

Discussion Items

1. Courts, Court System Technology Subfund, Public Defender, State Attorney, Clerk of Courts

Council Auditor Brian Parks reviewed budgets, noting the city’s obligation to fund facility costs, security, and IT for these offices. Chief Judge Lance Day and Public Defender Charlie Cofer attended. Council Member Salem asked about courthouse security upgrades; Judge Day reported the Zonar contract for weapons detection was near finalization, with installation expected by October. Pressure washing and bollards remain under discussion. Council Member Carlucci inquired about a paused art installation; Judge Day prioritized security over art, citing costs ($38,000 lifetime maintenance) and risks. The State Attorney’s Office (Steven Segal) praised the collaborative budget process. Clerk Jody Phillips attended; no recommendations on Clerk budgets.

2. Tax Collector & Supervisor of Elections

Tax Collector Sherry Hall noted kiosks in Publix stores for vehicle registration renewals (six existing, more planned). Council Member Amaro praised convenience. The budget assumes reducing branch offices (Kernan closed, Hogan to close). Supervisor Jerry Holland reported a smooth election the prior day; results were faster (all but seven precincts by 8 PM) due to better poll worker training. Council Members Salem, Freeman, and Carlucci complimented election efficiency. The SOE budget increases from one to three countywide elections in FY26-27, adding $4 million in part-time salaries.

3. Administrative Services (Animal Care, Procurement, Ombudsman, 630-City)

Chief Animal Services Michael Bricker explained the switch to a third-party pet licensing vendor, which currently costs $230,000 more but is expected to save money long-term by improving service. Council Chair Lahnen expressed intent to track trends. Council Members Diamond and Salem noted prior additions of positions via council contingency; the administration absorbed them as recurring costs. No recommendations on administrative services budgets.

4. Solid Waste

Eric Fuller (Solid Waste) addressed commodity market declines reducing recyclables revenue by $620,000. Council Member Miller asked to isolate Trail Ridge Landfill revenues vs. expenditures; auditor noted a deficit of about $2.1 million in FY25-26, likely increasing. Council Member Carlucci discussed the garbage fee increase from $27 to $29.50 (Jan 2026) and a planned $2.50 increase next year. No annual escalator is allowed per OGC. Chair Lahnen recommended assessing Construction & Demolition permit fees, which are lower than neighboring counties.

5. Fleet Management & Vehicle Replacement

Discussed fuel costs and electric vehicles (18 purchased so far). Council Member Johnson noted a phased-out position (cap reduced from 90 to 89) as part of a policy to freeze vacancies and redirect funds for promotions. The vehicle replacement fund has a $32 million capital purchase ($8.3 million increase from prior year), financed through billing back departments over 4-5 years.

6. Parks, Recreation and Community Services

Director Daryl Joseph reported that $1.2 million in new maintenance funding and $264,400 in part-time hours (replacing overtime) are for riverfront parks (riverfront plaza, shipyards west, south bank). The Jacksonville Riverfront Alliance (JRA) will handle programming and marketing with a $1.257 million contract; parks retains maintenance. Council Member Salem stressed parks should keep maintenance; future JRA budgets will be reviewed annually. Chair Lahnen clarified meals on wheels funding history: FY22-23: ~$150,000 (via mayor’s transition committee); FY24-25: $1 million; FY25-26: $1.7 million; FY26-27: $1.703 million (flat). Council Members Johnson and Freeman emphasized the program’s importance.

Motion (Diamond/Miller) to move $1,029,841 in contingency (left from FY25/26 for riverfront parks) to Special Council Contingency passed 6-1 (Johnson opposed). Council Member Carlucci objected because another council member (Joe Carlucci) had a pending bill to use those funds. Chair Lahnen noted the money was not earmarked and the move allows future use by simple majority.

7. Planning and Development

Auditor reviewed budgets; no recommendations. Council Member Diamond asked about third-party reviewers for horizontal planning; answer deferred to future hearing.

8. Other Funds

Copy Center, Cecil Field Commerce Center, Huguenot Park, Hanna Park, Equestrian Center – discussed but no recommendations beyond approved ones. Hanna Park is financially self-sustaining ($2.9 million budget vs. $2.7 million revenue).

Key Outcomes

Consent calendar items (Courts, Tax Collector, Solid Waste, Fleet, Parks auditor recs, Concurrency) all approved unanimously.
Parks contingency move: Motion (Diamond/Miller) to transfer $1,029,841 from park contingency to Special Council Contingency passed 6-1 (Rahman Johnson opposed). This frees the money for future use with a simple majority vote.
Solid Waste Disposal recommendation: Approved unanimously to eliminate $100,000 from miscellaneous revenue, offset by general fund loan.
Non-Class I Solid Waste recommendation: Approved unanimously to reduce transfer for Chaffee Road project to $254,090.
Fleet Vehicle Replacement recommendation: Approved unanimously to correct scrivener’s error.
Parks auditor recommendations: Approved unanimously; JRA annual budget attached to Budget Ordinance.
Budget totals after hearing #3: Strategic plan $2,200,000; Designated Contingency $1,214,409; Referendum Contingency $7,600,000; Reserves $12,719,591; Special Council Contingency $3,433,985.
Next hearing: Friday, August 21, 2026, at 9:00 AM.

Meeting Transcript

Meeting three to review the fiscal year 2627 proposed budget by the finance committee. We'll start off with introductions starting with my left. Angela Moyer, budget officer. Mike Weinstein, Mayor's Office. Philip Peterson, Council Auditor. Brian Parks, Council Auditor's Office. Mary Stefopoulis, Office of General Counsel. Good morning, Chris Miller, at large group five. Will Lane in District Three. Good morning, Terrence Freeman at large group one. Mike Gay, District Two. Randy White, District 12. Ron Salem, group two at large. Matt Carlucci at large group four. Countemor, City Council District 1. All right, good morning, everyone. Good morning to all of our guests we have here this morning with us. A couple of administrative things for the committee members. So we do have a few excused uh absences for different parts of the day, so we will have to make sure we are keeping quorum. Uh councilmember Diamond has an excused absence until mid morning. Uh councilmember Johnson uh is uh he'll be here with us shortly, hopefully, but then he will be out for about an hour around lunchtime. And then council member Freeman, I believe you are leaving around three o'clock, is my understanding. 330, gotcha. Okay. So those are the only uh absences I have here. Uh also want to do a summary like I did at meeting number two, just to show where we are in the budget process. Uh so far of the proposed budget of 2.026 billion. We've already reviewed 1.67 billion of that. So we've reviewed 82 percent of our general fund budget. Uh we'll have the uh independent authorities, uh, most of them will be here tomorrow, and then JA will be next week, but within our own general fund budget, we've already done a review of 82 percent of that total dollar amount. Of that combined, we have amended about one percent of that, uh, but some of that is just in a special council contingency right now of 2.5 million. Uh we've sent 12.7 million to the reserves, and we have 7.6 million in what we're calling the amendment three referendum uh contingency account. So the total combined so far of the two billion dollar submitted budget, we have amended about 23 million dollars of that or just over one percent. So that is where we are at now. I see no committee members in the queue. So with that, I will turn it over to Mr. Peterson to talk about courts. Mr. Parks, I mean, all right. Through the chair. Uh so in in your budget book on page 381 is the general fund courts. Um we are going to go through the courts, the state attorney, the public defender, and the clerk of courts today. And before we kind of get in that, I just want to mention that we are required as a county to fund the facility costs, construction, maintenance, utilities, security, telephone and computer networks, and systems for all of these areas. Um, some of these do have different funding sources, but I do want to just kind of get that out of the way to start with. So with the courts general fund, the budget includes the CERC and county courts' expenses as well as the Guardian Ad Lightum. Salaries are going from 682,000 up to 691,000 for the standard 3% increase. Employer provided benefits are going from $85,605 up to $121,915 for the group health increase we discussed last week. Internal service charges are going from $4,571 up to $5,5314. This is primarily primarily due to an increase uh related to an all-year's adjustment from in the prior year that reduced this cost. Um so it's going up by $1.25 for building cost.

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