The Jacksonville City Council met on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 5:00 PM in the Council Chamber. The meeting included presentations, quasi-judicial items, a consent agenda, public comments, public hearings on numerous ordinances and resolutions, tentative approval of millage rates and the FY 26-27 budget, and introduction of new business. The meeting adjourned at 8:27 PM.
Good evening and welcome. I call to order the Tuesday, September 8th, 2026 meeting of the full city council. And Mr. Floor Leader, I turn it over to you. Thank you, sir. Our first order of business is as usual the invocation and pledge of allegiance. I would ask that you please recognize Councilman, our council chaplain to reduce the kind gentleman who will be sharing their those duties tonight. Mr. Mary, you recognize thank you, Mr. Floor Leader. Would you please stand? This week will mark 25 years since that terrorist attack on the World Trade Center building as we know it. And we pause to remember the lives lost on that day, whether it was Lower Manhattan, Shanksville, Pennsylvania, or the Pentagon. Just in Manhattan alone, over 3,000. Today there's still 1,100. The remains remain unidentified. So lest we forget what happened then. A generation has come and they may not know, but we know. So tonight our invocation will be delivered by two members of the public safety sector that lost a number of individuals during that day. JSO chaplain Corey McDonald, who is a husband of 15 years, a dad to his 12-year-old daughter, a U.S. Army veteran pastor of a local church, Thunder Road Baptist Church. He's a nine-year veteran officer of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and the current chaplain. We'll also have JFRD Chaplain Dr. Percy Golden Sr. Senior Pastor and Bishop of the Holy Church of the Living God Revival Center in Atlantic Beach. He retired from JFRD after 26 years. And then asked to come back as JFRD's chaplain two and a half years later, having served as chaplain previously and in a number of roles within the department and also take on the role of critical incident officer. He also serves as the administrator over the peer support team for firefighters. And when they're finished with their prayer, we'll have a moment of silence for 60 seconds, and then we'll do the pledge of allegiance. God of peace and mercy. On this day, we remember that day. Surround them with your comfort, grant them peace and strength, and their family through this sorrow. Bless the active firefighters and emergency workers and personnel who put their lives on the line every day. Grant them wisdom, safety, and courage. May we never forget their sacrifice, and may we honor their legacy with living in kindness and in strength and in unity. Amen. And while this time of reflection comes out of great loss and devastation, it's also a reflection a reflection of the bravery and courage and the pride that we receive from being fellow Americans. I pray that you'd be with the lives of the families of those law enforcement officers that are no doubt still grieving today over their loss. But we also pray that you watch over the nearly 2,000 law enforcement officers of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, those of our partners, and those in the surrounding agencies. Protect them as they go out every day to continue to protect and to serve our community and our country. And God may we continue to walk in your paths. We pray a hedge of protection around them and around us today. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. I pledge allegiance. And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Ms. President, now it's time for the approval of the minutes from the regular council meeting of August the 25th. Oh, and you roll call first. All right, we'll call for roll call, then I'll do announcements.