JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The spotlight is on Jacksonville City Council Tuesday night as members attempt to pass the city’s $2 billion budget. Two big sticking points remain: The proposed $13 million property tax cut and controversial spending restrictions on DEI, abortion and immigrants without legal status.
The meeting, which began at 3 pm, is expected to go on for hours as members are set to sift through 20 budget amendments.
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The vast majority of those amendments aim to restore funding to city programs that saw their funding slashed in earlier budget meetings, like Telehealth and medical clinics that serve the uninsured. There are also some that aim to give public safety some reassurances should the property tax cut make it into the final package.
Action News Jax spoke with several people who packed into the council chambers ahead of the budget vote.
Some members of the public are there in support of tax relief.
“I’m tired of being taxed with money going to things that do not support my values,” said Jerry Watts.
Others expressed concerns about how the proposed $13 million cut could impact city services.
“Our children are with more than pocket change,” said Katie Hathaway.
Two proposals also on the table aim to give some reassurances to police and fire unions, which have both questioned how the property tax cut could impact their budgets in future years.
One amendment would take the $13 million that would be lost as a result of the cut and instead put it into a contingency fund for public safety.
The second would pull $13 million out of reserves for the same purpose, should the tax cut pass.
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Council President Kevin Carrico (R-District 4) told Action News Jax Monday that he doesn’t know how the amendments will shake out, but he does believe some compromises may be made, especially when it comes to the controversial amendment blocking funding for DEI, abortion and immigrants without legal status.
“I know that the body as a whole really has a desire to get the budget passed and if this is the issue that has to split everyone and we have to find a workaround or a way to get through it, I think the colleagues will figure it out and I’ll be there to lead the charge.”
Members like Jimmy Peluso (D-District 7), who voted against that amendment in the last budget meeting, sees it as a divisive dealbreaker.
“Budgets are meant to be consensus builders. They have to be. They have to be consensus builders if you want to be able to look your constituents in the eye and say that we came together to build something that’s in the betterment of our city,” said Peluso.
Action News Jax has been told council members may not get to budget discussions until as late as 7 PM, as there are some public hearings first on the agenda. If it doesn’t pass on the first go around, the council president said it will be tabled and revised at the end of the meeting.
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