JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It took nearly 14 hours, tense back and forth, and one dramatic vote switch to get it done, but Jacksonville’s $2 billion city budget has officially passed.
The turning point came just before 4 a.m. Wednesday, when District 3 Councilman Will Lahnen flipped his vote, breaking a tense deadlock that had held up the process for hours.
“We had to have progress,” Lahnen told News4JAX early Wednesday morning. “It was clear we weren’t going to be able to get it across the finish line and have a full vote. After hours, it was clear there was no line in sight on getting a 10th vote.”
That progress didn’t come easy.
The holdup centered around a controversial batch of amendments proposed by Councilman Rory Diamond that he dubbed the “Big, Beautiful Budget Amendments.”
Diamond’s proposal would have banned any future city funding for:
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Services for undocumented immigrants
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DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) programs
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Abortion-related care
Although those items weren’t part of this year’s budget, Diamond said he wanted to ensure they wouldn’t be added in the future.
The amendments initially passed with a 10-9 vote, but the council members who were against them refused to pass the full budget as long as those amendments were attached, forcing a contentious stalemate.
Lahnen, who had supported the amendments earlier in the evening, said he ultimately chose to reverse course so the full budget vote could move forward.
“I supported you, not just on this but on ACPS, and I’m proud of the growing number of 17–2 votes against downtown cash incentives,” Lahnen said, addressing Diamond during the meeting. “However, we have to pass this budget, so I will be voting no on the Diamond amendment the next time it comes up. Again, I am doing this so we can pass our budget tonight.”
That decision made the difference.
“I voted on the amendments multiple times up to this point, but at some point, we had to clear the logjam,” Lahnen said, “I mean, one of our biggest jobs is to pass the budget for the city, and it took a while tonight, but we did pass it.”
The final budget passed 15-2. Lahnen’s colleagues — even some who had disagreed with him earlier in the night — praised the move.
Councilman Matt Carlucci called it an act of leadership.
“His statesmanship and personal sacrifice on a key vote brought the council together and helped us defeat a harmful, divisive amendment,” Carlucci wrote in a statement to News4JAX reporter Briana Brownlee. “That’s what real leadership looks like.”
Tax cut narrowly passes
The budget wasn’t the only major decision of the night.
In a narrow 10–9 vote, the City Council also approved a $13 million property tax cut. For homeowners, that translates to about $1 in savings for every $1,000 of a home’s assessed value.
While some hailed the move as overdue, others — including Mayor Donna Deegan — expressed concern.
“While I’m disappointed by the millage rate vote, especially given the strong sentiments from the public, the City Council has fulfilled its primary responsibility to pass a budget,” Deegan said in a statement sent to News4JAX.
The tax cut was heavily pushed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — a newly created state agency backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia.
DOGE claims Jacksonville taxpayers have been overcharged by more than $200 million over the past five years, an assertion that Deegan has refuted.
Critics warn the cuts could impact essential city services — including police, fire, and rescue — all of which are funded through property taxes.
What’s next?
With the budget now approved, city operations and funding for services will continue as scheduled.
However, the lengthy debate highlighted ongoing disagreements among council members — both over fiscal priorities and how policy decisions are shaped at the local level.
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