{"id":251288,"date":"2025-09-24T14:40:15","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T14:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/251288\/"},"modified":"2025-09-24T14:40:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T14:40:15","slug":"jacksonville-budget-passes-without-controversial-ban-on-funding-abortion-illegal-immigrants-and-dei","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/251288\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacksonville budget passes without controversial ban on funding abortion, illegal immigrants and DEI"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the years, many budget votes in Jacksonville<\/a><\/strong> proceeded without real controversy. This year\u00a0broke the mold, with myriad floor amendments to the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget proposed by Mayor Donna Deegan<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The final 15-2 vote suggested a consensus that was hard won and didn\u2019t reflect the drama of the 13-hour meeting.<\/p>\n

And the most controversial proposal almost made it into the budget despite heated objections.<\/p>\n

Republican Rory Diamond<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0looked to axe money for \u201cillegal aliens,\u201d diversity, equity and inclusion, \u201caffinity boards and Commissions,\u201d and \u201cabortion and abortion-related services.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a disgusting amendment \u2026 a travesty,\u201d said\u00a0Jimmy Peluso<\/strong>, a Democrat from the Urban Core.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Democrat\u00a0Rahman Johnson<\/strong> said he wouldn\u2019t back the budget if this \u201cbig batch of bull\u201d is attached.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is unacceptable,\u201d said Democrat\u00a0Ju\u2019Coby Pittman<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Republican\u00a0Ken Amaro<\/strong> said Diamond\u2019s proposal didn\u2019t \u201cbelong in the budget.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finance Chair\u00a0Raul Arias<\/strong> said he was \u201cnot a dictatorship\u201d and couldn\u2019t stop Diamond from filing the amendment, which he subsequently voted for as it was approved 10-9, creating one of the most epic logjams in the history of consolidated government.<\/p>\n

\u201cA minority will now try to drive the city into a ditch and stop our ability to pass out the budget at all. Insanity,\u201d Diamond predicted after his amendment was adopted.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

That prediction was on point, as opponents of his language held the line until it was stripped and the minority became a majority after hours of trench warfare.<\/p>\n

With two recusals from Terrance Freeman<\/strong> and\u00a0Mike Gay<\/strong> and the need for 10 votes, the math for the budget proved more challenging than any amendment itself. Amaro, Johnson, Matt Carlucci<\/strong>, Peluso, Pittman and others said the Diamond amendment was a \u201cpoison pill\u201d laced with \u201cdivisive rhetoric\u201d from a \u201cbully.\u201d<\/p>\n

People who supported the language saw the writing on the wall when Diamond could not.<\/p>\n

Vice President\u00a0Nick Howland<\/strong> urged Diamond to reconsider taking his amendment out of the budget and bring the language back as a regular bill in the future, but the Beaches Republican refused.<\/p>\n

Floor leader\u00a0Will Lahnen<\/strong> asked Diamond to amend his amendment. Diamond objected, saying it was a \u201cransom\u201d attempt.<\/p>\n

Joe Carlucci<\/strong>, who backed the Diamond amendment, motioned for reconsideration. But no one was budging.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re at an impasse,\u201d said Freeman, who had to recuse on the budget but expressed interest in seeing his son when he woke up as 3 a.m. approached.<\/p>\n

Freeman was informed that no prolonged recess was possible and that a budget had to be passed during this meeting.<\/p>\n

An eventual reconsideration of the Diamond language saw the vote fail 9-10 after Peluso called the question. But with some confusion about whether the vote was on the amendment or to call the question, a second vote flipped the outcome.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s back in the budget. We\u2019re going to take a 10-minute recess,\u201d Carrico said.<\/p>\n

After the recess, Carrico appealed to the Office of the General Counsel for a \u201ccarve-out\u201d allowing the two recusals to vote. He was rebuffed, and then yet another motion to reconsider was approved at 3:45 a.m.<\/p>\n

Lahnen asked the Diamond amendment opponents if they would commit to back the budget without the language, and\u00a0Amaro broke the logjam.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m prepared to move on the budget. I\u2019m not going to vote on it if that language is in there,\u201d the Arlington Republican said.<\/p>\n

Other amendments were less controversial, including a measure to right-size the budget.<\/p>\n

An amendment from Arias\u00a0<\/strong>to balance the budget after a millage cut took $13,478,133 from the Budget Stabilization Contingency account, $187,111 from the Subsidies and Contributions to Other Government account within the Jax Beach Tax Increment District, and $327,550 from the Unallocated Plan Authorized Expenditure account in the applicable Tax Increment Districts.<\/p>\n

A Michael Boylan<\/strong> amendment to route nearly $730,000 to the JaxCareConnect Program, designed to fund low-income health care, succeeded, with money being moved from the Budget Stabilization Fund. Agape Health, Westjax Outreach, Muslim American Social Services, Mission House, the Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless, and Volunteers in Medicine all got funding.<\/p>\n

A Pittman proposal to move $1,910 above the line for the Sister Cities program met muster.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a Randy White<\/strong> recommendation to move $13,478,133 from Operating Reserves to a Public Safety Designated Contingency account was not adopted, but led to a commitment for at least that much being moved in an October meeting.<\/p>\n

A Matt Carlucci proposal to move $1 million from the Budget Stabilization Contingency account to Neighborhoods for Local Stack Funding for Attainable Housing was substantially filled at $900,000.<\/p>\n

But not every proposal was a winner.<\/p>\n

Peluso proposals to put $20 million into roadway resurfacing and $5 million into new sidewalks failed, with Howland and others objecting to timing and the money coming from operating reserves.<\/p>\n

A Ron Salem\u00a0<\/strong>telehealth amendment moving $1.5 million below the line for further consideration next fiscal year also failed with confusion from multiple Council members who thought it was a done deal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t trust you to pick the toppings on my pizza,\u201d snarked\u00a0Matt Carlucci.<\/p>\n

Council also rejected Rahman Johnson\u2019s proposal to spend $1 million on the Jacksonville Urban League Community Empowerment Center project, as well as his proposed $250,000 to the Jacksonville Public Library for library books, which doubled the appropriation in the budget.<\/p>\n


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