Jacksonville City Council members gave final approval Dec. 12 to the bulk of $27 million in spending requests in Mayor Donna Deegan’s Mayoral Task Force budget for initiatives including literacy, homelessness, small businesses and housing.
The Council OK’d nearly $26 million of funding for Deegan’s requests, which were based on recommendations by transition committees that Deegan organized after taking office in July. Those committees examined city programs, policies and procedures during the first several months of her term before submitting a 206-page final report in November with recommendations.
In a statement released after the Council’s votes, Deegan expressed gratitude for the nearly 1,000 citizens who served on the committees and thanked the Council for working collaboratively with her office.
“This is a transformational moment for Jacksonville,” the statement read. “It shows what is possible when we united around our shared values, listen to our neighbors and work together to move our city forward.”
The trims in Deegan’s requests came during Council committee meetings and were largely related to concerns over duplicated services. For example, Council members eliminated a $500,000 tree-planting program that was designed partly to reduce temperatures in hot zones in the city. Their rationale was that the money could go to an existing tree-planting trust fund that could serve the same purpose.
Deegan scheduled a signing ceremony for the legislation for Dec. 13.
Read more about the transition committee report here