In her first address to City Council, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan proposed a $1.75 billion city general fund budget for fiscal year 2023-24 that includes money to hire more police officers and “streamline” the city permitting process.
She coupled her first city budget with a $406 million Capital Improvement Plan heavy on roadway projects, new fire stations, heat and sea level rise resilience projects and infrastructure spending, including $60 million for Downtown.
The mayor called the spending proposals “generational investments” in Jacksonville infrastructure.
Deegan, a Democrat, struck a bipartisan tone with the Republican supermajority Council during her speech July 17 at City Hall.
She thanked Council President Ron Salem for the open door since she took office July 1, and Vice President Randy White for giving her “full access to his snack drawer.”
“We owe it to our citizens to rise above the cynicism that undermines aspirations, to listen and understand rather than to just react, and to live up to our nation’s motto dating back to 1776, e pluribus unum — out of many, one,” Deegan said.
She told Council her Capital Improvement Plan focused on “shovel-ready projects that can be completed within the next year.” Some projects have a longer completion timeline.
Downtown investments include $12 million for a public marina Downtown next to the former City Hall and courthouse site on Bay Street, now called the Ford on Bay, and $16 million for the McCoys Creek Greenway outfall improvements and to rebuild and raise a bridge over the waterway.
The $60 million for Downtown also would cover Northbank and Southbank Riverwalk improvements and redesigning Monroe and Julia streets as two-way, among other projects.
Deegan’s CIP has $26.8 million for roadway improvements, a 67% increase over former Mayor Lenny Curry’s final capital plan.
There is $13.6 million in sidewalk repair; $9 million more for the 30-mile Emerald Trail project; and $13 million to fund renovations to the Prime Osborn Convention Center, the Ritz Theatre and Museum and 121 Financial Ballpark.
The mayor wants to direct $17.5 million for aging septic tank removal and $1 million for education and incentive programs to convince homeowners and property owners to agree to the upgrades.
If approved by Council, the CIP also would put $31 million toward building new fire stations.
The proposed CIP directs $86.7 million to resilience projects. Deegan said she wants to have $10 million to implement infrastructure priorities and recommendations from ongoing city-funded vulnerability studies.
There is $12 million for drainage and stormwater system upgrades; $16.5 million for bridge and bulkhead repair; $15.2 million to rebuild the LaSalle Street outfall; and $21.5 million from the tree protection subfund for maintenance and shade tree planting to help lower temperatures.
Deegan wants a $21.7 million budget for mowing and landscape maintenance citywide to ensure parks and public properties are tended to on a shorter rotation.
“Infrastructure is the foundation for everything, even if it’s not always terribly glamorous. The investments we’re making will improve the quality of life for every family in every district,” Deegan said.
The spending plan allocates $65 million to UF Health Jacksonville to expand services and continue the medical center’s multiyear capital improvement upgrades.
Deegan wants $20 million set aside unallocated for future infrastructure projects, she said.
Easing permitting woes
Deegan’s budget devotes $21.72 million to improving the city’s permitting process.
The mayor said she wants it to be faster and more efficient.
In a news conference after the speech, Deegan said the goal is to streamline the process.
“But to do that we have to add enough people doing the work to get that work done,” she said.
She said the money would go to technology advancements related to planning, permitting and the inspection process including the creation of four new staff positions.
“For businesses, both in permitting and procurement, time is money. It gets to the point where you strip those departments to the point where they cannot effectively operate, then you’re costing yourself money rather than saving yourself money,” Deegan told reporters.
During her campaign, Deegan emphasized aiding small business development as part of her economic agenda.
She included $1.28 million in the budget for small business development support and $108,000 for the University of North Florida Small Business Development Center.
More revenue
Deegan’s first budget increases expenditures while leaving the millage rate for property taxes unchanged.
In total, Deegan’s budget is $200 million more than Curry’s final $1.55 billion budget. City Chief Communications Officer Phillip Perry said the proposed millage rate will not rise.
That keeps the rate at $11.3169 per every $1,000 of taxable property value.
However, the city is expecting to bring in about $135.4 million more in ad valorem property taxes due to rising property values in Duval County. That’s a 15.1% increase over fiscal 2022-23, according to the proposed budget documents.
According to Deegan, the Curry administration was able to draft much of the budget before leaving office June 30. She started her term July 1.
In the weeks since the May 16 mayoral election, Deegan said former State Sen. Audrey Gibson, interim city CFO Mike Weinstein and incoming city CFO Anna Brosche took the lead on completing the plan.
City Council response
Salem told reporters after Deegan’s speech that he met with her several times about the budget and provided input.
He said he is supportive of Sheriff T.K. Waters’ request for an additional $7.8 million to add 40 police officers and 18 nonuniform positions and is glad to see it in Deegan’s budget.
The mayor’s budget proposal would give a 4.25% raise to all police officers and firefighters.
Salem said he supports the funding for 60 new positions in the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.
Deegan’s budget also included Salem’s requested $3 million for the Council contingency fund.
“There were no big surprises,” Salem said.
In her speech, Deegan said $64 million of the CIP will be covered using cash on hand, or pay-go, instead of borrowing or bonding to complete the projects
The mayor said that is a 156% increase in cash spending over the 2022-23 CIP.
Salem said he expects that will help keep the city’s bonding capacity high and provide financial protection should there be an economic recession in the next year.
“I love the … $64 million toward pay-go. That’s like saving that money for a future year by not bonding it and paying it in cash,” Salem said.
“That’s a terrific way of using those dollars. Overall, I think it’s a pretty good budget.”
Deegan’s budget is scheduled before the Council Finance Committee for a series of seven hearings starting Aug. 10, when items may be amended, added or eliminated.
Council is scheduled to take a final vote on the budget Sept. 26.
The budget takes effect Oct. 1.