JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mayor Donna Deegan is optimistic the Jacksonville City Council will pass a final budget Tuesday night and avoid serious financial repercussions for the city.
If the council fails to agree on a final budget Tuesday night, the city stands to see its credit rating take a hit and could lose untold millions of dollars in state funding.
But less than 24 hours before the final meeting, it remains unclear whether there are enough votes to get the budget through.
“Our top priority tomorrow is to pass this budget. We cannot let the state take back dollars that are going to be allocated towards valuable projects,” Council President Kevin Carrico said (R-District 4).
Council President Carrico said he anticipates his top priority, a proposed $13 million property tax cut, will pass.
“I think we pass the millage cut no problem, and then yes, the amendments come up. That really is the most polarizing part of it,” said Carrico.
Those amendments would prohibit spending city dollars on DEI, abortion, and immigrants without legal status.
While Action News Jax has heard some council members who oppose the tax cut suggest they may be able to support a budget with the tax cut in it, those who have voted no on the spending restrictions have not said they would support a budget with the restrictions included under any circumstances.
“And literally not one dollar of our budget is connected to any one of those amendments. So, I really don’t understand the reason to even have them there,” said Mayor Deegan.
Mayor Deegan is still holding out hope that not only those amendments, but also the property tax cut, will be left out of the final budget.
“It only saves folks about a dollar, dollar fifty a month, and then it costs us millions in services. And I think that what you’re hearing over and over again from people in these town halls is, I’d like you to keep the dollar and give me the services,” said Deegan.
And while Carrico is supportive of both measures, he acknowledged that compromise may be the only path forward.
“I think there are some suggestions that are going to be made for compromise. I can’t predict how people are gonna vote or what their suggestions might be, but I know the body as a whole really has a desire to get the budget passed,” Carrico said.
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