JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s been almost a month since Jacksonville unveiled a hologram of Mayor Donna Deegan at Jacksonville International Airport; however, it hasn’t been well-received by every member of the City Council since its reveal.
Earlier this week, more questions surrounding the hologram came out during the City Council’s Finance Committee meeting, specifically regarding its funding and how much the box actually costs.
The machine, which was placed out of view Saturday evening at the airport, typically displays Mayor Donna Deegan giving travelers a welcome message.
“I frankly think you ought to send the damn thing back,” said City Councilmember At-Large Ron Salem, who added that he doesn’t understand why the investment was made.
During the meeting, the city auditor questioned if JAXEPICS (Jacksonville Enterprise Permitting, Inspections and Compliance System) could sponsor the box because the entity is funded by building inspection fees. She also questioned if building inspection fees could ultimately be used to pay the invoices for the box.
While discussing whether inspection fees could cover the cost of the hologram, it was revealed that the machine cost closer to $75,000, which came as a shock after it was initially believed that it cost closer to $30,000.
“It’s absolutely an illegal use of funds,” said City Councilmember Rory Diamond. “The mayor’s office spent money on the ‘Holo-Donna” that should be spent on permitting, and that’s just not right.”
However, the mayor’s chief of staff, Mike Weinstein, argued the machine has future benefits for the city because it follows a method that Jacksonville could use in the future.
“The box is going to be used for an education program for how you submit planning,” Weinstein said. “How you submit permits, how you deal with the system, and it’s going to be in different locations.”
News4JAX reached out to the mayor’s team about the hologram and received the following response:
Building inspection funds can be used to improve the permitting process and promote those efforts. While the end goal is a permitting education tool, the airport location serves a dual purpose of a welcome greeting for travelers and higher foot traffic for testing and learning how the technology works.
The hologram technology is a minor pilot in a multi-year communications plan and an incredibly small line item in a $9 million budget. The fixation on this by a few council members is missing the forest for the trees. And they didn’t make these comments when the previous administration was running tourism billboards in multiple cities outside of Jacksonville.
We are proud that we’re one of the first cities in the country to try this new technology. We’ll continue to lead the way in promoting Jacksonville as a tech hub that is attracting leading companies in the industries of the future.
The box is not in its original location at the airport because we are working through some technical challenges in our efforts to add content and functionality.
Phil Perry, Chief Communications Officer, Office of the Mayor