JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville councilman urged Mayor Donna Deegan on Wednesday not to sign the bill prohibiting food trucks at gas stations.
Councilman Rahman Johnson sent a letter to the mayor asking her to allow the legislation to become law without her signature after the city council passed Ordinance 2025-159 with a 12 to 7 vote on Tuesday night.
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The bill was introduced by Joe Carlucci, and it prohibits food trucks from preparing or selling food or beverages at gas stations.
According to the bill summary, the legislation was a result of concerns about the “potential safety hazards of operating mobile kitchens in close proximity to gasoline and diesel fuel pumps where flammable fumes may be present.”
“The goal is really quite simple: Prevent highly combustible food trucks at a highly combustible gas station,” Carlucci told the Jacksonville Planning Commission at its March 20 meeting.
In the letter to the mayor, Johnson mentioned how the legislation does not solve a real public safety issue. The letter also says:
“It restricts economic opportunity in the very spaces that have long been used to uplift communities on the margins. It is a step backward in a city that claims to champion innovation, equity, and inclusive growth. It is sad that this proposal was championed by small business owners and those who proport to protect consumers.”
Read the full letter to Mayor Deegan here
Johnson also emphasized the importance of food trucks in food deserts.
“They operate with heart and hustle, often in underserved areas where brick-and-mortar businesses are absent. Gas station lots have been, for many, the only accessible space to serve their community, feed their families, and grow their brand,” Johnson wrote.
Just before 5 p.m., News4JAX received the following statement from Mayor Donna Deegan’s office
The mayor appreciates the councilman’s perspective and is taking it under consideration as she reviews this bill.
Office of Mayor Donna Deegan