JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The City of Jacksonville’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year has drawn attention from many, including government law attorney Chris Hand, who shared his insights on surprising elements in the $2 billion spending plan.
“This is the first time the City of Jacksonville budget has crossed that $2 billion threshold,” Hand noted, highlighting the doubling of the budget over the past decade.
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He praised the city’s financial position and said the city actually has some additional money to invest this year, thanks to increased property tax revenue and one-time contributions.
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Hand said it was ”surprising” to see some specific budget choices.
“There is an appropriation in the budget of about $105,000 from the city of Jacksonville to St. Johns County, our neighbor to the south. I don’t know if that’s due to some intra-local agreement or something, but that’ll be curious to find out more about that,” he said.
The mayor’s office told News4JAX that the $105,000 allocation to St. Johns County is for debt service related to the Race Track Road Widening project, covering $65,100 in interest and $40,000 in principal.
The county border complexities at that location mean the portion outside Duval County could not be included in Jacksonville’s Capital Improvement Plan, so the city “paid for the St. Johns County portion with debt.”
Another unexpected aspect was the lack of increased funding for nonprofits and cultural organizations.
“Each of those got about $7 million, the exact amount they got the year before. That was a little bit surprising, because the mayor and her team have articulated that both nonprofits and arts and culture are important priorities for the community,” Hand said.
He emphasized the economic impact of cultural funding, citing the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville’s report showing a “30 to 1 return on investment for money the city puts in.”
Hand expressed concern about the city’s vibrancy, referencing a recent report labeling Jacksonville as “the most boring out of the 75 major cities in the country,” and suggested arts and culture funding as a key to improving quality of life.
Affordable housing and homelessness remain priorities in the budget, with $12 million allocated this year.
“That has been a consistent priority of the mayor and not just of the mayor throughout the state of Florida, even the country for affordable or attainable housing is a great concern,” Hand said.
Infrastructure funding also saw a notable increase, with a 64% boost to $51 million for roadway resurfacing, sidewalk repairs, and intersection improvements.
The overall infrastructure budget approaches $700 million, including a $210 million installment for stadium renovation and over $100 million for parks, including downtown riverfront projects and the Emerald Trail.
As the budget moves to City Council for review and possible changes, Hand encouraged public engagement.
“This is the people’s budget. It’s the citizens’ budget,” Hand said. “It’s really crucial that if people have thoughts, ideas on what the City of Jacksonville’s budget priorities should be, that’s what a budget is, a statement of priorities.”
