JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 30-year tradition for Jacksonville elected officials could be coming to an end.
The Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee voted this week to strip funding for tickets for the city’s luxury suite at Jaguars games, a move that could sideline both council members and the mayor’s office.
The city has had at least one suite for Jaguars games since the team arrived in 1995.
Right now, there’s one suite, with 12 tickets for the mayor’s office, and 12 tickets for the city council, for each home game at EverBank Stadium.
If the city council goes through with the budget cut, it would lose the ability to have those seats in a suite until the renovated stadium opens in 2028.
Keep in mind, this cut is separate from legislation that’s being discussed that would eliminate free access to events for elected officials altogether.
More than six hours into a lengthy budget discussion, Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee members took up one of the hottest debated topics of the past few days, whether to continue spending public dollars for tickets to a suite for city officials at Jaguars games.
“I’m not going to win a popularity contest with this, but I don’t want to do any of these sponsorships, but I move to remove $38,664 for Jaguars suite tickets,” Councilman Rory Diamond said.
That money is part of the general fund budget for the city’s Office of Sports & Entertainment. It pays for tickets that provide entry into the city’s suite at EverBank Stadium.
While businesses with a suite must rent it for Jaguars games, in addition to buying tickets, the city doesn’t rent it. It only has to pay for the tickets.
Several council members defended keeping the suite access, arguing it helps foster economic development and community engagement.
″To me it’s not a perk, it’s something where you are showing up for your district or community," said Councilwoman Ju’Coby Pittman.
“Sometimes they’re used to build relationships between council members and the mayor’s office, which would really be useful right now,” Councilman Matt Carlucci said. ”I think it would be a travesty if we were to get rid of the Jaguars tickets.”
Councilman Reggie Gaffney Jr. said he once met a developer in the suite who later donated $10,000 to nonprofits in his district.
Rahman Johnson spoke about using the tickets to give underprivileged youth the experience of a live NFL game, recalling how a councilman brought him to a Jacksonville Bulls USFL game when he was a child.
Councilman Ron Salem said he proposed legislation to distribute tickets to citizens in a transparent fashion, but said the council president rejected that idea.
Councilman Raul Arias pointed out funding that was cut in the same budget for the Florida Black Expo and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
”You guys care more about tickets than you care about the Black Expo or the Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. I’m really upset by this right now. I don’t care about these tickets. If we strike these out we should take that $30,000 and fund the Florida Black Chamber of Commerce and the Gullah Geechee, because it’s unfair we are defunding our community and talking about going to the Jaguars game and sitting in a suite," Arias said.
Councilman Diamond’s move to cut the funding passed with a 6 to 1 vote. Pittman was the only no vote.
Matt Carlucci, Gaffney Jr., and Johnson are not on the committee, so they did not vote, but were all at the meeting. It’s not uncommon for councilmembers to attend the meetings for other committees.
City officials say under the current agreement, once the city gives up the right to buy those suite tickets, it loses them for good, for the remainder of the city’s lease.
But a new lease with the Jaguars in 2028 would grant tickets directly to the city, without requiring a purchase.
The full council will vote in September.
Council President Carrico and Mayor Deegan have both said they would consider legislation that would eliminate free tickets for city officials to all city events.