In a step toward tackling affordable housing and homelessness in Duval County, the Jacksonville City Council approved an ordinance allocating $1 million from the city’s contingency fund to support affordable housing projects.

Talks of moving the Duval County jail from its current spot in downtown Jacksonville have been happening at City Hall for a number of years, with Councilman Ron Salem at the forefront of those discussions.

A local nonprofit known for developing “high-quality” affordable housing announced Tuesday that it has partnered with Jacksonville to house 25 “unsheltered chronically homeless citizens” as part of a pilot program that current and former members of the city’s government created.

An ambitious affordable housing initiative aimed at creating a potential 1,000 new rental units in Jacksonville has encountered yet another setback.

Discussions on how to move forward with redeveloping the iconic Laura Street Trio buildings have started once again.

The failure of the City of Jacksonville’s Surplus Property Donation Program is raising a lot of questions.

Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan presented a $1.9 billion budget, the first composed entirely by her administration, to the City Council on Monday.

Q: Jacksonville Today reader Jonathon A. wants to know what is happening with the money set aside by the City Council for Confederate monument removal.

Jacksonville City Council is expected to vote on the Stadium of the Future in Tuesday’s council meeting.

Emotions were high at the Jacksonville City Council meeting where council members announced they would delay the vote to separate the $300 million for the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) out of the Jaguar’s stadium deal.

The special committee examining the future of downtown Jacksonville is scheduled to meet Monday morning, and Jax Chamber officials are expected to share some of the lessons learned from a recent trip to Downtown Phoenix.

The group that some have called the “Plastic Police” and the “Cardboard Cops” have finished their job inspecting recycling bins in Jacksonville and their final report is now in.

We've got a timeline for the Stadium of the Future and it is set to open August 2028.

Documents were made public on Thursday that spell out in writing how the city could spend $775 million on a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars to help renovate EverBank Field and turn it into the “Stadium of the Future.”

Council President Ron Salem told News4JAX on Thursday he is hoping to hold a series of special meetings, possibly three a week for the month of June, so they can dissect the deal and vote on it by the end of the month.

Mayor Donna Deegan, Jacksonville Jaguars President Mark Lamping and lead negotiator Mike Weinstein presented the details at Tuesday’s city council meeting behind the deal intended to upgrade the EverBank Stadium with a $1.2 billion makeover.

The Jaguars and the City of Jacksonville took the wraps off the most expensive investment in Jacksonville history on Tuesday, a 50-50 cost split on the $1.25 billion “Stadium of the Future” project that won’t include new taxes and will keep the team in town for the next generation.

The Jacksonville City Council -- and the community -- will get a first look Tuesday night at the proposed deal the city and the Jaguars have reached to finance the “Stadium of the Future” renovations at EverBank Stadium.

A new committee looking at the city agency that’s supposed to bring in development to downtown met for the first time Monday. The question many have now is why downtown development is taking so long and what about the future of the Downtown Investment Authority and its leader, Lori Boyer.

The City of Jacksonville, together with the Jacksonville Jaguars, announced on Thursday they plan to host five community meetings so residents can learn more and ask questions about the proposed stadium deal.

At the next council meeting set for next Tuesday, residents should have some answers to exactly what it could cost and who’s paying for what.

Downtown Investment Authority CEO, Lori Boyer, is welcoming the city council committee's look at her agency and the pace of downtown development.

Jacksonville City Council President Ron Salem announced a Special Committee that will look into the efficacy of the Downtown Investment Authority.

A new bill would give the okay for a study to revitalize and improve historic Durkeeville, one of the oldest African American communities in the city.

The Jacksonville City Council addressed a concern regarding some of JEA’s leadership who make important decisions about the operations but do not live in Jacksonville.

The University of Florida’s Florida Semiconductor Institute is coming to Jacksonville.

The Jacksonville City Council President and the chair of the JEA board both said Thursday they think it’s best to have employees here live in the area they serve.

Norwegian Cruise Line plans to sail from Jacksonville beginning in November 2025 if the Jacksonville Port Authority board approves it during a special meeting on Tuesday at 3 p.m., News4JAX news partner Jacksonville Daily Record reported.

There might be a cease-fire in the latest battle over Confederate monuments in Jacksonville.

Jacksonville's City Council will meet Wednesday night after canceling Tuesday night's meeting because of the weather. Public hearings are planned on three big talkers.

Jacksonville City Council members want answers from the city's top attorney after Mayor Donna Deegan’s decision to remove a Confederate monument from Springfield Park, using private funds.

Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said it was no secret the Confederate monument in Springfield Park was going to come down. She said on Wednesday she decided the days between Christmas and New Year’s Day was the time to make it happen and follow through on one of her campaign promises.

With 2024 just a few weeks away, and the Florida presidential primary coming up in March, Duval County voters will have more options for early voting in the upcoming election year.

The Jacksonville City Council voted Tuesday to pass Mayor Donna Deegan’s Task Force Bill with 13 of 17 council members showing support of the bill.

The city of Jacksonville is kicking off the holiday season with the annual lighting of the Christmas tree.

The Jacksonville City Council’s Special Committee on Homelessness and Affordable Housing was announced by City Council President Ron Salem in October 2023. The group held its first meeting on Monday.

Millions of dollars could be going back into the Jacksonville community and into other programs to address critical issues.

Jacksonville City Council members are standing firm in their support of Israel against Hamas after passing a resolution Tuesday night by a nearly unanimous vote.

City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to pass legislation against Florida PACE Funding Agency, which city leaders say is responsible for "predatory lending."

In a 16-1 vote, Jacksonville City Council showed its support for Israel by passing an emergency resolution Tuesday night, saying the city of Jacksonville mourns the loss of life and "unequivocally" stands with Israel as it defends itself.

The owners of a Westside mobile home park have four more days to explain to city inspectors why they’re charging some tenants thousands of dollars a month for water or they could face consequences.

Jacksonville City Council members will meet Thursday to discuss the possibility of relocating the Duval County jail.

The woman who is the top choice of Mayor Donna Deegan to become the city’s next top lawyer has taken her name out of the running

The woman who is the top choice of Mayor Donna Deegan to become the city’s next top lawyer is running into some resistance.

Mayor Donna Deegan will present her first 2023-2024 budget to the Jacksonville city council Monday.

A group of judges is getting ready to talk to Jacksonville city council members about expanding a mental health program that helps people who are continuously arrested for non-violent crimes.

All 19 members of the Jacksonville City Council will be formally sworn-in Thursday night, including the body’s newly elected president, Ron Salem, and vice-president, Randy White.

Incoming Jacksonville City Council president Ron Salem said one of his main priorities when he takes the helm will be building a new jail and moving it away from its current home on East Bay Street downtown.

Armor Correctional Healthcare Services denies wrongdoing and says other clinical issues likely contributed to Dexter Barry’s death

The election may be over, but the fireworks could soon begin. In July, Democrat Donna Deegan will be Jacksonville’s new mayor - the first woman to hold that job. Deegan’s work will begin immediately.

In May, Jacksonville will start inspecting some recycle bins to make sure items placed inside are able to be recycled.

Results of the 2023 races for Jacksonville City Council At-large, Duval County property appraiser.

Results of the 2023 races for Jacksonville City Council At-large, Duval County property appraiser.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced at a Friday morning news conference plans to use $205.7 million toward combating the opioid crisis.

The White House has launched a new national online database, which tracks the rates of nonfatal opioid overdoses. That website went live just yesterday -- and officials say the goal is to help direct resources to the areas where they're needed the most.

The attempt to privatize JEA is now getting international attention. A delegation from African nations has visited Jacksonville to study ethics and transparency, and it’s using what happened with JEA as a case study.

Jacksonville City Council has issued a final report from its Special Committee on Solid Waste, and Councilman Ron Salem says the issues should be behind the River City.

There are talks of raising garbage fees in Jacksonville.

Medical experts and faith leaders are pleading with the public to get vaccinated against the coronavirus as cases rise and hospitals fill. Pastor John Neman and Dr. Nancy Staats join this episode of “This Week in Jacksonville.” Plus, we’re talking about the city of Jacksonville’s budget with Dr. Ron Salem. The council member helps break down the billion-dollar spending plan.

There were a lot of questions raised but few answers when the Jacksonville City Council met Wednesday to discuss a proposal to double the city’s gas tax.

The plan for the discussion to fall on Tuesday, April 13, is no coincidence. It’s the same day, 67 years ago Hank Aaron made his major league debut in baseball

Members of the “Safer Together” panel meeting Friday heard from experts and took questions from people to further examine what’s working and what’s not. Of the 2,466 inmates at the Duval County jail, 119 of them have a known mental illness, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. How people with mental illness are treated during their arrest, and the programs that exist to help them -- were just a few of the many topics discussed during the virtual session between council members and the general public. The city launched a Mental Health Offender Program one month ago to help repeat offenders with a mental illness. Mental health advocates also talked about the expansion of a co-responder program, which teams up mental health care experts with officers responding to calls for service.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – City leaders are still looking for solutions to food deserts. On Thursday, Jacksonville City Council members and other organizations met virtually to explore some short- and long-term solutions to food deserts, or areas with less or no access to fresh, healthy food. One of those areas is the New Town neighborhood near Edward Waters College. “This is a food desert without fresh fruit, fresh vegetables,” said Marcia Ellison, a 19-year resident of the New Town neighborhood. Another initiative is food pantries like the one by Feeding Northeast Florida that’s open twice a month right outside of the New Town neighborhood.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On this edition of “This Week in Jacksonville,” State Attorney Melissa Nelson explains what her office is doing to try to turn around the violent crime numbers in the Jacksonville area. State Rep. Angie Nixon speaks about her bill that would address medical marijuana accessibility. And Jacksonville City Councilman Dr. Ron Salem talks about his proposal to name the field at J.P. Small Park after Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Ron Salem has been a fan of Hank Aaron since he was kid. Aaron had a remarkable season on the field then but had to endure the racism of the 1950′s segregated South. AdSalem is proposing that the city name the baseball grounds at J.P. Small Park in Durkeeville, Hank Aaron Field. It’s the right time to honor Aaron, Salem said, an incremental and long overdue, but much-needed step in the city’s history. “I don’t think we’ve treated our African-American history here in Jacksonville very well, particularly our sports history here in Jacksonville,” Salem said Monday morning.

City Council President Tommy Hazouri has been at odds with the Mayor Lenny Curry’s office on this deal for the past two months. After Bateh’s comments, the Lot J developer, COO Zed Smith of The Cordish Companies, responded saying the Jacksonville deal is quite different than others. “If you pull the plug on Lot J, it’s gone. If Lot J, if you pull the plug on Lot J, it’s over. On Thursday, City Council considered all of the proposed amendments to the current deal on the table.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The city of Jacksonville is hoping to eventually vaccinate more than 10,000 people each day, but as of Tuesday, it is a long way from that goal. According to Hughes, 1,063 vaccinations were administered to seniors and health care workers at the Prime Osborn Center on Monday, the first day of public vaccinations. “There’s no better pathway for us out of this pandemic than this vaccine,” Hughes said. The Duval County Health Department then began accepting online signups for appointments and slots filled up in just over an hour. The health department said the link will change each week and will be posted on the alerts page on the department’s website: duval.floridahealth.gov.

City Council president Tommy Hazouri deferred the vote on the Lot J bill last week and said he’d like to see a final vote Jan. 12. At Friday’s meeting, City Council members got answers to questions and concerns that the council auditor has regarding the deal. The majority of them have been addressed and those in attendance said they feel confident that the Lot J project will move forward. Those in favor of the Lot J project say it’ll bring jobs, boost Jacksonville’s economy, and lead to a thriving downtown. Councilman Garrett Dennis said this week he supports the Lot J project, but also said no decision should be rushed without making sure all questions have been answered.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After a string of shootings in Arlington -- eight people shot in the last six days -- has city leaders speaking out on the gun violence. One was behind businesses at a strip mall, a father and son on a youth football field and one just off Arlington Expressway. There is concern growth of Jacksonville University and businesses along University Boulevard is being overshadowed by a threat of violence. “From the state side, it’s obvious that we need more prevention and intervention dollars coming from the state of Florida,” said Rep. Tracie Davis, D-Jacksonville. This is personal for us, but tragedies like this are happening throughout the state of Florida every day.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On this edition of “This Week in Jacksonville,” Duval County Medical Foundation President Dr. Sunil Joshi details the #FluVaxJax effort. Plus, Jacksonville City Councilman Ron Salem talks about a bill that he’s proposing. It would change the way that city facilities are renamed. And U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter explains what the sticking points might be to keep COVID-19 relief money coming from Washington, D.C.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Farm Share partnered with city leaders to host two food drives Saturday. In total, nearly 30,000 pounds of food was distributed to hundreds of Jacksonville families. At Duval Charter School off 103rd Street, cars packed into two lines for a drive-thru food giveaway. It was great.”Farm Share Jacksonville serves 11 counties throughout northeast and central Florida. “So we are all over Jacksonville trying to hit different areas on the same day,” Johnson said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. City leaders on Monday afternoon were given an update about the massive project undertaken by JEA to phase out septic tanks around Jacksonville. City Councilman Ron Salem called in a JEA representative to the City Councils Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee meeting Monday. Salem said the overall project to replace 65,000 septic tanks around the city could cost approximately $2 billion. But you have to start somewhere.But in the more immediate future, the focus is on three Northwest Jacksonville neighborhoods that are at the top of the list to have their septic tanks phased out. The JEA representative who spoke during Mondays meeting said it will cost tens of thousands of dollars on average per home to phase them out of septic tanks.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The uproar over renaming Hemming Park to James Weldon Johnson Park is prompting the Jacksonville City Council to consider making some changes in its procedure on renaming buildings and parks. When Councilman Garrett Dennis first proposed the name change for the park, he followed council rules. While the majority of council members voted for the name change, many believe the process of renaming parks and public buildings needs to be improved. Salems main concern is the lack of input from the public with only one public hearing required. With one public hearing we negotiate multi-million dollar deals with the same six week process, Dennis said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A new policy regarding the release of police-worn body camera video is going to be put into place soon. There have been meetings between JSO, the state attorney and groups like the Northside Coalition to speed up the process of releasing body camera footage. During Monday’s meeting, City Council member Ron Salem told the committee a new policy is coming very soon. The State Attorney’s Office confirmed to News4Jax that it is working on a new plan and will release it soon. Right now, there is no time frame for the release of body camera video in police shootings.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A bill that would have given Jacksonville City Council the power to approve or deny bonus or incentive programs for JEA employees has been withdrawn from consideration. The bill, which had been part of the consent agenda for Tuesday night’s council meeting, basically said any incentive plans going forward would have to be approved by both the JEA Board and the City Council. But Councilman Ron Salem told News4Jax he worked out an agreement with JEA officials instead and decided to withdraw the bill. Despite the ongoing inquiries, the JEA Board of Directors approved a new employee incentive plan in June as part of its budget request to City Council. The previous incentive plan was put on pause for 2020 amid the controversy over the PUP.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. On this edition of This Week in Jacksonville, Jacksonville University President Tim Cost talks about how the university will get students back to campus. Cost, former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown and Jacksonville Universitys Public Policy Institute Director Rick Mullaney each honor the legacy of the late Dr. Fran Kinne. Jacksonville City Councilman Ron Salem discusses legislation to take some control back from JEA.

The documents show hundreds of swipes into City Hall over the last year and a half as Zahn made more than 90 visits. Civic Council calls for further investigation of ousted JEA CEO Aaron ZahnThe volume of visits is drawing criticism from City Council members who say JEA is meant to be independent of politics. News4Jax asked about the visits to City Hall, and Zahn issued a statement:City hall contains the general counsel’s office, 19 city council members and the mayors office. The number of times I visited city hall demonstrates my focus on transparency and communication with all of Jacksonville’s policy makers. Aaron Zahn, former CEO of JEACity Councilmember Matt Carlucci told News4Jax on Friday the volume of time Zahn was spending at City Hall is unprecedented.

From the half-cent sales tax proposal to all things JEA, Mayor Curry, JEA CEO Aaron Zahn, and City Councilman Dr. Ron Salem each sit one-on-one with Kent JusticeCopyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - City Council member Ron Salem is proposing raising the minimum age to buy tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21 in Jacksonville. He feels that young teenagers' source of tobacco products are 18- to 20-year-olds who can provide them to children who are underage. Earlier this week, Alachua County approved increasing the age to buy tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21. He believes more and more people are choosing vape products, believing they are a safer option than cigarettes. Others who News4Jax spoke with on Thursday said they support Salem's push to increase the age to 21 to buy tobacco and vape products, while others said the age should remain at 18.

City Council member Ron Salem is proposing raising the minimum age to buy tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21 in JacksonvilleCopyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - As the federal government considers a ban on flavored vaping products to address the spike in teens vaping, a Jacksonville City Council committee on Thursday addressed the issue locally. The city's special committee on opioids heard from community members, vape shop owners and a few people who said vaping helped them stop smoking cigarettes, but the committee did not discuss any legislation. One of the chairman's main concerns is how many teens are using vape products. No legislation on vaping was discussed at Thursday's meeting, but lawmakers are trying to figure out if the city needs a new committee specifically on vaping. To fight this trend on a national level, President Donald Trump has proposed banning flavored e-cigarettes and vaping products.

From the half-cent sales tax proposal to all things JEA, Mayor Curry, JEA CEO Aaron Zahn, and City Councilman Dr. Ron Salem each sit one-on-one with Kent Justice

From the half-cent sales tax proposal to all things JEA, Mayor Curry, JEA CEO Aaron Zahn, and City Councilman Dr. Ron Salem each sit one-on-one with Kent JusticeCopyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.