JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mayor Donna Deegan hosted her first “community conversation” event Thursday in Mandarin. She hoped to cover everything from infrastructure and the economy to arts and entertainment and says it will be a chance for every voice in Jacksonville to be heard.
There will be one meeting -- all open to the public -- in each of the 14 council districts.
Deegan made it clear even in her inauguration speech that she wants to hear from residents all over the city about what matters to them.
“We will build bridges to the people, open wide the doors of City Hall and invite everyone inside. We will meet you where you are, in your neighborhood, in your community centers, and during town halls. We will remain curious,” Deegan said.
Community members came to the meeting at the Mandarin Senior Center to voice their concerns, ask questions or give feedback on issues they felt were important.
Infrastructure was a topic that kept coming up among people who had concerns about growth in areas where infrastructure has not been updated.
“New developments come in and they clear-cut every single tree on the property,” one person said.
Infrastructure impacting traffic was also a topic of concern.
“They took our money. They expanded 295 by two extra lanes and made it a toll road. Ridiculous,” someone else expressed.
During the community conversations, Deegan plans to touch on an extensive list of topics, including:
- Infrastructure: Like improvements to neglected neighborhoods and revitalization projects across the city including on the Riverfront
- Health: Including mental health, physical health and conversations about infant mortality rates
- Economy
- Public safety and how to significantly reduce crime
- Arts, Culture and Entertainment
- Constituency and Community Outreach
- Military and Veteran Affairs
Deegan wants to create a forum to do that, something else she talked about during her inauguration speech.
“You must care enough to educate people about what’s out there and help them lift themselves up. It’s not about giving anybody anything. It’s about making them aware. That’s it,” she said.
Deegan said she hopes these 14 community discussions are the start to accomplishing that goal.
Residents told News4JAX this informal meeting was important because it shows the mayor is transparent in her intentions towards the city.
“It means a lot. This is our first town hall meeting. We’re primarily here just to listen to see what the new mayor is going to say and how the community can get involved,” Mike Grubbs said.
“I think it gives the community hope to know that someone is invested in the community as much as we want them to be,” Townson said.
City Council members will also be at each of the meetings, which will run through September.
Click here for a full list of the meetings, or use the interactive map below to find one near you.