JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan on Thursday defended her proposed $1.92 billion budget and braced for a tough fight in the coming weeks over funding for initiatives like affordable housing, the arts, and equity in city government.
The mayor addressed reporters Thursday morning after City Councilman Rory Diamond proposed legislation that would curb her office’s spending power. Councilman Diamond said he also plans to propose an amendment that would ban city funding for DEI initiatives.
The mayor suggested Diamond has been looking to thwart her agenda at every turn. He insists it’s not personal, saying this is about policy, and they’ve been friends for 20 years.
The mayor said while she is concerned about projections showing Jacksonville could be running a $100 million deficit in four years, her office is looking to save money where it can and her proposed budget makes investments that deliver returns.
The mayor touted an upgraded credit rating of AA+ for the City of Jacksonville this week.
“We can make sure that we save money on borrowing, and that’s a big deal for us,” she said. “I think it also is very much a validation of how we have handled our fiscal house here.”
She said her proposed budget builds on momentum, but to conservative Diamond, it’s a non-starter.
“The mayor came out with this, like, wild budget that’s $47 million into the red,” he said.
On Wednesday, he said he is introducing “Balanced Budget” legislation that will not allow future budgets to spend more than 1% more of city revenue that is projected.
But Mayor Deegan said her budget is balanced.
“We put $76 million into reserves last year, we’re asking to take $47 million out of a reserve account. That is double our target,” she said.
She said the city has healthy operating and emergency reserves.
“Why do we have targets? If we’re not going to reach those targets, it’s like starving your family so that you can keep more money in the bank than you really need,” she said.
Councilman Diamond is also looking to shave down the budget by introducing an amendment to prohibit city funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion, known as DEI.
“If they’re a woman, if they’re Black, they’re gay, whatever, they try to give them enhancements. They try to give them advancement. I don’t think that’s right. I think we ought to have a colorblind city government,” he said.
The city has a Chief of Diversity and Inclusion with a $185,000 salary, as well as a Human Rights Commission, which is focused on promoting equal opportunities and eliminating discrimination. The Commission has a staff of nine and a proposed budget of about $1 million. Those initiatives make up less than one percent of the total budget proposal.
“I think if you look at how the community feels, most people are in favor of diversity and inclusion efforts. So I think again, consider the source. It is a political move,” Mayor Deegan said.
City Councilman Matt Carlucci told News4JAX, “As opposed to a lot of my colleagues on the council, I am fully supportive of the mayor’s budget and with good reason.”
He said affordable housing and homelessness are the top issues his constituents care about, and city council voting against the mayor’s proposed funding for affordable housing that would be bolstered by outside funding is like “swimming halfway across the river just to turn and swim back.”
“The mayor’s proposed budget includes real quality of life improvements for our residents that I hope Council approves rather than water down to the point of putting the brakes on the momentum Jacksonville has going,” he added.
Councilman Diamond has also proposed reducing the amount of money the mayor can move without council approval from $500,000 to $100,000. The mayor argues that would grind city government to a halt and cost taxpayers more in the long run.