JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Senate unanimously approved legislation March 11 that amends the Jacksonville Aviation Authority charter, articulating the authority’s responsibility to attract business at Cecil Airport and to grow the former U.S. Navy base as an aerospace hub, as reported by our news partners at the Jacksonville Daily Record.
The approval was on HB 4045, which requires JAA to take responsibility for the economic development of Cecil Airport, including workforce development and training, infrastructure investment, job creation and technology innovation. The bill also assigns responsibility to the airport authority for establishing Cecil Airport as a regional, state and national aerospace hub in partnership with the city of Jacksonville.
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HB 4045 also includes other provisions for JAA, including requiring the authority to provide annual presentations to the city on its economic development plan and budget.
Additionally, the bill revises the airport authority’s threshold for expenses that require a competitive bidding process, raising the limit from $50,000 to $325,000 for construction and repair costs, and from $25,000 to $65,000 for supplies, equipment, machinery and other material costs.
The Florida House of Representatives approved the measure Feb. 11. While the Legislature is in session, Gov. Ron DeSantis has seven days to sign or veto the legislation now that it has cleared both chambers.
Cecil began as a military training facility in the buildup to World War II and eventually grew to become a facility with the third-longest runway in Florida.
Read the full story at jaxdailyrecord.com