JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville City Council approved a nearly $2 billion budget for the city Tuesday.
City council members called it a pro-public safety budget and the finance committee chair said it was the toughest budget he’s faced. Only one city councilmember, Rory Diamond from district 13, voted against the new budget.
“This certainly is probably the biggest, most pro-public safety budget that this city has ever seen,” said City Councilmember Jimmy Peluso, District 7.
The new budget includes pay raises for police officers who will receive an initial 13% pay raise on Tuesday next week. City Councilmember Nick Howland, at-large Group 3, also praised the public safety aspect as well as other parts of the budget.
“We’re increasing our funding for indigent medical care," Howland said. "We’re investing in neighborhoods all across our city, we’re keeping our reserves strong and we’ve maintained our property tax rate at current levels.”
The property tax rate will stay the same, but Diamond said the city will soon be forced to raise taxes.
“The Deegan doomsday for your property taxes is coming," Diamond said. "Your property taxes are going up. There is no way we can spend like this and not increase your property taxes.”
Peluso said the finance committee should not have cut money in the budget that would have gone toward helping with homelessness.
“We still are lacking significant investments when it comes to affordable housing and homelessness,” he said.
The council passed an amendment to increase the employee cap on the mayor’s office by one position. Last year the council cut the mayor’s staff budget in order to cut the mayor’s chief of diversity and inclusion position. Councilmembers said the new position will be about data analytics, but there was much back-and-forth about it effectively being a new name for the diversity and inclusion position.
City Council President Randy White said when it comes to the budget overall, he's proud.
“We’re moving the city forward so I’m proud of that,” White said.
The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.