JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mayor Donna Deegan removed $500,000 from her $1.92 billion 2024-2025 budget for the removal of Confederate monuments.
A spokesperson for the mayor’s office told First Coast News the funding is no longer needed.
In December 2023, Deegan used private grant money, not city money, to remove the Women of the Southland statue in Springfield Park.
Since Mayor Lenny Curry's 2022-2023 budget, $500,000 has been set aside for Confederate monument removal. However, the funds were never authorized for use by city council.
Because Deegan used private funds, city council did not need to approve the monument removal.
The move triggered then-council President Ron Salem to create legislation requiring Deegan, and future mayors, to get council approval before using gifts or private donations.
The spokesperson for the mayor's office said keeping the unused funds in the budget could harm the city's credit rating and financial strength. However, those against and for monument removal think money needs to be included somewhere in the budget.
“The removal of, especially the women's monument, should not have been done. And money needs to be in the budget now to replace it," said David McCallister, spokesman for Save Southern Heritage, an organization against monument removal.
“That temple, and that's what it is, that still stands in Springfield Park is part of the Confederate statue,” said Wells Todd, a member of Take Em' Down Jax.
Todd thinks the mayor should use money allocated for city parks to take down the rest of the monument that still stands.
“I don't know why you would keep this temple up and these pillars up, let's knock it down and move on," Todd said.
The spokesperson for the mayor’s office added the removed funds are not going towards other projects.
The mayor’s office said it hopes to have discussions with the community and city council about future plans for Springfield Park and the removed statue.