JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Military families employed by the City of Jacksonville could see their benefits increase.
Jacksonville City Councilmember Rory Diamond introduced the Jacksonville Hero Act at city hall Wednesday.
Folks deployed at Mayport know what it’s like to have to spend months away from their families at a time.
Diamond’s new bill won’t bring them back home any sooner, but his plan is to make things a bit easier while they’re away.
“I know I get a lot of credit and ‘Thank you for your service,’ but also, there’s that family member back home that has to take up extra duties and make sure things are done around the home and take care of things while the loved one is deployed," said Air Force Veteran Dan Nicholson.
Nicholson spent 22 years in the Air Force and Air National Guard, deploying overseas at different points along the way.
“It was a little bit stressful, but I understood him being in the military and helping to serve our country," said Nicholson's wife, Gloria.
Diamond just got back from an eight month deployment himself.
Less than two weeks stateside, and he’s already introduced legislation to help military families power through those long deployments.
“I’m telling you, they’re suffering financially," said Diamond. "It is hard to be deployed. As hard as it is to be deployed, I think it’s harder to be the spouse of somebody who is deployed.”
Diamond’s Jacksonville Heroes Act focuses on two ways to help city employees who are also involved with the military.
Number 1 – it would triple the pay a city employee receives after their deployment, from one month to three months.
Currently there are 40 city employees actively deployed – including 36 from the sheriff’s office and fire department.
“The goal here is to, especially at the beginning of a deployment, that’s when you’re laying out a lot of money," said Diamond. "That’s when you’re having to move the family, mom or dad is in pre-deployment, that’s when cash starts to rundown.”
Number 2 – it would provide eight hours of additional paid time off for city employees who have a spouse deployed.
“We’re going to give you eight hours that you can take in one hour blocks to go do the things you need to do to take care of your family," said Diamond.
Diamond says the bill will not apply to elected officials like himself.
JEA also agreed to match the pay and flex time in the bill, so if approved, this would apply to JEA employees as well.
It still needs to go through a committee and be approved by the city council, so it's still several weeks away from becoming a done deal.