JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan is ready to current her proposed funds for the upcoming fiscal yr to the Metropolis Council on Monday, marking the beginning of a monthslong course of that can decide how funds are allotted throughout town’s departments.
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The mayor’s proposal, which can define her imaginative and prescient for Jacksonville’s future, comes after months of preparation and public enter. Earlier this yr, Mayor Deegan hosted a sequence of city corridor conferences to collect suggestions from residents about their priorities for town.
Among the many most often mentioned matters was homelessness, a difficulty that is still prime of thoughts for a lot of in the neighborhood.
Last year, Jacksonville’s common fund working funds was slightly below $1.9 billion. This yr, metropolis officers count on the proposed funds to be in an identical vary.
Nonetheless, the mayor’s proposal is simply step one. Metropolis Council should assessment, amend, and approve the funds, which can contain going by the laws line by line.
The ultimate funds have to be authorized by the top of September.
In 2024, the council authorized a common fund funds that was practically $40 million lower than what the mayor initially requested.
One of the vital reductions was in funding to deal with homelessness. Whereas Mayor Deegan had requested $11.2 million for a particular fund to fight homelessness, the ultimate quantity was decreased to $2.2 million.
Homelessness continues to be a urgent concern for Jacksonville residents and officers alike. On Tuesday, Sheriff TK Waters addressed the problem at a public assembly, noting that whereas legislation enforcement can and can implement new state legal guidelines such because the “No Tenting Invoice,” homelessness is primarily a social difficulty.
In response, Jacksonville Fireplace and Rescue has launched a program referred to as Offering Help to the Homeless, which deploys a seven-person group to assist these in want. Metropolis officers reported in April that the number of unsheltered people in Jacksonville had dropped by 49%.
Former chief Keith Powers recently shared a budget proposal asking town for about $1.8 million in funding to keep up that group.
Mayor Deegan’s funds presentation will start at 9 a.m. Monday at Metropolis Corridor. Council members could have the chance to ask questions, and the general public is inspired to attend.
For these unable to be there in particular person, the presentation might be streamed stay on News4JAX.com.
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