Jacksonville City Council President Ron Salem said such factors as an upcoming Council break and a pending need to focus on the city budget prompted him to support a June 25 vote on the proposed stadium renovation deal between the city and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Speaking to the Council Finance Committee on June 4, Salem laid out his rationale for seeking a vote by the end of the month on the plan to fund the $1.4 billion renovation of EverBank Stadium into the Jaguars’ “Stadium of the Future.”
Salem reaffirmed a commitment not to press for a vote “if we’re not able to get every question answered” by June 25.
He said that between private meetings between Council members and negotiators, workshops that Salem has scheduled in coming weeks and Council meetings between now and then, he was hopeful the Council’s questions would be answered and a vote could occur.
Salem noted Council is scheduled to take its summer break during the first two weeks of July and would focus largely on budget discussions upon its return.
Under the city’s budgeting process, the mayor’s office is required to submit an annual budget proposal to Council before the first Council meeting in July. The delivery triggers a series of Council Finance Committee meetings with department heads, division chiefs, elected officers and independent authority representatives, after which the committee makes amendments before the budget’s review before the full Council.
Council, after two required public hearings on the budget, generally approves the budget during its last meeting in September in advance of the start of the city’s fiscal year Oct. 1.
Salem said the start of hurricane season June 1 also influenced him, signaling that weather-related scheduling disruptions could delay the deal’s approval.
He said he formed the schedule with input from the Jaguars, Mayor Donna Deegan’s administration, Council auditors, Council legislative services, the city Office of General Counsel and Council president-designate Randy White.
Salem’s term as Council president concludes at the end of June. White confirmed to the Finance Committee that he concurred with Salem’s timeline.
The Jaguars are seeking finalization of the deal in advance of the NFL owners’ October meeting. Approval from the owners’ group is necessary for the project to move forward.
Salem’s remarks came a day after Council members expressed concerns about the schedule, with member Michael Boylan questioning “the rationale of rushing this thing.”
The proposed deal calls for the team and city each to contribute $625 million for construction of the stadium. The city would provide an additional $150 million for deferred maintenance and capital projects to prepare the stadium for the renovation and allow the Jaguars to play there after construction begins.
Another element of the deal calls for $150 million contributions from the city and the team for community benefits that include workforce development, affordable housing and homelessness services in the Eastside neighborhood and elsewhere. Park development also would be funded through the community services agreement.
The team issued a timeline showed construction beginning in February 2025, with the Jaguars playing in Jacksonville in 2025 with a 60,000-plus capacity and in 2026 with a reduced capacity of 43,500. The team would play away from Jacksonville in 2027, with the new stadium opening in 2028.
Under Salem’s timeline, legislation on the deal would be introduced to the Council on June 11, followed by a second reading during a June 13 hearing and a special Council meeting June 17 for a public hearing on the proposal.
In addition, a Council workshop is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 5 and a follow-up June 6 if necessary.