The secretary of the Navy said Tuesday that Jacksonville’s partnership with the armed forces worked both ways.
As elected officials and business leaders fret about next year’s base closures and their possible effect on the local economy, Secretary of the Navy Gordon England said the Navy needs supportive communities like Jacksonville as much as the city needed Navy money and jobs. Studies have shown the military puts about $7 billion into Florida’s economy every year. Jacksonville’s four bases contribute $115 million in annual tax revenue alone and help sustain more than 135,000 local jobs.
The governor’s office recently hired a team of defense industry insiders to lobby for the State as its bases are evaluated for the next round of base closures. But, following an address to local military, business and political leaders jammed into the Adam’s Mark Hotel’s second floor banquet room, England said Florida would always be a vital component of the country’s defense structure.
“People worry about base closures, because they they need that $7 billion in their economy every year,” said England. “But it’s not a one-way street. The Navy needs great communities to support our bases.”