Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico and eight of his Council colleagues held an Aug. 25 news conference to signal they would defend a proposed tax rate cut in the city’s 2025-26 budget.
If the entire group follows through, the cut would need one more vote to pass the 19-member council.
“We want the relief. We want to give the money back to the citizens,” Carrico said during the event on the steps of City Hall. “We shouldn’t be discussing any increases. We shouldn’t be discussing keeping it flat. We should be discussing giving those dollars back.”
Joining Carrico on Aug. 25 were Council Vice President Nick Howland and members Raul Arias, Joe Carlucci, Rory Diamond, Terrance Freeman, Mike Gay, Chris Miller and Ron Salem.
Carrico’s remarks came three days after the Council Finance Committee completed hearings on Mayor Donna Deegan’s proposed $2.02 billion operating budget. Those hearings opened with the committee voting in support of recommending a reduction of the city’s millage rate by one-eighth of a mill.
Beginning this week, the full Council will begin discussing that recommendation and others with a goal of finalizing the budget by the end of September before the Oct. 1 start of the city’s budget year.
The millage rate cut would require about $13 million to be cut from Deegan’s proposed spending to meet a statutory requirement that the budget be balanced. During Finance Committee budget hearings, members targeted several Deegan priority areas for cuts, including public health and affordable housing.
Deegan: Council playing politics
Deegan, in a media gathering afterward, repeated earlier comments that the proposed tax cut doesn’t amount to more than a few dollars in the hands of taxpayers but strips millions from important government services. Deegan said the tax reduction is a product of political posturing among Council members with higher aspirations.
Carrico and the eight council members who backed him are all Republicans. Deegan is a Democrat.
“I don’t know if they want to run against me, but clearly they want to be someplace other than the City Council of Jacksonville,” she said. “I would simply implore them to do your job here, and that’s the best way to get another job elsewhere.”
One mill is equal to a $1 tax for every $1,000 of assessed property value. For the owner of a Jacksonville property with an assessed property value of $200,000 and a $50,000 homestead exemption, the annual tax savings on the proposed cut would be $18.75.
Deegan said that contrary to statements by Carrico and like-minded Council members, the slight reduction in taxes plus millions in cuts that have been proposed to her budget for affordable housing would hurt households.
“We have insurance costs that are out of control. We have housing costs that are, for a lot of people, out of control,” Deegan said. “I know it (tax reduction) sounds good, but it is my job to try to make sure that we have a good quality of life for all the citizens in this city, not do something because politically, it looks good.”
Before Finance Committee budget hearings wrapped up on Aug. 22, members had restored some funding to Deegan priority programs they had cut earlier. Among the restorations were $1.1 million for Meals on Wheels and $1.5 million for telehealth services.
Carrico, allies: Essential services still funded
Supporters of the cut have argued that in the 2025-26 budget bill, police, fire and rescue, and infrastructure are fully funded. They have also said that in programs for lower-income residents, the private sector can take over.
“We have one of the most robust nonprofit communities, I think, in the country, and these are conversations that I’m willing to have with the mayor’s office,” Carrico said. “I’m willing to go to the table as a nonprofit leader to work with these organizations, to try to help them with philanthropic efforts and leverage these resources to try to help non-government organizations.”
Carrico is the vice president of strategic initiatives for the nonprofit Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida.
He and his allies say taxpayers need relief after years of inflation and rising prices of consumer goods and services. The city’s millage rate of 11.3169 has been unchanged since 2022. During those years, ad valorem tax revenue has increased amid new construction and rising property values.
“It’s simple, $1 today doesn’t go nearly as far as $1 used to go five years ago. That means so many folks are struggling to keep up,” Howland said during the Aug. 25 media conference. “Governments think taking your money will solve society’s ills like affordable housing, hunger, hospital bills, free rooms and down payment assistance.
“Instead, taking taxpayers’ hard-earned money out of their wallets makes them more likely to need affordable housing, subsidized meals, Medicaid and down payment assistance.”
Council members have also spoken about the millage rate as a symbolic gesture, saying that while cutting the taxes wasn’t more than a few dollars for citizens, it showed a commitment to slowing government spending.
“This millage cut, though it is a modest one-eighth, represents something bigger than just one-eighth. It represents our commitment to review the millage regularly and to ensure that government doesn’t grow more than it needs,” said Arias, who chairs the Finance Committee. “Our job is to put money back in the hands of those who need it the most, because government should never grow faster than our citizens’ ability to pay for it.”
A final decision on the tax cut rate could come before the budget is approved. Council auditors and the city’s Office of the General Counsel said it was possible that if the Council voted to cut the millage rate at its Sept. 9 meeting, the Council could not restore the millage rate at future meetings.
Council votes nearly decided
In order to push the millage cut over the line, Carrico’s Council coalition needs one more vote, likely coming from Michael Boylan, Will Lahnen, Randy White or Ken Amaro.
All are Republicans who were not at the news conference but have not said they are not fully opposed the tax cut.
Republican member Matt Carlucci has publicly stated he would prefer to maintain the millage rate at its current level.
Deegan declined to say if she thought her office could win over any Council members and avoid a millage rate cut, but argued that Council members who voted against it would be doing right for the city.
“There are such clear arguments as to why this is a bad idea,” Deegan said. “And really it will come down to, are you going to choose what is better for the citizens of your city and make sure they have the services they need, or are you going to once again be a part of that group that wants to hold this city back?”