The proposed $2 billion city budget presented July 14 by Mayor Donna Deegan includes more than $37.5 million for the courts, government attorneys and related operating costs.
• Office of General Counsel: $14,446,464 for salaries and benefits including insurance and pension costs, a 1.4% increase compared with last year’s adopted budget.
• Office of Inspector General: $1,568,919 – 2.7% less than last year.
• Clerk of the Court Fund: $5,239,708 – 0.7% less than 2024-25.
Fourth Circuit Court, Duval County Court and facilities
The courts’ budget includes the Circuit Court and County Court expenses exclusive of the cost of judges and other state employees. Certain costs associated with the operation of the Court Administrator’s Office are included in this budget. Per Florida Statute 29.008, Duval County is responsible for providing facilities, maintenance, utilities, security and communications to the courts.
• Courts General Fund-Operating Fund: $5,728,178 - 8.5% less than last year.
• The Court Cost Courthouse All-years Trust Fund houses revenue generated from the State Court Facilities Surcharge. This surcharge is levied on non-criminal traffic violations and the criminal violations listed in Florida Statutes Section 318.17 and shall be used exclusively to fund the maintenance and the capital improvements associated with court facilities.
The 2025-26 proposed budget includes $2,632,261 for the trust fund, 9.1% less than last year.
• The Duval County Teen Court Programs Trust fund houses revenue generated from a $3 fee charged pursuant to Florida Statute 938.19. The funding is used to provide Duval County youth with an alternative to a conviction record by diverting them into programs where they are subject to peer group involvement as part of the rehabilitation process, and/or exposure to community service work, positive role models, law student, and the judicial system.
The proposed budget for 2025-26 is $534,121 – 6.7% more than last year.
• Municipal Code Section 111.385 and the Florida Statute Section 939.185 authorize a $65 fee on felony, misdemeanor, or criminal traffic offenses. This revenue is split into four separate activities that receive 25% of the total revenue: Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Duval County Law Library, Juvenile Drug Court and judicial support.
The proposed 2025-26 budget is $1,767,212 – a 5.1% increase compared with last year.
• The State Attorney’s Office. Chapter 29.008 of the Florida Statutes requires the city of Jacksonville to provide the State Attorney with office space, utility, maintenance, security and communication services as may be necessary for the proper and efficient functioning of their offices.
The line item for SAO in the proposed budget is $2,841,155 – 2.45% less than last year.
• The Public Defender also is a state agency, with the county responsible for providing office space and other costs associated with operating its office.
The line item for the Public Defender is $1,509,147 – 40.5% less than last year.
The lower expenditure includes all of the estimated nontechnology internal service billings for services provided to the state agency by the city’s internal service providers. Public building costs, including debt service, associated with the Jake M. Godbold City Hall Annex, where the Public Defender’s Office is located, makes up $1,092,238 of the total in this category. The net decrease is because of a reduction in the debt service costs associated with the building of $955,316.
• The Recording Fees Technology Fund receives $2 for each page recorded by the Clerk of Courts into the Official Record.
These funds are to be used on the technology costs for the state courts, State Attorney and Public Defender as outlined in Florida Statute 29.008(1) f 2. Funds are disbursed after the three parties mutually agree with the distribution of the funds pursuant to Section 111.388 of the Municipal Code.
Projected revenue and expenses for 2025-26 is $1,605,055 – 0.7% less than last year.