JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax spoke one-on-one with Mayor Donna Deegan, who says this isn’t the time for knee-jerk reactions or political theater.
Hundreds of miles from City Hall, on a trip in Cincinnati with a slate of Jacksonville business leaders, Deegan said she gets why voters wanted relief. “I understand why the voters would grab whatever lever they think they may have to try to get some relief,” she said.
What she doesn’t get is how Tallahassee handed it to cities. “The disappointment for me was that the legislature presented it the way they did, with no backstop for governments. And now we’re looking at a $300 million hole,” Deegan said.
It was a vote for affordability, but the individual benefits amount to collective strain. Back home, the blame game started before the yard signs came down. “Every effort we made to work with the mayor, to cut the budget, to get ready for this, was played against us,” said Councilman Rory Diamond.
“Enough with the stupid programs, enough with the non-profits with their nose in the trough,” Diamond said.
The mayor’s response? “Look, it is time to have all the grownups in the room that want to move our city forward and make sure we’re putting our love for Jacksonville first. It is not the time for political nonsense or histrionics,” Deegan said.
“What we are not going to do is the day after an election, go in and start undoing all the things,” she said.
Her plan is six to eight months and a balanced budget. “We will work through this next budget over the next six to eight months. That’s when the next budget comes up. And we will present a balanced, lean budget that creates a good return for our citizens, period,” Deegan said.
But that should not be mistaken for no cuts. Finance Chair Will Lahnen is trying to lower the temperature. “We have time to start working on it. I look forward to working with the administration and our colleagues,” Lahnen said.
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