JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville City Council passed the $1.34 billion budget in a 17-2 vote Tuesday night.
Action News Jax reported on this in July when Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry rolled out his proposed budget. In it, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is set to get more than $480 million.
During public comment at the City Council meeting, several local activists and neighbors made a last-minute push for a “People’s Budget,” which would reduce JSO’s portion of the budget and reallocate the money back into the community.
Christina Kittle, with the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, said she believes crime prevention starts with resources in the community.
“We have a problem here with crime, but we know that the solution is we have to attack the social roots of crime,” Kittle said.
Northside Coalition President Ben Frazier demanded more money to help “economically ravaged areas” in the city.
“If you don’t want the money to come from the JSO budget, you need to figure out where to get it from,” Frazier said.
Before the full budget was voted on, there were several amendments discussed on the City Council’s floor, including one that would’ve withheld half of the funds from JSO.
City Council member Garrett Dennis, who introduced the amendment, proposed JSO would get only $234 million to start.
The other $234 million would be put below the line and would be given back to JSO after a presentation and review of the agency.
“This is not defunding,” Dennis said. “This is about accountability. It’s about transparency. It’s about communication.”
A majority of the council members, including Rory Diamond, strongly opposed the amendment.
“To pretend that taking half the funding from our JSO is not defending our police — it’s just completely irrational. That’s exactly what it is,” Diamond said.
Diamond said cutting JSO’s funding would make it harder for the officers to do their job.
“They’re always one second away from death. That’s what they put on the line for us, and I find this effort, this amendment, absolutely disgusting,” he said.
Dennis withdrew his amendment on Tuesday before a vote because he said he didn’t want to put his colleagues in a tough position.
Cox Media Group
