JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — State and city Republican leaders are pushing for a $13 million property tax cut in Jacksonville, but the mayor is urging them to reconsider.
“We need to continue to push and say enough is enough, we want the relief,” said Council President Kevin Carrico (R-District 4) during a Monday morning press conference outside City Hall.
President Carrico notes even with the tax cut, most of the funding for some of the mayor’s top initiatives, like a Telehealth program and Meals on Wheels, was able to be restored.
“We worked together and put them in. We still cut taxes, we still put money into the reserves, we still reduced debt,” said Carrico.
But the mayor argued those programs, especially ones dealing with affordable housing that were completely cut from the budget, should be fully funded.
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“We will be the only major city that is not putting local dollars into housing affordability when people are screaming at us that they’re drowning in housing costs,” said Mayor Donna Deegan.
The mayor’s office estimates the $13 million tax cut would save the average homeowner a little more than a dollar a month.
According to the mayor’s office, the $13 million would equate to the cost of paving 43 miles of roads, 70 new police officers or 65 new firefighters.
“Is a dollar in your pocket — roughly a little more than a dollar a month in your pocket if you’re a homeowner — is that more important to you than making sure that your pot hole is fixed, or more important to you than making sure that your police and fire services are covered?” said Deegan.
And while Carrico pointed out all of those services are fully funded in the proposed budget even with the tax cut, the mayor argued the damage would be seen in the years to come.
“What happens when that compounds every year and we continue to grow by 17,000 citizens every year and we continue to expand and people need those services? They can say all day long they won’t be threatened, but where’s that money coming from?” said Deegan.
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But Florida GOP Chair Evan Power, who came to town to speak in support of the property tax cut, argued with voters potentially getting the chance to eliminate property taxes next year, local governments need to get prepared.
“I think you’ve got to look at property taxes. What happened over COVID is unheard of. Most local governments got a 60 to 70 percent increase over five years. The taxpayer didn’t get that. So, that payment is tough to make. So, people need to look at ways to fund their government that are outside of that outrageous increase in property taxes,” said Power.
The property tax cut will be voted on separately from the budget.
The pivotal vote on the proposed reduction will happen on September 9th.
