Deegan proposes $2.03 billion Jacksonville budget as City Council review nears
Mayor Donna Deegan presented Jacksonville City Council with a proposed $2.03 billion general-fund budget for fiscal year 2026-27 on July 20, starting the council’s formal review of the city spending plan.
The proposal is not yet an adopted budget. City Council must review and approve the plan before its figures become final appropriations.
The budget sets the proposed framework for municipal spending in the coming fiscal year, including public safety, roads, reserves, grants and other city services. Reporting on the proposal described its priorities as reserves, roads and public safety.
Proposed spending includes sheriff’s office allocation
The proposed general-fund total is approximately $2.03 billion, according to reporting on Deegan’s presentation. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is listed for a proposed $673.6 million allocation.
Those amounts are part of the mayor’s proposal, rather than final council-approved appropriations. The available information does not establish what amendments, if any, City Council may make during its review or the final budget and millage rate that could emerge from the process.
The full distribution of proposed funding among city departments also is not established by the available reporting. The proposed sheriff’s office amount is one identified departmental allocation.
Finance Committee hearings begin Aug. 13
City Council’s Finance Committee has scheduled six budget hearing dates: Aug. 13, 14, 20, 21, 26 and 27. The hearings are part of the council review process following the mayor’s July 20 presentation.
The schedule gives council members a series of meetings to examine the proposed plan before acting on the budget. No City Council vote total or approval is reflected in the information available as of the proposal and hearing schedule.
The city also has scheduled budget town halls beginning Aug. 5 to discuss the proposal with residents. Those sessions precede the first listed Finance Committee hearing on Aug. 13.
What remains to be decided
The mayor’s submission begins, rather than completes, the municipal budget process. Council review will determine whether the proposed $2.03 billion general-fund plan and identified agency allocations remain unchanged or are amended before approval.
For Jacksonville residents, the process will shape the spending plan used to support city operations and services in 2026-27. The next listed public steps are the town halls beginning Aug. 5 and the Finance Committee’s hearings beginning Aug. 13.
Sources
- Mayor Deegan presents proposed 2026-2027 budget to City Council, City of Jacksonville
- 2026/2027 Budget Information, City of Jacksonville
- Deegan proposes $2.03B budget preserving reserves, prioritizing roads and public safety, News4JAX
- Mayor Deegan proposes $2.03B Jacksonville budget for 2026-27, Jacksonville Business Journal