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Jacksonville City Council plans to approve tentative budget, rally set to protest JSO's portion

The city council meeting is on Zoom but activists with Jacksonville Community Action Committee will be outside city hall.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Jacksonville City Council plans to approve a tentative budget on Tuesday, but their meeting will not take place without protest.

The city council meeting is on Zoom, but activists with Jacksonville Community Action Committee will be outside city hall. They believe half of the money going to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office should be spent differently.

JSO is looking at getting $484 million, which is 36% of Jacksonville's total budget and the largest single chunk of city spending. 

Jacksonville Community Action Committee's People's Budget wants half of JSO's budget to be spent on funding public programs including departments that support black small businesses, creating affordable housing and battling food insecurity.

"Mental health resources," listed Michael Sampson II with JCAC. "If you had other folks that were funded that would go to that house instead of a cop with a gun, dealing with a woman who's clearly mentally disabled, schizophrenic, having a bad breakdown. If what was funded could intercept that interaction between her and law enforcement you would have one person alive."

Finance Committee Chair Matt Carlucci proposed a property tax increase and money from that was planned to go toward community programs. It didn't pass. 

Carlucci says he is not willing to take away from JSO's budget, which he says would mean slashing payroll.

"When they come to your door to get you out of trouble you don't care how much money they're making because they do excellent work," he said. "Are there some bad apples here and there? Sure. And this sheriff, by the way, has arrested more bad apples than I think any sheriff."

Mayor Lenny Curry addressed the protests this summer by pointing toward ambitious spending in infrastructure improvements in underserved districts in Northwest Jacksonville.

The meeting is at 4 p.m. Tuesday on Zoom. Access it here.

Read the entire proposed budget here.

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