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Mayor Curry proposes $1 billion budget focuses on public safety, city's youth

His major goal is to focus on public safety and the city's youth.

Jacksonville's mayor Lenny Curry presented a $1.2 billion budget proposal for 2018 to 2019 to City Council Monday. His major goal is to focus on public safety and the city's youth.

Curry hopes to increase public safety by providing an increase in funding to both the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.

Curry announced that he wants to increase JSO's budget by more than $30 million to help create a real-time crime center and invest in tools will be created to prevent crime.

During last year's budget proposal, Curry announced how he wanted to increase the number of police officers by 180 officers. In June, Curry told First Coast News JSO added 137 new officers.

MORE: Can 180 additional officers make us safer?

He also wants to increase JFRD's budget by another $17 million. His goal is to reduce the call response time and help save lives. He plans to do so by hiring new firefighters, add new stations, jobs and rescue units.

When it comes to the city's youth, Curry wants to invest about $41.4 million in Kids Hope Alliance, an organization that oversees children's programs, including after-school and summer programs, early learning, mental health programs and training. He hopes this will help increase the number of kids participating in Kids Hope Alliance by 10 percent.

He said he wants to add 60 mental health therapists to city schools and expand library hours, as well as add additional personnel to libraries.

Other plans in Curry's proposed budget:

  • $12.4 million in road improvements
  • $9 million for sidewalks
  • $2.6 million for new pedestrian crosswalks
  • $6 million in drainage funding projects
  • $15 million for UF Health in the next few years
  • Funding for abandoned African American cemeteries in the city

The City Council Finance Committee will look over Curry's budget proposal prior to the final vote.

The budget is expected to take effect on October 1.

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