The spending plan that will guide what services Jacksonville residents receive from city government got its finishing touches when City Council approved a 2026-27 budget that restores $4.9 million for an affordable housing trust fund.
Duval County property owners will see the same millage rate
for this year's tax bills as last year, though they will pay more if the taxable value of their property has gone up.Jacksonville residential garbage customers will see an increase in the charge for curbside pickup of trash, recyclables and yard waste. The annual assessment was $324 in 2025 and that will go up to $354 for the assessment on 2026 property tax bills.
On the spending side, public safety will command about 54% of the roughly $2 billion budget
for the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.
City Council approved the budget on an 18-1 vote with City Council member Rory Diamond opposed.
The budget approved Sept. 22 largely tracks the one proposed by Mayor Donna Deegan. She proposed a 1.1% increase in spending. The City Council Finance Committee reduced that spending amount closer to a flat amount compared to the current year, but the full City Council put back money for creating the affordable housing trust fund.
ICARE presses for creation of affordable housing trust fund
The Interfaith Coalition for Action, Reconciliation and Empowerment coalition of faith-based organizations called earlier this year fo Deegan to create a $10 million locally funded affordable housing trust fund. She put $4.9 million into her proposed budget.
ICARE made its appeal after it did small group discussions across the city and heard people "tell us in every single meeting" they were having trouble finding housing they could afford, said Rev. Adam Gray.
"It's every council district, it's every neighborhood, it's every demographic telling us that affordable housing is a huge crunch in Jacksonville," Gray said. "I think that in and of itself is a big argument for the council taking action on this because there are very few things in Jacksonville that get such universal feedback."
City Council Finance Committee Chairman Will Lahnen said council has a record of supporting funding for individual affordable housing developments but that's different from creating a new program in the city budget using local tax dollars.
He said going back to the 2023-24 budget, City Council has approved using $9.8 million from the city's general fund and appropriated $69 million in state and federal grants for affordable housing. He said council also backed $14.8 million for three affordable housing developments with future funding expected to come from the city's general fund.
The affordable housing trust fund in next year's budget will have money to help homebuyers make down payments, assist developers in pulling together financing for building affordable housing and cover part of the cost for JEA utility connections to such housing developments.
Property tax rate will stay the same
Deegan proposed keeping the property tax rate where it currently is and so far, City Council has done so as well for next year's budget in tentative votes.
The rate currently is 11.1919 mills or about $11.19 per $1,000 of taxable property value. Even if the rate says the same, property-owners would see a bigger tax bill if the taxable value of their property has gone up since last year.
The state "Save Our Home" law limits the increase on homes that have homstead exemptions to 3% or the annual change in the consumer price index, whichever is less. The cap this year is 2.7%.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: City Council passes budget with affordable housing trust fund
