JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan will sign a nearly $26 million spending plan Wednesday that addresses everything from homelessness to health care.
The Jacksonville City Council passed Deegan’s plan at its meeting Tuesday night.
The spending plan was based on months of work by the mayor’s Task Force, which starting looking into the programs being funded even before Deegan took office.
The plan includes funding for programs focused on children, families, homelessness and more.
Here’s a breakdown of how some of the money will be designated:
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$5.3 million toward programs for children and families with $1.9 million of that money funding the expansion of after-school and summer literacy programs
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$2 million to support the “American Dream” initiative that includes local stack funding for attainable housing
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$430,000 for pediatric mental health support
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$2.2 million for elderly food insecurity relief
“There are 39 programs in the transition report. I think they are all very important, but we focused on homelessness, housing, children’s programs like early learning and after-school programs, as well as health programs that will hopefully help us secure ideas to keep our city healthier,” said city council liaison Scott Wilson.
City Council President Ron Salem said that at last count, Jacksonville had about 1,200 people experiencing homelessness.
“Seven hundred of those were first-time homeless,” Salem said. “One of the things that I led was a diversion program. So if someone’s on the verge of homelessness, now they have a place to go where we can infuse $1,500 into their family very quickly, and hopefully prevent them from becoming homeless.”
Salem also pointed out programs for those who are chronically without homes and programs to educate young people to get them started right.
The spending plan also includes $1 million for city pool maintenance and upgrades, $250,000 for a veterans community center and $100,000 to expand WiFi at city parks.
Deegan will host a ceremony Wednesday at 1 p.m. to answer questions about the initiatives and sign the legislation. News4JAX will stream the ceremony.
The city will start funding programs as soon as Deegan inks the spending plan, Wilson said.
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