Finance and Budget
Build conservative revenue forecasts, separate recurring and one-time money, publish assumptions and test long-term costs.
BUDGET · DATA · TEAMWORK
Method and precision
This proposed approach begins with verified numbers, frontline knowledge, public input and measurable service results. Jacksonville’s mayor proposes the annual budget; City Council reviews and adopts it through the public budget process.
A six-part budget method
- Define the result residents should experience.
- Establish a verified baseline using financial and service data.
- Listen to frontline employees, residents, unions, businesses and independent experts.
- Compare alternatives, lifecycle costs, legal authority and operational risk.
- Assign an accountable owner, timetable and measurable milestones.
- Publish a plain-language dashboard and correct course when evidence changes.
Department-by-department attention
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office
Review response, staffing, prevention, technology and trust metrics while respecting the sheriff’s independent constitutional responsibilities.
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue
Evaluate response times, station conditions, equipment replacement, recruitment, retention and emergency medical demand.
Public Works
Use condition data to sequence roads, potholes, bridges, drainage, sidewalks, mowing and facility maintenance.
Parks, Recreation and Community Services
Track access, maintenance, programming, youth participation, safety and lifecycle costs across neighborhoods.
Neighborhoods and Housing
Coordinate code compliance, affordable-housing tools, homelessness response and federal grant administration.
Planning and Development
Make permitting predictable, publish turnaround measures and preserve lawful safety, zoning and environmental review.
Libraries
Treat libraries as learning, internet-access, workforce, youth and neighborhood-service infrastructure.
Office of Economic Development
Tie incentives to documented jobs, wages, investment, deadlines, clawbacks and transparent public benefit.
Information Technologies
Prioritize cybersecurity, accessible digital services, system reliability, procurement discipline and useful public data.
Human Resources and Employee Services
Recruit capable staff, support training, measure vacancies and retain institutional knowledge.
Emergency Preparedness
Coordinate hurricane readiness, public communication, shelters, continuity and support for vulnerable residents.
PROPOSED ECONOMIC APPROACH
Make Jacksonville easier to build in—and accountable for results
Fitz Desprez’s stated approach is to reduce unnecessary delay, make rules easier to understand and encourage responsible private investment. The proposal would preserve lawful public-safety, labor, environmental and land-use requirements while measuring permit time, infrastructure readiness and the public return from incentives.
Predictable permitting
Publish requirements, responsible contacts, review stages and turnaround data so applicants can plan without special access.
Performance-based incentives
Use written job, wage, investment and delivery commitments with reporting and clawbacks when terms are not met.
Small-business access
Simplify procurement information, strengthen technical assistance and expand fair opportunities to compete.
Workforce and infrastructure
Connect employers with schools, colleges, trades, veterans and reliable transportation while investing in core infrastructure.
Official sources
City budget process · City Budget Office and current documents · FY 2026–27 proposed budget overview
Policy descriptions are proposals, not adopted city policy. Department names and responsibilities should be checked against current city organization and governing law.
