DAY ONE · PUBLIC CHECKLIST
Start immediately.
Report honestly.
These are proposed first-day administrative actions: request facts, name responsibility, convene the right people and publish a baseline. Construction, new spending and policy changes may require engineering, procurement, public input, collective bargaining, City Council action or other legal approvals.
01FIGHTING FOR SOLUTIONSPublic safety and first responders
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Public safety and first responders
Local context
Jacksonville's proposed FY 2026–27 budget allocates $1.074 billion—53% of the General Fund—to JSO and JFRD.
Proposed Day One action
Request current staffing, response-time, equipment and facility reports; convene JSO, JFRD, emergency management and neighborhood representatives; identify urgent operational gaps.
What this could look like
A public dashboard could report response measures, staffing trends, facility projects and corrective-action milestones without exposing sensitive operational information.
Read the detailed policy article →02RESPECT FOR EVERY NEIGHBORHousing costs and affordability
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Housing costs and affordability
Local context
The proposed budget identifies housing and homelessness as people-investment priorities, including $6.3 million for housing and $4.71 million for homelessness.
Proposed Day One action
Ask responsible departments for a plain-language inventory of funded programs, wait times, vacant-property work and measurable outcomes; identify duplicative or inaccessible processes.
What this could look like
Residents seeking help should be able to see program eligibility, responsible contacts, application status and available funding in one place.
Read the detailed policy article →03FIGHTING FOR SOLUTIONSJobs, skills and small business
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Jobs, skills and small business
Local context
Jacksonville's proposed budget includes economic-development, neighborhood and youth investments that can be evaluated for job and training outcomes.
Proposed Day One action
Bring employers, colleges, unions, small businesses and workforce partners together to identify open roles, required credentials and paid training gaps.
What this could look like
A workforce dashboard could track placements, credentials, wages and employer commitments rather than counting attendance alone.
Read the detailed policy article →04SAFE BICYCLE STREETSRoads, potholes and connected bicycle routes
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Roads, potholes and connected bicycle routes
Local context
The proposed FY 2026–27 capital plan includes $35.95 million for roadway resurfacing and $13.75 million for bridge repairs.
Proposed Day One action
Request the pavement-condition map, bicycle-network gaps, open work orders, repeat-failure locations and resurfacing schedule; publish how safety and condition affect priority.
What this could look like
A corridor plan could coordinate permanent road repair with professionally designed bicycle connections, crossings, lighting, drainage and maintenance.
Read the detailed policy article →05FIGHTING FOR SOLUTIONSDrainage and flood control
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Drainage and flood control
Local context
The proposed capital plan allocates $25.34 million to stormwater and drainage projects and $25 million to septic-tank phaseout.
Proposed Day One action
Review flood complaints, drain-cleaning schedules, pump and canal conditions, high-risk outfalls and unfunded engineering needs.
What this could look like
Residents could view a risk-based map showing inspection status, design, funding, construction and maintenance responsibility.
Read the detailed policy article →06SAFE BICYCLE STREETSSidewalks, crossings and accessibility
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Sidewalks, crossings and accessibility
Local context
The proposed capital plan includes $6.18 million for sidewalk repair and $5.75 million for new sidewalks.
Proposed Day One action
Request an accessibility and hazard inventory focused on schools, bicycle connections, transit stops, senior routes and locations with documented injuries or barriers.
What this could look like
Projects could be ranked by safety, accessibility, connectivity and condition with completion dates shown publicly.
Read the detailed policy article →07RESPECT FOR EVERY NEIGHBOREveryday city services
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Everyday city services
Local context
The proposed General Fund assigns $301.6 million to direct city services, including Public Works, parks, libraries, neighborhoods and planning.
Proposed Day One action
Publish service owners, backlogs and response standards for common requests; identify requests repeatedly transferred or closed without a durable fix.
What this could look like
One report should produce one tracking number and a clear status across departments, with residents notified when responsibility changes.
Read the detailed policy article →08RESPECT FOR EVERY NEIGHBORYouth opportunity
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Youth opportunity
Local context
The proposed budget allocates $57.39 million to Kids Hope Alliance and youth programs.
Proposed Day One action
Request an inventory of funded programs, locations, enrollment, access barriers, safety standards and outcome measures; listen directly to youth and families.
What this could look like
Public reporting could distinguish available seats, participation, completion, paid placements and longer-term outcomes.
Read the detailed policy article →09TRANSIT & EMERGENCY MOBILITYBus priority, emergency access and development
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Bus priority, emergency access and development
Local context
Featured proposed capital investments include $25 million for Riverfront Plaza and major funding for parks and city venues.
Proposed Day One action
Identify corridors where transit delay and emergency movement require engineering review while assessing access to jobs, hospitals, schools and major destinations.
What this could look like
A limited pilot could test bus priority and safe emergency access only where transportation engineers, transit professionals and public-safety agencies approve the design and operating rules.
Read the detailed policy article →10FIGHTING FOR SOLUTIONSProperty taxes and government efficiency
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Property taxes and government efficiency
Local context
The proposed FY 2026–27 budget expects $1.292 billion, or 63.7% of General Fund revenue, from property taxes and proposes no reserve draw.
Proposed Day One action
Direct a performance review of contracts, vacancies, recurring overtime, duplicative processes and maintenance backlogs while protecting essential services.
What this could look like
Savings claims should identify the baseline, method, service impact and verified result rather than relying on headline numbers.
Read the detailed policy article →Sources and date notes
Budget figures above come from the City of Jacksonville's FY 2026–27 Budget Highlights. The proposal was presented July 20, 2026 and remains subject to City Council action. Public-opinion context comes from the University of North Florida's 2023 media archive; UNF is also conducting a 2026 Jacksonville public-safety and law-enforcement attitudes study. Figures and priorities should be updated when final budgets or newer survey results are published.
Political advertisement paid for and approved by Fitz Desprez, Republican, for Mayor.
