Council waives ordinance requirement so University of North Florida veterans initiative can receive funds

Council members voted to approve bill 20 24 9 40 9 as amended, waiving a local ordinance provision that temporarily blocks organizations on the city's noncompliance list from receiving additional city dollars so the University of North Florida (UNF) can receive veteran-related funding.

The amendment and debate centered on audit timing rather than a failure to file audits. Phil Peterson, auditing staff, told the council that “UNF's audit is due October 28 each year. They go on the noncompliance list every year, because they are audited by the state auditor general who has a schedule of timing of when they do audits throughout the state of Florida.” He said the city typically receives UNF’s audit in late February or early March and then removes the university from the noncompliance list.

The nut graf: Councilmembers said the waiver was necessary to allow a strategic initiative that targets veterans services at UNF to move forward this fiscal cycle while staff and committee members work on a longer-term fix to the ordinance timing that causes recurring placement on the noncompliance list.

Councilmember Landon described the measure as “my strategic initiative” to support military and veterans connected to UNF, saying there are “about 2,000 either veterans active duty or, family service connected veterans at any point in time.” Councilmember Paluso, a cosponsor, said UNF “has a massive veteran population. It's also a yellow ribbon school,” and expressed support for the bill as a veterans initiative.

Several council members and staff noted the underlying local code provision—identified in the discussion as Chapter 118, Section 118.503—prevents entities listed for noncompliance from receiving additional city dollars until the noncompliance is cleared. Peterson said the city follows that provision but that UNF’s placement on the list is a timing issue tied to when the state auditor general completes its audits. Councilmember Rahman Johnson, who serves on the Rules Committee, offered to work with the auditor’s office and general counsel to draft an ordinance change to prevent the annual timing conflict from recurring.

The council first voted to adopt the amendment; the amendment carried. The council then voted on the bill as amended; the clerk recorded an 8–0 vote in favor. By that action the council approved 20 24 9 40 9 as amended.

The action allows the specific veterans initiative in the bill to draw city funds despite UNF’s brief, recurring appearance on the noncompliance list; it does not change the underlying state audit schedule. Council members said they plan follow-up work in the Rules Committee to consider a code change so similar timing-related noncompliance placements do not block routine funding in future cycles.