Council finance committee hears budget briefings from port, utilities, transit and aviation authorities; councilors press for Cecil Field aerospace plans

Jacksonville officials on Aug. 15 reviewed proposed budgets and multi‑year capital plans for the city’s independent authorities and discussed a series of council motions to set priorities for downtown and the Cecil Commerce/Spaceport area.

The Jacksonville Port Authority (JPA) told the committee it expects increases in operating revenues next year driven by container activity, new lease acreage on Blount Island and a new Norwegian Cruise Line service at Dames Point. “About 50% of our revenues come from the container side of the business,” Joey Greivey, JPA chief financial officer, told the committee, adding that the port ranked “easiest to do business with” in a national logistics magazine. JPA also described changes in capital funding tied to completed projects and federal, state and tenant contributions for major works, including cranes and harbor deepening.

JPA and council members also discussed long‑running infrastructure work in the river. Daryl Hamilton, identified at the hearing as manager of transmission and substation projects, briefed the committee on the Fulton Cut power‑line project, which raises lines to 225 feet above high tide to allow larger vessels under the Dames Point span. “We plan to have the conductors pulled across the channel by 12/31/2026 and energize the system,” Hamilton said. He said foundation and make‑ready civil work are underway on both banks and that structural erection and conductor pulls are scheduled next year.

Council members asked JPA about dredging costs and job projections tied to deepening and power‑line work. JPA said harbor work is costly — the agency budgeted about $11 million for berth maintenance and noted federal channel maintenance funding as a related expense — and said the port estimates the deepening and power‑line projects will support thousands of local jobs. The committee approved the auditors’ recommendations on JPA budget schedules.

JEA (the city’s electric, water and district energy utility) presented a larger, more complex budget that reflects rising fuel and purchase power costs, planned capital spending and an updated allocation to the city general fund under the amended interlocal agreement. JEA staff described higher projected fuel rates and pass‑through charges that increase electric system revenue and costs. JEA Deputy CFO Joe Arfano said the authority is reviewing two major options to meet future generation needs — building a combined‑cycle natural‑gas plant or entering a long‑term power purchase agreement (PPA) — and said the JEA board will vote on options later this month.

JEA officials also briefed the committee on the Fulton Cut power‑line costs and asked the committee to show total project appropriations (including JPA reimbursements) in JEA’s capital budget so bond and pay‑go accounting reflect the full project cost. The committee approved the auditors’ recommendations on JEA line items and the requested budget clarifications.

Transit agency JTA briefed the committee on operating and capital figures and several service initiatives. JTA said operating budgets are flat in many lines but reflected new grant awards and planned purchases. The committee heard an update on microtransit and autonomous shuttle services (the NAVI and Navi/“u2c” pilot) and early ridership numbers — roughly 4,500 Navi trips in the first month, JTA said — and learned that a tier‑1 autonomous vehicle manufacturer is locating production near the city. JTA also described the loss earlier this summer of a major federal Neighborhood Access & Equity (NAE) grant earmarked for the Emerald Trail, a multi‑segment urban trail project; JTA officials said they will continue design work funded by the local option gas tax while pursuing additional federal grants for construction in later years. Committee members asked JTA to return with a revised implementation plan and a district‑by‑district capital schedule for council review.

The Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA) presented its FY 2026 operating and capital budgets and a multi‑year capital improvement plan that includes Concourse B and a new parking garage at JIA, plus capital requests at the city’s general aviation fields and Cecil Commerce Center/Spaceport. JAA CEO Mark VanLoe described ongoing work building Concourse B and a six‑story parking garage, and said Cecil has seen a wave of aerospace investment and tenant interest. “We’re adding a campus, we have Boeing expanding and a number of aerospace announcements,” VanLoe told the committee, and noted that Cecil has 12,100 feet of runway and unique horizontal‑launch capabilities that the city’s elected leaders have prioritized for aerospace activity.

Several council members pushed JAA and council staff to accelerate planning and capital work for Cecil to capitalize on aerospace opportunities. The committee recorded multiple council motions directing JAA to accelerate spaceport‑related planning: the panel amended JAA’s capital/cash plan to create a $500,000 services line to fund an updated “Cecil aerospace growth plan” and voted to move a set of FY27 spaceport capital placeholders into FY26 subject to funding and FAA review. Council members also voted to move $10 million of JAA cash into Cecil‑related capital authority so the aviation authority can explore hangar renovations and other site improvements while the FAA and project partners finalize agreements. JAA leaders said they will coordinate with the aviation stakeholders, the state and the FAA on next steps.

Downtown Investment Authority and city redevelopment districts: DIA and its associated downtown/CRA budgets were before the committee with multiple line‑item adjustments tied to citywide tax and assessed value changes the committee had already directed earlier in the hearing. The committee and DIA staff discussed a council request to set aside dollars for historic building preservation and rehabilitation downtown. The committee approved technical corrections to CRAs’ revenue schedules and approved a council amendment renaming a line item in the DIA economic incentives budget and shifting funds to seed a downtown preservation and revitalization program.

Other administrative items and committee votes: The committee took several budget votes and technical corrections during the hearing, including acceptance of audit recommendations and ordinance schedule updates (see “Votes at a glance,” below). Council members also asked the mayor’s general counsel to weigh in on separation of powers and the legal options related to social‑media conduct by mayoral staff after several councilors reported repeated social‑media posts by administration employees; the committee scheduled a follow‑up discussion on administration salaries and staff social‑media policy to begin at the next hearing.

Why it matters: The independent authorities control major infrastructure and capital spending that affect jobs, rates, and long‑term city finances — from dredging and cruise and cargo capacity at the port to JEA’s generation choices and JAA’s Concourse B and Cecil build‑out. Committee members pressed for clearer timelines, district‑level capital lists for council oversight, and a plan for accelerating Cecil’s aerospace readiness so the city can move quickly if federal or private grant opportunities appear.

Ending: The committee closed with directions for staff to return with clarified budgets, a Cecil aerospace planning scope funded at $500,000, and follow‑ups on the Emerald Trail grant strategy, JEA generation options, and an update on parking‑garage structural plans. The Finance Committee will take further action during later budget‑hearing sessions and on wrap‑up day.