TRUE Commission backs 1/8‑mill cut to proposed Jacksonville millage, sends message on fiscal discipline (5‑3)

The Taxation, Revenue and Utilization of Expenditures (TRUE) Commission voted 5‑3 on Aug. 7 to adopt a resolution supporting a one‑eighth‑mill reduction in the City of Jacksonville’s proposed ad valorem millage rate for fiscal year 2025–26.

Commissioner Raymond Day read a resolution that stated in part that the county’s certified tax roll had increased and that reducing the millage by one‑eighth of a mill would restrain growth in ad valorem revenue. Day and supporters argued the modest cut would impose fiscal discipline on the council while still leaving the city with substantial new revenue.

“Every single year, because of the increase in the market value of the real estate in this community, there is an increase in ad valorem tax revenues,” Day said during debate, arguing for restraint on automatic revenue growth.

Opponents said the commission should first review the full set of budget hearings so it can recommend where any revenue reductions should be accommodated. Commissioner Daniel Henry asked whether the commission should be “educated on that before we recommend the millage decrease” and Commissioner Kim said she was “not personally in a position at this moment to be able to support a resolution…simply for the same reasons that Commissioner Henry mentioned” because she had not yet reviewed the budget hearings.

The commission debated an amendment that would have required the group to also identify specific cuts to cover the proposed revenue reduction; the amendment failed on a 5‑3 vote. After further discussion the main resolution — supporting the one‑eighth‑mill reduction — passed by the same margin.

Why it matters: a change in the millage rate affects the amount of property‑tax revenue the consolidated city collects and is a central lever in municipal fiscal policy. The commission’s position is advisory; City Council sets the final millage and budget.

Vote and next steps: the TRUE Commission recorded the measure as adopted (5 in favor, 3 opposed). Commissioners asked that a formal copy of the adopted resolution be prepared and transmitted to City Council members; one commissioner said they would draft and distribute the text to council members promptly.

Ending: The commission also agreed to review the proposed city budget in the coming weeks and return with recommendations at its September meeting, and some commissioners said they would monitor council deliberations during the remainder of September.