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Equestrian Center leaders outline deferred maintenance, therapy program and economic returns
Summary
Board members and staff from the Northeast Florida Equestrian Society told the Finance Committee the Jacksonville Equestrian Center faces more than 400 deferred-maintenance items but generates significant economic returns; council members signaled plans to pursue funding.
Representatives from the Northeast Florida Equestrian Society told the Finance Committee on June 3 that the Jacksonville Equestrian Center requires substantial repairs and safety work even as it runs therapeutic and large public events that bring visitors and tax receipts to the city.
The society’s presenters—Peggy Fuller, board member; Jody Coxwell, board member; and Tim Jones, executive director—said they manage the center under a volunteer board and receive no management fee. They provided committee members a packet that lists more than 400 deferred-maintenance items and identified safety priorities including aging lighting, electrical problems in barns, uneven stall floors and leaking gutters that cause flooding.
The society said the center hosts 65 events this fiscal year (about 126 show days), serves roughly 95,000 participants and attendees, and is on track to generate several million dollars in economic impact. Board members told the committee the center returned $86,000 in tax revenue in the current fiscal year and generated about $78,200 in sales tax to the city during the prior fiscal year. The society reported receiving a city subsidy of $393,000 this year (down from $447,000 the prior year) and said the return on that subsidy is roughly 17 to 1 for horse and dog events alone.
Jody Coxwell described the equine therapy program—running since February 2022—as a major accomplishment: the program has completed about 2,000 lessons funded by grants, donations and client fees and serves veterans, first responders, children and adults. A Special Olympics participant, Sebastian Englert, and his grandmother, Lori Albritton, told the committee the therapy yielded measurable improvements in strength and mood.
During committee discussion, one council member said he has an ordinance in the works that would “capture” a source of discretionary funds described during the meeting as “Doge” money and that he plans to introduce a bill, with President White’s support, to allocate funds toward the equestrian center’s acute needs. Committee members and City staff described preliminary coordination between parks and the society on prioritizing safety-related repairs and aligning possible funding with the upcoming budget process.
Councilmember Doctor Johnson and other members praised the therapy program and said they had visited the facility. Johnson called for strengthening the center and indicated he would include it among his priorities.
Why it matters: The equestrian center functions as a regional events venue, a hurricane staging site for JEA and as a therapeutic-riding provider for vulnerable residents. The society’s presentation connects operational and safety needs with economic impact metrics and requests for prioritized capital funding.
Next steps: Presenters encouraged council members to tour the facility. Committee members said they would pursue funding options during the budget process; one councilmember intends to introduce legislation to allocate specific discretionary funds to the equestrian center.
