Council sponsor outlines $15 million package for workforce training, colleges and stadium work; members debate splits and funding sources

The sponsor of a proposed Jacksonville City Council bill told colleagues the package would commit $15 million across five projects and asked for feedback on how to structure the request as it moves through committee.

The sponsor said the allocation would provide $6,000,000 for the University of North Florida, $5,000,000 for Florida State College at Jacksonville, $2,675,000 for Edward Waters University, $3,250,000 for a workforce industrial training center and approximately $2,700,000 for NEF(A/P) (transcript spelling varies). "It's $15,000,000. We're looking at 6,000,000 for UNF, 5 for FSCJ, 2.7 for EW, 1 for NEFA, and $3.25 for, workforce industrial training center," the sponsor said during the meeting.

Why it matters: Council members debated whether the package should be split into separate bills by purpose (for example, workforce development versus higher education and stadium work) and whether portions of the funding qualify as CBA (Community Benefits Agreement) dollars. Several members also discussed alternative funding sources, including Tourism Development Council (TDC) dollars, and the potential budgetary effect of using or not using the $15…