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 million this fiscal year.

Discussion highlights

CBA applicability and CareerSource: Councilor Palouseau and others asked whether any of the proposed allocations would count toward CBA commitments. "The dollars did not come from the CBA," the sponsor said, adding that the question of counting parts of the package toward CBA remains under review with the city's Office of General Counsel. Mr. Peterson, city staff, told the meeting that the $6,000,000 for UNF and the $2,675,000 for Edward Waters "would not count" as CBA, while the $325,000 workforce-industrial item likely would. He said the city will meet with OGC to confirm how much of the $5,000,000 for FSCJ — currently proposed for purchase of a building and subsequent improvements — could qualify.

Splitting the bill: Several council members raised the option of splitting the omnibus request into multiple bills so members could vote on components separately. The sponsor said splitting is possible but would affect legislative scheduling, requiring an emergency filing for some pieces if they were to be taken up in the same cycle. Councilmember Salem said he worried that splitting might cost votes on some components. The sponsor said neighborhoods and finance committees will hear presentations next week and said each of the five entities would be given three minutes to present and answer questions.

Alternative funding and budget effects: A council member asked whether failing to spend this money this year could be used to reduce a projected next-year deficit. City staff said unspent money would fall to reserves and could be applied to one-time expenditures next year, citing the shipyard completion grant as an example. One council member suggested tapping TDC funds to cover part of the UNF stadium request; Mr. Peterson said his office has discussed whether TDC statute language allows use for remodeling or maintenance of a public facility whose primary purpose is attracting tourists, and that a final OGC conversation was scheduled.

Project concerns and community benefit: Several members expressed support for workforce and training investments but raised questions about the Edward Waters University proposal and its past community engagement. One councilmember said EWU had not sufficiently engaged neighborhood officials about prior joint-use arrangements and that city leaders want guarantees the investments will produce neighborhood benefits such as clinics, park access, or community programming.

Payment mechanics and deliverables: Mr. Peterson outlined proposed payment terms discussed with staff. He said NEF(A/P) would be reimbursed after work is performed, Edward Waters would be paid on a work-performed invoice basis, the workforce industrial training center would be paid per graduate (3,250 dollars per graduate of a seven-week program), UNF would be on a reimbursement basis, and FSCJ would receive city funds three days before purchasing a building so it would not need to front the full $5,000,000.

Next steps: The bill sponsor said the package will be scheduled for the neighborhoods and finance committees next week; each entity will have three minutes to present. Staff will meet with OGC to determine CBA applicability and will return with clarifications about TDC eligibility and payment mechanisms. Council members said they will continue to weigh whether to split the request.

Ending note: No formal vote or committee referral was recorded during this discussion; the meeting concluded with scheduling and staff follow-up items.