Councilman Johnson called an emergency meeting on SNAP benefits and food insecurity and proposed drafting emergency legislation to allocate about $2,000,000 to support local food distribution, saying the city must act if federal benefit processing is delayed.

Dr. Parvez Ahmed, presenting data from the State of JACS, told the council the presentation used 2023 census baselines and therefore likely understates current need. "About 57,000 households in Jacksonville, representing roughly 160,000 people, are on SNAP benefits," Ahmed said. He added that "80% of those recipients are children and seniors." Ahmed also showed that usage is uneven across council districts: District 10 accounts for roughly 8,100 SNAP households and about 14.5% of the city's SNAP recipients, while District 3 accounts for about 1,400 households and roughly 2.5% of citywide recipients.

The council debated how to get aid to residents quickly and equitably. Dr. Tracy Paulson said the mayor's office is building a database of nonprofit and faith-based providers and will map providers by district so funds and deliveries can be routed where people live. Council members raised operational concerns, including refrigeration capacity, transportation barriers, and staff capacity at existing providers. "Food is not a partisan benefit. It's a human right," Councilman Johnson said as he framed the proposal.

Council members and staff discussed using Feeding Northeast Florida as an initial hub with satellite distribution partners. Administration staff warned about overloading a single nonprofit's staff and urged that multiple partners or satellite sites be part of the plan so the burden is spread across organizations that already operate in hard-hit neighborhoods such as District 10. Council liaison to Jacksonville Transportation Authority said JTA stands ready to provide transportation to sites if needed.

On costs and scope, Ahmed provided a per-person snapshot: SNAP benefits average about $190 per person per month, which he said translates to roughly $30,000,000 in monthly SNAP spending for Jacksonville's 160,000 recipients; he said the broader local economic impact could be larger. He and others emphasized that a $2,000,000 city allocation would not replace federal funding but could provide immediate, targeted relief to families while longer-term solutions are pursued.

City legal counsel Mary Stifopoulos told the council that an emergency addendum could be placed on the council agenda as soon as next Wednesday if a term sheet with a single administering organization is finalized by Monday morning; otherwise the item could follow the in-and-out emergency process later in the month. Council staff said the funding sources under consideration include reallocating Tourist Development Council (TDC) funds, drawing from reserves, or a hybrid approach; any of those options would require a 13-vote supermajority for appropriation.

Public commenters urged rapid action and offered operational ideas. Former Councilwoman Katrina Brown, who operates Jerome Brown's Barbecue, urged the council to put the vote to the table and recommended tracking intake at distributions using SNAP cards and benefit intake sheets so nonprofits can report how many people were served. Community organizers from Black Voters Matter and other local groups offered to mobilize partners and help amplify the need during the council vote. One public commenter cited emergency and operational reserve balances as context for the funding debate.

Next steps the council identified were to finalize a term sheet with a chosen administering organization (Feeding Northeast Florida was reported willing to serve as the initial hub), complete drafting of emergency legislation over the weekend, and prepare to file the measure as an emergency addendum if the contract details can be completed in time. No formal vote was taken at the meeting.