Jacksonville City Council President Nick Howland paid $961 for a seat on a developer's private jet to attend a Tampa Bay Rays game Aug. 30, state campaign finance records show.

Flight Traced to Company Tied to Homebuilder

Howland flew on a Gulfstream G280 owned by a company connected to Dream Finders Homes, the Jacksonville-based homebuilder founded by Rays part-owner Patrick Zalupski. The 40-minute flight went from Jacksonville International Airport to St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, according to publicly available flight data reported by Jacksonville Today.

PAC Reported Flight as In-Kind Contribution

Florida Freedom PAC, Howland's political committee, listed the $961 as an in-kind contribution covering the flight, food and beverages, The Florida Trib reported. The filing showed no other donor contributions.

Florida Law Allows Discounted Valuation for Flights

The low figure is allowed because Florida law lets elected officials value a private-plane seat at the cost of an economy-class commercial ticket, as long as the trip has a political purpose such as a fundraiser. A comparable roundtrip commercial ticket between Jacksonville and St. Petersburg would cost between $855 and $1,660, according to the Trib's review of airline prices.

Howland Says Trip Tied to Fundraiser

Howland said the trip was a fundraiser for Florida Freedom PAC but did not provide specifics. The committee's first monetary contribution tied to the event arrived more than a week after the game, he said, and will appear in the next campaign finance filing.

"No, it was entirely legal," Howland told News4JAX on Tuesday, Sept. 8. "I checked with my compliance team prior to the event and I double-checked with the ethics team after the event."

Fellow Council Member Questions the Trip

The trip drew criticism from fellow Council member Jimmy Peluso, who told News4JAX on Sept. 7, before the finance report was filed, that the public did not know how much Howland paid. Peluso said the ability to take such a trip comes with power, but "that doesn't mean you should do it."

Developer's Firm Employs Several City Lobbyists

Zalupski and Dream Finders Homes employ at least six lobbyists registered with the city of Jacksonville, including former Mayor Lenny Curry. Florida ethics law prohibits elected officials from accepting gifts worth more than $100 from lobbyists or their employers. Howland's $961 in-kind contribution was structured as a campaign expense, not a gift.

Curry was also in St. Petersburg for the Aug. 30 game, according to his social media posts.

Zalupski Also Tied to UF Campus Funding Deal

Zalupski, whom Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed to the University of Florida's Board of Trustees, advocated for the city's investment in a planned UF graduate campus downtown. The Jacksonville City Council approved $105 million in taxpayer funding for the project in June 2025, according to the Jacksonville Daily Record.

Ex-Council Member Calls Situation Suspicious

Former Council member Matt Schellenberg told Jacksonville Today on Sept. 7 that he would not have taken a private plane during his time in office, saying he would have driven the nearly four-hour trip instead. Schellenberg called the situation "very suspicious," saying Howland "didn't do it in the open."

Analyst Sees Political Fallout Ahead

Political analyst Rick Mullaney told News4JAX the trip does not appear to violate ethics laws but is likely unpopular with voters. He said it could become a talking point in Jacksonville's spring elections.

The Florida Trib and Jacksonville Today reported that Zalupski did not respond to requests for comment. How much Howland raised at the Aug. 30 event has not been disclosed.