Drafting the revised article with corrected subheads.

The Jacksonville City Council voted 18-1 Tuesday to pass a roughly $2 billion budget. The spending plan restores $4.9 million in affordable housing money the Finance Committee had cut Aug. 13.

District 14 Council Member Rahman Johnson, who represents Mandarin, was the lone Finance Committee vote to keep the housing funds in August. The full council overrode the committee's cut, First Coast News reported. Council Member Rory Diamond cast the only no vote on the final budget.

City staff estimated the $4.9 million could help 600 to 700 households through down payment assistance, capital stack funding and utility tap fee programs, according to News4Jax. The programs target workers such as first responders, nurses and teachers who earn too much for traditional assistance but still struggle to buy a home in Jacksonville.

How the council restored the $4.9 million

Council Member Matt Carlucci proposed a floor amendment to restore the full $4.9 million. Council Member Ron Salem then modified the proposal, shifting more dollars toward down payment assistance and utility tap fees. The council approved the amended version.

The final breakdown: $2 million for down payment assistance, $1.4 million for capital stack funding and $1.5 million for attainable housing utility tap fees.

It was the second straight year Carlucci rescued affordable housing dollars on budget night. In 2025, his floor amendment revived $900,000 of $2 million the Finance Committee had cut, Jax Today reported.

Finance Committee voted 7-1 to strip housing funds

The Finance Committee voted 7-1 on Aug. 13 to remove all three affordable housing line items from Mayor Donna Deegan's proposed budget. Diamond moved to cut the funds, and Council President Nick Howland cast the seventh vote in favor of removal, according to committee minutes.

According to city officials cited by Jax Today, 90,000 Jacksonville renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing. More than 42,000 of those households spend more than half their earnings on it.

"I thought it was a great night for Jacksonville ... especially that Affordable Housing Trust Fund money getting completely restored was just absolutely a huge win for the people of Jacksonville," Deegan said after the vote.

Amendment 3 uncertainty shapes budget decisions

Howland argued against restoring the housing funds, citing uncertainty over Florida's Amendment 3 on the Nov. 3 ballot. The measure would raise the homestead exemption for nonschool property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. City Council auditors estimated Jacksonville could lose $300 million in property tax revenue by fiscal year 2029 if it passes, according to the Jacksonville Daily Record.

That uncertainty also affected the Cultural Council. The City Council placed $2.45 million in Cultural Council grant money into an Amendment 3 contingency fund, releasing it only if voters reject the measure. An amendment to free the money immediately failed on a near-even vote.

The budget includes more than $1 billion for public safety, with increased funding for the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. Amendment 3 needs 60% approval to pass. An Aug. 18 Sachs Media poll showed it at 65%.