Companies seeking tax incentives from Jacksonville must now make a good-faith effort to hire veterans and military spouses for at least 10% of new jobs they create.

The Jacksonville City Council voted 18-0 on Tuesday, Aug. 25, to pass the Stand for Service Act. The ordinance amends the city's Public Investment Policy to require that companies receiving a Recapture Enhanced Value (REV) Grant make a good-faith effort to hire qualified veterans, National Guard members, reservists and active-duty military spouses.

A REV grant is a locally administered rebate on net new county and city property taxes, negotiated directly between a qualifying company and local government. Any Mandarin-area employer applying for one would fall under the new requirement.

Council President Nick Howland, a Navy veteran who introduced the ordinance, said Jacksonville is targeting growth in aerospace, marine, defense, medical and logistics industries.

"This should be a goal that every company should want to aspire to," Howland said, according to First Coast News.

Companies will also self-report the number of veterans and military spouses hired as part of the incentive process, giving the city a way to track results.

What changed in the investment policy

Before the vote, the city's Public Investment Policy gave additional consideration to projects downtown, those affecting JaxPort, projects in economically distressed areas and companies that would need support from local businesses. The Stand for Service Act adds Cecil Airport alongside JaxPort as a priority location, according to the Jacksonville Daily Record.

That addition aligns with a separate state law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in June 2026 that put the Jacksonville Aviation Authority in charge of developing Cecil Airport into a national aerospace hub, as Jax Today reported.

Broad council support

The ordinance cleared four committees unanimously.

The Rules Committee approved it 6-0 and the Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety (NCSPHS) Committee approved it 8-0, both on Aug. 17. The Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee and Finance Committee each approved it 6-0 on Aug. 19.

Council Member Chris Miller, who chairs the NCSPHS Committee, said he researched many long-standing Jacksonville companies and found most already meet the veteran hiring standards in the bill, according to committee records. Council Members Carrico and Clark-Murray asked to be added as co-sponsors during the Aug. 17 hearings.

The ordinance drew support from 17 co-sponsors in addition to Howland, according to News4Jax.

Companion grant for veteran career coaching

On the same Aug. 25 vote, the council approved a separate $94,080 grant to Operation New Uniform, a Jacksonville organization that helps veterans and military spouses transition into civilian careers. The grant funds an AI-powered career-readiness coaching program running from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027.

Rich Possert, a veteran transition specialist with Operation New Uniform, told First Coast News that military spouses face particular challenges because of frequent relocations.

The next Jacksonville City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 8.