Mayor Donna Deegan brought her proposed $2.03 billion general-fund budget roadshow to the Beaches on Wednesday, Aug. 19, outlining millions in local capital projects before a crowd that pushed back hard on rising property tax bills.
About 75 people filled Fletcher's auditorium at Duncan U. Fletcher High School for the third of eight town halls Deegan is holding across Jacksonville through late September. It was the first stop on the Beaches, and roughly 20 of the attendees were members of the mayor's staff, according to the Beach Gazette.
Stormwater, Roundabout and Pier Repairs Top the Beaches' Project List
Deegan's proposed fiscal year 2026-27 budget includes a $586.1 million capital improvement plan, with several Beaches-specific projects:
- $3.2 million for Hopkins Creek regional stormwater improvements
- Just over $1 million for a roundabout at Kings Road in Neptune Beach
- $640,000 for Seabreeze Drive drainage improvements
- $380,000 for a Neptune Beach pedestrian crossing
- $338,000 for the Jacksonville Beach Pier
- $148,000 for upgrades to the Hanna Park campground
Those line items are governed in part by a 1982 interlocal agreement between Jacksonville and the Beaches cities, which share certain services and costs even though Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach opted out of the 1968 city-county consolidation and maintain their own governments and budgets.
Residents Grow Heated Over Property Assessments
Property taxes produced the tensest moments of the evening. Two residents pressed Deegan on rising assessments and city spending. One said she had also challenged the mayor at last year's town hall. The back-and-forth grew heated, with the mayor and one questioner briefly talking over each other.
"We can have a difference without yelling at each other, can we not?" Deegan said while trying to de-escalate.
She told the crowd Jacksonville's property tax rate remains the lowest among major Florida cities and that the city does not control individual property valuations set by the Duval County Property Appraiser. The tax-rate claim is Deegan's characterization; the packet does not independently verify it.
Residents also asked about a silted-in Pine Creek.
Beaches Mayors Turn Out; Atlantic Beach's Ford Sits It Out
Jacksonville Beach Mayor Christine Hoffman, Neptune Beach Mayor Cori Bylund and Jacksonville Beach City Council member Sandy Golding attended. Atlantic Beach Mayor Curtis Ford did not attend. Deegan said he had a conflicting Atlantic Beach meeting that night.
Deegan framed the Beaches investment as part of a broader citywide push to fulfill infrastructure commitments dating to consolidation. Her administration tracks progress through a transparency dashboard called Promises Kept at jacksonville.gov/mayor/promiseskept.
Council Review Continues as Neptune Beach Reworks Its Own Budget
The Jacksonville City Council's Finance Committee is reviewing Deegan's proposed budget. Additional town halls continue through Sept. 21; residents can check jacksonville.gov for the schedule.
Separately, Neptune Beach Mayor Bylund pulled her own city's proposed fiscal year 2026-27 budget from a council workshop agenda, citing deficiencies she and staff identified. The Neptune Beach City Council plans weekly Monday budget workshops until a corrected budget is ready ahead of the September budget deadline.
