JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — On Tuesday evening, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan kicked off a series of town halls. These meetings are designed to give residents an opportunity to raise questions and discuss her recent budget proposal.

The initial town hall was held at the Mandarin Senior Center where dozens of people all over Jacksonville showed up. 

“I attended tonight to listen to our mayor and learn what the community thinks about the Jacksonville city budget,” said attendee Vanessa Cullins Hopkins.

Cullins Hopkins expressed her attendance was to both support the mayor’s initiative and gauge the public’s opinion on the budget from various parts of the city.

“Although I live in District 10, I had no qualms about driving 40 minutes to Mandarin. I wanted to hear the discussions in Mandarin and bring that insight back to our area to see if we could form alliances and create connections,” Cullins Hopkins explained.

Deegan gave a short presentation, breaking down some of the proposed budget items like health car, hunger, and affordable housing.

Following the meeting, attendees queued with questions and remarks, predominantly about healthcare services and potential outcomes if cuts approved by the city’s finance committee go through. These cuts include funding for affordable housing and public health programs such as Healthlink Jax, a pilot initiative offering free health services to uninsured Jacksonville residents.

Despite criticism from some on the city council, Mayor Deegan says she is not just trying to spend money frivolously. 

“I don’t intend to suggest Jacksonville can provide healthcare for everyone—we want to propose a path forward,” Deegan stated. “We aim for a compassionate and economically practical strategy to sustain our city as it rapidly expands.”

The mayor’s next town hall is scheduled for September 4 at 6 p.m. at First Coast High School. The final vote on the mayor’s budget is expected by the end of this month.