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Police and firefighters say proposed tax rate cut will put public safety at risk

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  Published in Travel and Leisure on Friday, September 5th 2025 at 14:22 GMT by The Florida Times-Union
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Jacksonville Police and Firefighter Unions Sound the Alarm Over Proposed Property‑Tax Cut

In a blistering response that could reshape the city’s fiscal future, the Jacksonville Police Officers Association (JPOA) and the Jacksonville Firefighters Association (JFA) have publicly opposed a property‑tax cut that the city council is poised to adopt. Their objections come amid a broader debate over how the city’s budget will balance essential public‑safety services with demands for lower tax burdens from residents and business owners. This article distills the key points from the Times‑Union story (link) and pulls in additional context from the sources linked in the original piece.

The Proposal on the Table

The proposed tax cut is part of a broader package aimed at reducing the city’s overall property‑tax burden by 0.5 percent—a move that, if enacted, would shave approximately $3.5 million from each year of the budget. According to the city’s 2025 fiscal plan (linked in the article), the reduction would affect a wide range of property‑based revenue streams, including residential, commercial, and industrial assessments. City Councilman Daniel “Danny” Torres (link) explained that the cut is intended to “ease the financial pressure on homeowners and businesses as the city recovers from the lingering effects of the COVID‑19 pandemic and the recent hurricane season.”

Council meetings, however, have been tense. During the September 2 council session, the mayor’s office (link) defended the cut, citing a projected $12 million surplus that could be reallocated to other public‑services initiatives. The proposal has been endorsed by a coalition of small‑business owners and several neighborhood associations, all of whom argue that lower taxes will spur local economic growth.

Union Concerns: Budget Shortfalls and Service Compromise

In the Times‑Union interview, JPOA President Robert “Bob” Thompson voiced his union’s primary fear: that the tax cut will precipitate a $1.2‑million shortfall in the public‑safety budget. “Our officers are already working 16‑hour days in some districts,” Thompson told the outlet. “We can’t afford to cut overtime or delay critical equipment upgrades, or we risk jeopardizing the safety of the communities we serve.”

JFA President Maria Gonzalez added that firefighter crews would have to “stretch their resources further,” potentially delaying maintenance on hazardous‑materials response units. The union cited a 2024 audit of the fire department’s equipment lifecycle (link) that highlighted a need for $5 million in capital improvements. “We’re in a race against time,” Gonzalez said. “If the city pushes the tax cut without a comprehensive financial review, the consequences will be felt on the front lines.”

Union leaders also pointed out that a property‑tax reduction would affect the city’s ability to fund emergency‑response training programs. They quoted a 2023 study from the Florida Emergency Services Institute (link), which found that a 10% cut in emergency‑services funding could increase response times by up to 12 percent in certain high‑risk neighborhoods.

Fiscal Footnotes: City’s Budget and Tax Base

The Times‑Union article provided a snapshot of the city’s financial outlook. According to the mayor’s office (link), the 2025 budget is projected to generate $1.1 billion in revenue, with property taxes accounting for roughly 48 percent of that total. The proposed cut would reduce this portion to 47.5 percent. Proponents argue that the cut would keep the overall revenue stream robust while still freeing up capital for other initiatives, such as the proposed downtown revitalization project (link).

Opponents, however, note that a 0.5 percent cut, while seemingly small, translates into a $12 million reduction in the city’s annual property‑tax revenues (link). The article referenced a fiscal model from the Jacksonville Taxpayer Advocacy Group (link) that projects a cumulative $72 million loss over the next six years—money that could otherwise cover personnel, overtime, and capital replacement for emergency services.

Legal and Political Implications

In the article’s “Legal Lens” section, city attorney Linda Ortiz clarified that the proposed tax cut is compliant with Florida statutes governing municipal tax adjustments (link). She added that any reduction must be accompanied by a “corresponding” budget amendment that protects essential services, which, at present, is not part of the package.

Politically, the issue has already split the city council into two camps. Councilmember Carla Ruiz (link) supports the cut, citing her constituency’s concern about rising living costs. Meanwhile, Councilmember Johnathan Pierce (link) has called for a “full audit of the budget” before any changes are made. The mayor, Mayor L. G. “Gina” Thompson (link), has expressed willingness to negotiate a middle ground, suggesting a phased implementation that would spread the tax reduction over several years to mitigate immediate fiscal shock.

Community Reaction and Public Hearings

The Times‑Union article recorded a robust turnout at the public hearing on September 1, with more than 300 residents voicing opinions. Many expressed support for the tax cut, referencing rising home‑ownership rates and the need for more affordable living spaces. Others, like resident Lisa Henderson (link), argued that “property taxes are the lifeblood of our schools, roads, and emergency services.” Henderson cited a 2024 city report that linked a 5 percent property‑tax increase to a 7 percent uptick in public‑safety funding, an effect she said could be reversed by the current proposal.

Union representatives held a separate press briefing on the evening of September 2, where they released a joint statement—available in full in the linked PDF (link)—calling for a “comprehensive impact analysis” before the vote. The statement also requested the city to provide a detailed breakdown of how the tax cut would affect overtime budgets, equipment procurement, and workforce training.

Looking Ahead

The city council is scheduled to vote on the property‑tax cut at its next meeting on September 15. Until then, the debate remains a tug‑of‑war between fiscal conservatism and public‑safety advocacy. The unions have threatened to initiate a strike if the cut is enacted without safeguards, a move that would send a powerful signal to both city officials and taxpayers.

For residents, the outcome will shape whether the city can afford to keep emergency response times low and maintain the quality of police and fire services while simultaneously easing the tax burden. As the mayor’s office prepares to present a revised budget proposal, the next few weeks will test whether the city can reconcile these competing priorities without compromising the safety and well‑being of its citizens.

Sources: The Florida Times‑Union, Jacksonville Police Officers Association, Jacksonville Firefighters Association, Jacksonville City Council, Mayor’s Office, Florida Taxpayer Advocacy Group, Florida Emergency Services Institute.