Jacksonville is facing a severe budget crisis – approximately a $90 million budget shortfall for the coming year. The Mayor proposes cutting $40 million by eliminating some city jobs and instituting a 5% overall cut in non-public safety departments. That still leaves a $50 million budget gap.
City Council narrowly voted against allowing property taxes to be raised to fill the deficit. Now they’ll need to find a way to raise revenue or make additional cuts in order to balance the budget.
Some City Council members think that an easy starting point would be to cut or eliminate City grants and contracts to nonprofits, like the Public Service Grants, Cultural Service Grants, and the Children’s Commission. The nonprofits that qualify for these grants provide essential safety net assistance, cultural programming, economic development, and children’s services – all of which help make Jacksonville a compassionate, vibrant community.
Nonprofits connect people to resources and to each other, play an essential role in our community’s safety net, improve the quality of life, engage people on civic issues, and stimulate reform.
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