Jacksonville Council Committees Advance Eastside Community Grants Program Ordinance, Shifting Oversight Back to City Government

Committees back revised framework for disbursing Eastside funding tied to Jaguars stadium agreement

Two Jacksonville City Council committees voted unanimously this week to advance a revised ordinance that would create the Eastside Community Grants Program, a grant-making structure intended to direct tens of millions of dollars into neighborhoods north of EverBank Stadium.

The ordinance is part of the city’s supplemental community benefits agreement connected to Jacksonville’s broader stadium deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Under that agreement, the city committed $40 million for the Eastside over seven years, with no less than $4 million distributed in any given year. The Jaguars also committed to contribute $2.5 million per year for 30 years, a long-term pledge that is intended to complement the city’s shorter, fixed schedule of contributions.

From nonprofit manager to city-administered program

The legislation moving forward is a substitute version of Ordinance 2026-0036. Earlier drafts would have created a standalone 501(c)(3) nonprofit to receive and disburse the city’s Eastside funding. The revised version keeps the grant program concept but shifts administration and compliance responsibilities back to city government after concerns were raised about the risks associated with moving public dollars outside direct municipal oversight.

As advanced by the committees, the revised ordinance maintains a board-driven scoring and award process for grant applications, while assigning the city’s Grants and Contract Compliance Division responsibility for ensuring funds are distributed and monitored as intended.

Who the program targets and what it can fund

The program is designed to support organizations operating or administering programs, services, projects, or initiatives in the Eastside. The Eastside area referenced in the legislation includes the historic neighborhoods of Campbells Addition, Fairfield, Longbranch, Oakland, and Phoenix.

Eligible focus areas align with the community benefits agreement’s stated priorities:

• Affordable housing
• Workforce housing
• Economic development
• Homelessness mitigation and related services

Governance structure and next steps at City Hall

Under the substitute ordinance, grant requests would be evaluated by a nine-member board appointed through the mayor’s office and the City Council president, with one representative from the Jaguars also participating. The board would score applications and determine awards, while the city would retain oversight of compliance and administration.

The substitute cleared the Rules Committee and the Neighborhoods, Community Services, Health and Public Safety Committee on 6-0 votes. The measure is scheduled to proceed to the Finance Committee before a vote by the full City Council, which is set for Feb. 10.

At issue for council members is balancing neighborhood-directed decision-making with controls designed to safeguard public funds through city auditing, compliance, and grant administration practices.

If enacted, the ordinance would establish a permanent framework within the city code for administering Eastside-directed grants under the supplemental community benefits agreement adopted in 2024.