Mayor Donna Deegan Issues Executive Order Mandating Financial Governance Training for City Boards and Agencies

Mayor Deegan Enacts Executive Order Mandating Public Finance and Audit Training

JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Strengthening municipal fiscal stewardship across Duval County, Mayor Donna Deegan signed an executive order in mid-October 2026 establishing mandatory training in governance, audits, ethics, and public finance for all appointees to city boards, commissions, and independent authorities. The executive directive also requires chief executive officers of independent municipal agencies to formally certify financial forecasts and budget submissions submitted to City Hall.

Mayor Deegan emphasized that empowering board members with comprehensive financial literacy ensures independent agencies operate with maximum transparency, protecting taxpayer resources across all municipal investments.

Collaborating with Jacksonville City Council on Binding Governance Statutes

Building upon the executive order, Mayor Deegan announced she will partner directly with the Jacksonville City Council to codify these rigorous oversight requirements into permanent municipal law. Council members welcomed the initiative, noting that heightened transparency safeguards taxpayer funds following the council’s recent unanimous 15–0 approval of a $30 million gas tax relief agreement that rescued the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) from operational deficits and protected core bus routes.

Lawmakers noted that disciplined fiscal forecasting ensures that independent authorities manage capital reserves prudently while maintaining dependable transit service for thousands of daily riders across Downtown and Arlington.

Executing Balanced $2.03 Billion Municipal Operating Budget

The governance measures complement the ongoing execution of Jacksonville’s $2.03 billion general fund budget for FY 2026–27. Operating without draws from municipal reserves for the second consecutive year, city departments are channeling capital funding toward neighborhood street resurfacing, comprehensive stormwater drainage, and septic tank phaseouts across Duval County.