JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — What started as a regularly scheduled Jacksonville City Council meeting quickly turned into a heated one that stretched late into the night. Tensions rose as councilmembers debated the tentative millage rate and budget.
The meeting began at 5 p.m. Tuesday and, after more than six hours, was still ongoing at 11 p.m. Council spent the first four and a half hours discussing and voting on the tentative millage rate and budget. While they came to a conclusion on the millage rate, they were unable to bring the tentative budget to a vote, forcing the meeting to continue into the night.
The debate turned contentious when several councilmembers walked out of the chamber. Councilmembers Rahman Johnson, Jimmy Peluso, Ju’Coby Pittman, and Reggie Gaffney left in protest after heated discussions over what have been called the “Big Beautiful Amendments,” introduced by Councilman Rory Diamond…