'Duval DOGE' meeting sparks protests as mayor urges council members to avoid 'chainsaw' approach to cost cutting
Public outcry preceded the first meeting discussing the new 'Duval DOGE' effort as dozens of protesters gathered outside city hall ahead of the meeting.
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Michele, who declined to give her last name out of fear of 'being doxed by MAGA people', told Action News Jax she believes local Republicans want to cut critical services.
'Probably they will be more than happy to retain funds for law enforcement, but beyond that, yeah anything that helps people, they want rid of,' said Michele.
Moments prior, Mayor Donna Deegan held a meeting in the atrium of City Hall, highlighting her administration's success cutting more than 216,000 employee hours by improving efficiencies through the 904 LEAN program.
The mayor also said her office is planning to utilize artificial intelligence while crafting her next budget proposal.
She explained the technology can help identify redundant and or unnecessary spending.
'These changes are practical, proactive and not political,' said Deegan.
But the approach council members are taking with the 'Duval DOGE' initiative is looking to cut costs more directly.
Council auditors advised members to look at cutting capital projects that haven't seen activity for over a year, reducing the mayor's transfer authority to boost reserves and analyze city departments and programs where spending growth has outpaced the county's population growth.
Finance Chair Ron Salem (R-Group 2 At Large) suggested with the city looking at budget deficits exceeding $100 million in the coming years, there's a need to reduce spending in advance of the storm.
The initial proposal would be to reduce the budget by two percent, by cutting controllable expenses.
'We've got a DIA and an economic development department in the City of Jacksonville. Why do we have two? Could we merge those together? Save some efficiency,' said Salem.
The mayor encouraged the council to be deliberate in its cost-cutting efforts.
'We don't want to take a chainsaw to something that really needs a finer instrument. We want to make sure we're preserving our quality of life,' said Deegan.
The next 'Duval DOGE' meeting will be held next week.
Salem told Action News Jax the next step will be the establishment of a special committee, so council members can officially get to work.
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