Activist applauds defeat of ‘Big Beautiful Budget Amendments’ that led to passage of $2B city budget

A key vote change early Wednesday morning was the catalyst that finally allowed the Jacksonville City Council to pass the city’s $2 billion budget after nearly 14 hours of intense debate. That switch from District 3 Councilman Will Lahnen helped defeat a batch of hotly debated amendments brought by City Councilman Rory Diamond. Once the amendments, which had passed earlier in the night, were removed, the full budget passed with a 15-2 vote. And local activists breathed a sigh of relief.