JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Tensions rose at Tuesday night’s Jacksonville City Council meeting, as residents voiced their support for Mayor Donna Deegan’s proposed $2 billion budget and pushed back against controversial amendments introduced by Councilman Rory Diamond.

The amendments already approved by the finance committee would restrict spending for immigrants lacking legal status, abortion-related services and DEI initiatives.

Residents who spoke during public comment backed the mayor’s budget and called Diamond’s “big beautiful budget amendments” divisive.

Diamond defended his amendments, saying these changes are long overdue.

“I’m speaking in support of Mayor Deegan’s budget and against the divisive amendments that have been tacked onto it,” said Kelly Frazier, president of the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville.

“We know your role is to protect the welfare of citizens in this county, but clearly, you all have forgotten,” said Lashonda Holloway during public comment.

Many speakers criticized the finance committee’s 1/8th reduction to the city’s millage rate and funding cuts towards affordable housing, the Meals on Wheels program and public health initiatives.

“Budget cuts do not help the least among us and lower millage rate does not benefit the least of us,” said Curtis Cobb during public comment.

In support of his amendments, Diamond said he’s wanted to implement them into the budget for quite some time.

“I’ve always wanted these things in the budget for years, but I never really had any support to get them,” said Diamond. “Every year, I make sure there’s no abortion funding in the budget, but this year I had support and we got it into the budget, so I’m hoping we have support every year.”

“Everything cannot be blamed on DEI, immigration and abortion restrictions,” said Lashawn Wright during public comment. “There are more pressing matters in our city.”

“We’re not going to let him win, he is attempting to suppress us in every way he could,” said Vanessa Alvarez with Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance. “I think this is a spineless attempt to go behind the city council’s back to introduce that same rhetoric and damaging language that attacks immigrants in Jacksonville.”

On Friday, Deegan said “these divisive amendments do not belong in a budget bill.”

However, Diamond is defending his move.

“Spending money on that stuff is divisive,” said Diamond. “Most of Jacksonville doesn’t want it, so I’m saying, ‘Hey, let’s not do that.’ And if the mayor agrees that we shouldn’t do that, then it’s not divisive at all, it’s easy.”

Deegan will be hosting six town hall meetings on the budget. The first one will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. at the Mandarin Senior Center. The meetings are open for anyone to attend.

The full city council vote on the amended budget will happen in late September.