Jacksonville taxpayers to pay thousands for Mayor Deegan’s London trip
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville taxpayers will pay thousands of dollars to cover Mayor Donna Deegan’s expenses from her trip to London where she met with over 75 businesses to build the city’s relationship and identify business expansion opportunities.
The mayor also attended an overseas Jacksonville Jaguars game, which taxpayers did not pay for.
According to Deegan’s trip itinerary, city taxpayers will cover $6,382 of Deegan’s London trip including her hotel, food and transportation. Deegan paid for her airfare out of pocket, according to the city.
Deegan took a trip to London Sept. 23-Oct. 2 along with Director of Economic Development Ed Randolph, Director of Strategic Initiatives Melissa Ross, and a delegation of 16 Jacksonville business leaders from industry and economic development.
“I was asked to go over by JAXUSA and the Chamber because they felt that having the mayor involved would show a level of seriousness and commitment to companies considering Jacksonville,” Deegan said. “The conversations went very well, and I believe we’re going to end up getting a lot of business out of it.”
Taxpayers will also cover a portion of Ross and Randolph’s trip including their coach airfare, hotel stay and food and transportation. The total cost of Ross’ trip was $7,853 and Randolph’s trip was $7,381, according to the itinerary.
JAXUSA Partnership, an economic development agency in Jacksonville, selected the hotel that Deegan and members of the city’s staff stayed at and had a discounted rate, according to the city.
The purpose of the trip was to build Jacksonville’s relationship in Fintech and to push for a direct flight from Jacksonville to London.
Multiple meetings, briefings and roundtable discussions were held including private meetings with interested health technology and Fintech companies who are potentially looking at Jacksonville as an expansion option.
“This trip was about continuing to build our relationship in Fintech and health care, along with pushing for a direct flight to London,” said JAX Chamber President and CEO Daniel Davis. “Mayor Deegan is a tremendous partner on economic development, was the leader of our delegation and we look forward to continuing to work with her on these trade missions.”
Deegan and the Jacksonville delegation also attended a luncheon with United Kingdom partners of the Jacksonville Jaguars and ended the trip at a Jaguars and Falcons game at Wembley Stadium.
JAXUSA purchased the Jaguars vs. Falcons game tickets for Deegan, Ross and Randolph, which the city said they will each personally be paying back to JAXUSA.
Some transportation and meal expenses were covered by JAXUSA, which the city will be reimbursing for its share.
“Our week in London was incredibly productive and Mayor Deegan played a critical role in promoting our city and selling Jacksonville,” JAXUSA Partnership President Aundra Wallace said.
“She helped open doors to meet with elected officials overseas and we had great meetings with more than 75 different companies,” Wallace continued. “We’ve reached the point over the past 10 years in London where businesses know Jacksonville and now, with Mayor Deegan’s help, we feel like the Jacksonville story is getting out to the people of London.”
According to the city, some delegation members attended a Jaguars Country Music Concert at OVO Arena Wembley that Deegan did not attend.
Previous Jacksonville mayors including Alvin Brown and Lenny Curry also took business trips to London to help represent the city.
According to the city, Brown took a London trip in 2013 and again in 2014. The total cost of Brown’s trip was $7,128 in 2013 and his 2014 trip cost was $5,301. Curry took his London trip in 2015 with a total cost of $2,537.
Recently, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters, in collaboration with the Jewish Federation and Foundation of Northeast Florida and Secure Community Network, went on a law enforcement mission trip to Israel. The visit was paid for completely by the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs of the State of Israel and no taxpayer dollars were used for Waters’ trip, according to the sheriff’s office.
Waters’ Israel trip was part of a partnership launched in 2019 with the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs of the State of Israel as an international initiative to address the threats facing the Jewish community and has continued through the tenure of five Diaspora Ministers, according to a press release.
