Jacksonville's stadium renovation proposal is expected to be unveiled this month, and state records show Mayor Donna Deegan and other city employees spent plenty of time at the unrenovated facility in 2023.
Form 9 reports filed with the Florida Commission on Ethics in December 2023 and March 2024 reveal more than $37,500 through the Mayor's Office in tickets and suite usage, parking passes and food for Jaguars games last season and the Georgia-Florida neutral site contest held in October of last year.
These forms cover gifts over $100.
It's not unusual for public officials to get tickets and other comped items at Jaguars games and other events in taxpayer-funded facilities, but the Form 9s reveal the aggregate value of these perks is considerable, over the course of just six months in office.
The money was nearly evenly split, at least in the official accounting, between the pro slate and the college showcase.
Of the $18,436.05 in gifts from the City of Jacksonville to the Mayor's Office for Jaguars games, included were six $140 tickets for an Aug. 26 preseason game, along with three parking passes at $35 each, and $1,165.10 in food at that contest, which would come out to nearly $200 per attendee if the accounting is accurate.
The biggest tranche of Jaguars related gifts was 96 season tickets for games on Sept. 17, Sept. 24, Oct. 15, Nov. 12, Nov. 19, Dec. 4, Dec. 17 and Dec. 31. At $140 each, that comes out to $13,440.
An additional $840 went on 24 $35 parking passes for each of those seven home dates, suggesting parking was either a very reasonable $5 per game per person or that the Form 9 number needed to be multiplied by seven. It's unclear why the Mayor's Office chose the amount of parking passes it did for distribution.
Food was procured for the first two September games, according to Form 9 filings. The home opener had $1,147.03 spent, while the game Sept. 24 held costs down to $898.92. A city spokesperson didn't know why there was no itemization for the rest of the schedule, but suggested the other games saw similar costs.
The most recent Form 9, filed on March 28, solely addressed the $19.068.96 spent on 24 suite tickets at $709.17 each (for a total of $17,020.08), $1,808 in food ($75.37 a person), and three parking passes at $80 each.
We asked Deegan's Office questions on Monday about these gifts, including who attended the games; why 96 tickets were needed for Jaguars games along with 24 suite spots for the Florida-Georgia contest; where the money came from; if city employees fraternized with Jaguars' owner Shad Khan or other team officials; and if taxpayers should worry about the perception these gifts could be seen as inducement to support a stadium deal of which some informed parties say Jacksonville may pay 65%.
Spokesperson Phil Perry said there was no connection between the tickets and other perks and the stadium process, noting correctly that the Deegan administration didn't begin the practice, which is funded historically by the Sports and Entertainment budget.
"The city's negotiators are working with the Jaguars to reach agreement on a fair stadium renovation deal. Access to game tickets that the city pays for is completely separate and has nothing to do with the negotiation process. These tickets have been part of the current stadium lease agreement for (at least 30) years across administrations and well before the stadium renovation was even under consideration," Perry said.
Perry also said that to the administration's knowledge, "no city employees have watched a game in the Jags suite as they did not have access to it."
Meanwhile, regarding the 96 season tickets, Perry notes that despite the presence of the perks on Deegan's form, the Legislative Branch also benefited.
"These tickets are mix of suite and club access that are part of the current stadium lease agreement and have been for many years. Attendees included staff and guests of the Mayor's Office and City Council, as well as city employees who requested tickets," Perry said.
While questions about disclosures linger, meanwhile, the big one is really about how much taxpayers will have to spend on the stadium renovation.
The Jaguars and the Shad Khan vehicle "Iguana Investments" previously envisioned a total investment that could cost as much as $2.068 billion, a number that could include stadium improvements costing between $1.2 billion and $1.4 billion, as well as between $550 and $668 million for development of a "sports district," an option supposedly off the table.
Jacksonville was proposed to foot the bill for two-thirds of the cost of stadium improvements in the original term sheet. Perry notes that no additional city tickets or suites are envisioned in the stadium deal, which will "preserve the status quo on that front."
Regarding the negotiations themselves, Deegan says to expect a formal proposal in early May. The City Council will vet the proposal on an extraordinary 60-day cycle, with informational sessions expected to be held around Duval County before legislators vote on the appropriation.
She hasn't been shy about saying the goal is to get a deal done.
"'I think that, frankly, we both really want to get to yes," she said in June of last year, before taking office.
Beyond football-related activities, the department gift registry includes some more picayune gifts, including congratulatory flowers after her inauguration from interim Duval County School Superintendent Diana Kriznar, clothing and swag from JAXPORT, Jacksonville University, and Edward Waters University, along with note cards and magnets and other nominally valuable items from various well-wishers. The 37 items have a declared value of $1,350.
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