When Mayor Donna Deegan unveiled JaxEPICS—the Jacksonville Enterprise Permitting, Inspections and Compliance System last year, it marked the first phase of the democrat's development friendly systems and image upgrade. It was a calculated leap forward in her administration’s effort to provide substantially improved efficiencies, and political capital for her with democrats long-embattled development community. At its core, JaxEPICS is part of a broader political play to position Deegan as a reform-minded pro-growth political leader of today and possibly, in her future candidacy for higher office.

The JaxEPICS January 2024 launch followed years of frustration from contractors and developers over slow, opaque permitting procedures. Deegan made streamlining the process a central campaign promise, aligning with several City Council candidates who saw opportunity in fixing a system widely viewed as broken. With nearly 9,000 permits issued per month—ranging from basic electrical work to complex commercial construction—Jacksonville’s permitting machine is one of the most crucial and overloaded arms of city government.

JaxEPICS: A Data-Driven Upgrade

Developed by the city’s internal IT team alongside permitting staff, JaxEPICS replaced the outdated portal with a mobile-friendly system featuring real-time dashboards, timestamped tracking, and built-in communication tools. Applicants can now follow every step of a permit’s progress, who touched it, and what’s needed next.

The impact has been immediate. Between January and September 2024, the average time to finalize a permit dropped from 60 days to just six. The time to issue a permit fell by 33% compared to 2021, while complex building permits now average 34 days—down significantly from prior years.

For local architects like Group 4 Design’s Mirsada Bolic, the difference is night and day. Uploading massive architectural files is now faster, searches are easier, and communications with city reviewers are more transparent. “This rollout has absolutely advanced permitting,” Bolic said. “It’s a significant improvement.”

Beyond the Portal: Deegan’s Eight-Point Reform Plan

To institutionalize these gains, Deegan launched a broader eight-point plan to reimagine how the city handles development:

• AI-Aided Permit Analysis – Using artificial intelligence to detect bottlenecks and streamline reviews.

• “Express Lane” Permitting – Allowing applicants to pay an added fee to fast-track permits, a practice mirrored in other Florida cities like Orlando.

• Additional Staffing – Requesting City Council approval for 10 new positions in permitting and development services.

• Overflow Contracting – Hiring external engineers to supplement city staff and reduce review delays.

• Industry Roundtables – Hosting regular forums with developers, engineers, and architects to identify ongoing issues.

• Customer Feedback Tools – Embedding feedback features directly into JaxEPICS.

• Public Dashboards – Providing real-time performance metrics accessible to all.

• Quarterly Review Cycles – Keeping the system agile and responsive through ongoing performance assessments.

“It’s absolutely going to be a game changer,” Deegan told the Jacksonville Business Journal. “Time is money when it comes to development.”

DOGE vs. LEAN: The Battle Over Efficiency

Deegan’s focus on government modernization has also placed her at odds with a competing initiative: the Duval DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), a council-driven proposal led by Councilman Ron Salem to create an independent efficiency watchdog. Deegan argues DOGE is redundant and politically motivated, citing her own internal 904 LEAN program, which she says has saved over 200,000 staff hours by eliminating redundancies and digitizing services.

Critics of Deegan’s resistance to DOGE suggest it reflects an aversion to outside oversight—particularly as her administration ramps up public-private partnerships and development incentives.

The Politics of Permitting and Development

While Deegan governs as a Democrat, her ties to Jacksonville’s development class run deep. She is the cousin of the late former mayor and councilman Tommy Hazouri, who after leaving office lobbied for Sleiman Holdings—a real estate heavyweight long entangled in legal and political clashes with the city. Hazouri also received campaign contributions from Sleiman affiliates, raising questions about political entanglements that continue to echo today.

Deegan herself is a skilled communicator—a seasoned former news anchor who frequently appears at groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings, especially in the city’s downtown core. That visibility has amplified her alignment with developers pushing high-profile projects, including the University of Florida’s proposed graduate campus and the Gateway Jax real estate group.

One of the most controversial moves came when Gateway Jax acquired the Interline building and stood to benefit from a land swap with the city—a deal many observers believe was orchestrated behind closed doors. Two weeks after the city's deal with UF was announced Gateway & JWB Real Estate Capital principle, Alex Sifakis, hosted a fundraiser for Deegan’s political committee and donated $17,000. Mori Hosseini and Patrick Zalupski two developers on the UF board of trustees likewise donated $10,000 at that fundraiser for Deegan. Critics contend the timing suggests insider advantage, adding to concerns that her permitting agenda may be skewing access toward well-connected players.

Nowhere is that concern more visible than in her “express lane” permitting option, which allows developers to pay to expedite reviews. While touted as a practical solution to alleviate backlog, the policy risks reinforcing a two-tier system—where deep-pocketed developers speed ahead, while homeowners, small builders, and nonprofit projects remain stuck in slower lanes.

A Political Play for Higher Office?

The efficiency wins Deegan can claim through JaxEPICS and her eight-point permitting plan are clear. Yet whether those gains benefit the broader public—or primarily serve a well-connected circle of developers and political allies—remains a defining question for her administration.

With a 2027 reelection campaign looming and increasing speculation about a potential bid for statewide office, Deegan is assembling a political portfolio designed to appeal across ideological lines: pro-business, tech-savvy, and metrics-driven, while soft-pedaling her more progressive positions—including past criticisms of Trump-era immigration policies and calls for the removal of Confederate monuments. Her close ties to influential developers and involvement in marquee urban projects could translate into major political capital, but they also raise red flags about transparency and equitable governance. While permit turnaround times have improved dramatically under her watch, the same cannot be said for the city’s sluggish public records response—particularly those related to communications with downtown developers during the University of Florida campus negotiations.

As Jacksonville transforms under her watch, Mayor Donna Deegan’s permitting reforms are more than administrative streamlining—they’re a strategic campaign to define her legacy, broaden her base, and potentially vault her into the state and national political big leagues.