In a pivotal move that could redefine the balance of power over Jacksonville’s downtown redevelopment efforts, the City Council’s Special Committee on the Future of Downtown has proposed sweeping changes to the Downtown Investment Authority (DIA). The proposed legislation—Ordinance 2025-395—aims to give the DIA more operational independence, while simultaneously increasing City Council’s authority over its leadership and legislative process.

At the heart of the ordinance is a power trade-off: allow the DIA greater autonomy in proposing legislation and negotiating incentive deals, but submit its CEO to confirmation—and potential removal—by the City Council.

The Key Changes on the Table

The legislation, co-sponsored by incoming Council President Kevin Carrico and Council Member Joe Carlucci, would:

• Make the DIA CEO subject to City Council confirmation.

• Grant Council the authority to remove the CEO by a simple majority (10 of 19 votes).

• Lower the DIA’s threshold for independently approving incentive packages from $18 million to $10 million, excluding Recapture Enhanced Value (REV) grants, which would still go to Council.

• Allow DIA to introduce legislation directly to Council, bypassing the Mayor’s Budget Review Committee—a move Carrico says could shave weeks off project timelines.

• Extend REV grant eligibility by five years to 2050.

• Require DIA to submit a five-year Capital Improvement Plan annually, bolstering Council’s budget oversight.

Accountability or Overreach?

Carrico frames the reforms as necessary to ensure greater accountability and efficiency. “We’re giving DIA more independence, but with that comes responsibility,” he said during the committee’s May 29 meeting. He stressed that the ability for Council to remove the CEO is unlikely to be used casually, calling it an “extreme measure” and “not a power trip, but an accountability thing.”

However, not all Council members are convinced. District 7 Council Member Jimmy Peluso, whose district includes Downtown, raised concerns about politicizing the role. “I trust our DIA board,” he said. “I don’t see why we need to get involved in that process.” Peluso also questioned the need to lower the incentive threshold and supported maintaining the current $18 million requirement for Council approval.

Council Member Matt Carlucci—whose son Joe co-sponsored the bill—was even more direct, labeling the ordinance a “power grab” and warning that it undermines the political independence on which the DIA was founded.

“I helped create the DIA to keep politics out of downtown development,” Matt Carlucci said in a statement. “We should protect the progress we’ve made—not inject more politics into it.”

A Ticking Clock—and a Power Shift

The urgency behind the proposal stems from DIA CEO Lori Boyer’s upcoming retirement at the end of June. A new CEO is expected to be named shortly thereafter. Carrico has requested emergency passage of the bill so that Council may weigh in on that decision. Critics, including Matt Carlucci, argue that the rushed timeline reflects political opportunism rather than careful governance.

If passed as written, the legislation would give Council a say in confirming the next CEO—at a time when three finalists have already been vetted by the DIA board and its private search firm.

In an attempt to defuse the tension, Joe Carlucci proposed a compromise: allow Council to pass a resolution urging the DIA board to consider removing the CEO. Only if the board fails to act would Council then have the authority to intervene—potentially raising the removal threshold to a two-thirds vote. Several Council members expressed support for this modification.

Transparency and Frustration

The debate also exposed broader frustrations about transparency and public accountability. Although the DIA board technically serves as the City’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), five of its nine members are appointed by the mayor, while only four are selected by Council. That imbalance, combined with the board’s sole authority to hire—and until now, remove—the CEO, has long insulated the DIA from direct political oversight.

The proposed ordinance would disrupt that balance. Supporters say it’s long overdue; critics fear it could entangle long-term planning in short-term politics.

Notably, the ordinance also directs the DIA to submit an annual five-year capital plan—an effort to bring more financial clarity to the agency’s operations.

Bigger Stakes at Play

The reforms come at a time when the City is struggling with high-profile downtown development failures, including stalled negotiations on the Laura Street Trio and contentious land swaps for the proposed University of Florida graduate center. Council members also discussed a related $45 million appropriation for future downtown residential redevelopment, further highlighting the need for strategic—and transparent—oversight.

Council Member Peluso recommended that some of these funds be directed toward preserving historic buildings, while others questioned whether public dollars should support residential developments adjacent to nightlife-heavy areas.

What’s Next

Ordinance 2025-395 will next be reviewed by the Council’s Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee on June 2. If passed on an emergency basis, the legislation could be in place before the DIA selects its next CEO—potentially reshaping the agency’s future, and that of Jacksonville’s Downtown, in one swift move.

As Council President-designate Carrico prepares to take office July 1, one thing is clear: the battle over who steers Jacksonville’s downtown revitalization is just getting started.