Jaguars Oppose Joining Downtown Vision District as Council Weighs Expansion Nov. 10: The $1.10 per $1,000 Assessment Explained

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Jacksonville Jaguars and a company managed by team owner Shad Khan's daughter say they should not be pulled into an expanded Downtown business improvement district, setting up a debate when the full City Council takes up the plan on Nov. 10. City officials have started steps to expand the boundaries of Downtown Vision Inc. east and west, according to the Jacksonville Daily Record. The legislation is Ordinance 2026-0814.

Two council committees already approved the bill, the Daily Record reported. The Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee voted 5-2, and the Finance Committee voted 4-2. The Daily Record said the full Council vote is scheduled for Nov. 10, which is the day after this story is published.

What the expansion would cover

The proposed map covers all areas within Downtown designated by the Downtown Investment Authority, the Daily Record reported. That includes Brooklyn, the Sports & Entertainment District and the Working Waterfront east of EverBank Stadium. The article did not give exact boundary lines or a count of affected properties.

Downtown Vision's current boundaries are Interstate 95 on the south, Lee Street and Riverside Avenue on the west, State Street on the north, and the Downtown Investment Authority boundary and Hogan's Creek on the east, according to the organization's website. Council voted 16-2 in June 2021 to enlarge the district from 0.5 square miles to 1.3 square miles, according to a Daily Record report at the time. This proposal would extend the district further.

How the assessment works

Downtown Vision is funded mainly by a property tax self-assessment of $1.10 per $1,000 of assessed property value, also expressed as 1.1 mils, according to the Daily Record and the organization's website. A property assessed at $100,000 would pay $110 a year, according to Downtown Vision. The assessment appears on the annual Duval County property tax bill and is paid to the Tax Collector.

City Council created Downtown Vision in 2000, according to the Daily Record. That means it operates as both a 501(c)(6) business association and a 501(c)(3) charity, the newspaper reported, and its website says it is governed by a 24-person volunteer board. The group is based at 29 W. Duval St.

What the money pays for

Downtown Vision says the expanded boundaries and residential assessment allowed it to add more Downtown Ambassadors for street cleanliness, safety and hospitality, plus ambassadors for parks and the Riverwalk. The organization also lists ombudsman services that report maintenance issues to the city, JEA and others, along with park activation and marketing. Its website cites more than 40 tons of litter removed annually and more than 10,000 ambassador assists a year.

The Jaguars' objection

At the Nov. 3 Neighborhoods committee meeting, representatives for the Jaguars and Shanna Collective spoke against being included, the Daily Record reported. Their position is that a new assessment would charge them twice for similar work. Attorney Paul Harden, speaking for the Jaguars, and Managing Director William Michaelis of Shanna Collective said the assessments would amount to a double tax because their organizations already pay for services such as litter cleanup, according to the newspaper.

The Daily Record noted that Shanna Collective is managed by the daughter of Jaguars owner Shad Khan. It also noted that Khan's company, Iguana Investments, has led development around the stadium, including the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences, the former Fairgrounds site and a building that houses Asado Life. Stadium renovations are expected to be complete in 2028, the newspaper said, when the venue is to be renamed the "Stadium of the Future."

Council reaction and what comes next

Downtown representatives Joe Carlucci and Jimmy Peluso were reportedly surprised by the opposition, according to the Daily Record. Carlucci said passing the ordinance is only the first step, since the city would then notify affected property owners and continue discussing who would be included. He stressed that no assessments would be imposed immediately.

In the committee votes, Chair Chris Miller and Council President Nick Howland voted no in Neighborhoods, and Rory Diamond and Mike Gay voted no in Finance, according to the Daily Record. The full Council meets at 5 p.m. in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 117 W. Duval St., according to the city's website, and the meeting is broadcast live on Channel 99 and streamed online. Agendas are posted starting the Friday before the meeting, so the final text of Ordinance 2026-0814 and any changes can be checked there.