It’s a banner year.
The City of Jacksonville has secured $464,000 in state funding for local military installations and support. While we have vied for- and generally receive- some funding over the past several years, the Jacksonville Veteran Affairs and Military Department Interim Director Harrison Conyers says this year’s payout is substantial.
“In an era where we have seen bases close around the country and personnel decline, we’ve seen an increase in Jacksonville,” he says.
One “Defense Infrastructure Grant” will be used to continue acquiring land around Outlying Field Whitehouse on the Westside to prevent encroachment. The other grant will completely fund roadway improvements heading in to Naval Station Mayport to ease traffic congestion along A1A.
A third grant- a Defense Reinvestment Grant- is just as significant, according to Conyers. It funds continued advocacy efforts to support and even increase the local military presence.
“Military makes a great neighbor, and we want more military here,” he says.
The state funding does not require any local match in terms of tax dollars.
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