Draft audit report confirms Jacksonville mayor did not use taxpayer dollars for Italian vacation

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A draft report looking into whether taxpayer dollars were misused during Mayor Donna Deegan’s trip to London with the Jags has the mayor’s office claiming vindication.

The mayor’s office has claimed since the beginning Mayor Donna Deegan’s city trip to London and her personal vacation to Italy were self-funded, with the only exception being her four-night hotel stay while in London conducting city business.

The draft report from city auditors backs up that claim.

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Council Finance Chair Ron Salem (R-Group 2 At-Large) told Action News Jax he asked city auditors to look into the mayor’s Europe trip after he heard from several concerned citizens who took issue with controversial comments she made while in London and the timing of her vacation in Italy.

“Is this a political trip or is this a city trip?” said Salem.

The draft report presented to the Council Finance Committee Tuesday morning reveals the mayor and other city employees’ trip to London cost taxpayers about $23,000 in total.

It’s roughly the same as the mayor’s trip last year.

The report confirms the mayor’s claim she did not use any taxpayer dollars to fund her personal vacation in Italy, and the only expense she had covered with taxpayer dollars during her time in London was her four-night hotel stay.

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“This report confirms what has already been stated multiple times. Mayor Deegan has been completely transparent with taxpayers,” said a spokesperson for the mayor’s office in an emailed statement.

Deegan’s former rival in the mayoral race and current President of the JAX Chamber, which partners with the mayor’s office on the annual trade mission, Daniel Davis also weighed in on the auditors' findings.

“Mayor Deegan is critical to our efforts to bring businesses and jobs back to Jacksonville and she has set us up for even more success in the years ahead,” said Davis. “We have seen our momentum significantly accelerate since she joined the trade missions in 2023 and 2024. The mayor goes above and beyond, and we thank her for the continued partnership.”

However, Salem argued there are still questions surrounding hotel rates and charges made during hotel stays.

“The report is not final yet. So, I think it’s a little premature to say everything is okay,” said Salem.

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Salem expects a final report to be made public soon.

He added he’s considering legislation to limit which city employees have access to city credit cards, noting city cards were used by some employees during the London trip.

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