The Jacksonville Rules Committee approved ordinance 20250539, as twice amended, on Oct. 20, 2025, to establish a Business Improvement District (BID) covering parcels in the 5 Points commercial area of Riverside-Avondale. The committee vote was 4 yeas and 3 nays.

The ordinance, as amended, changes assessment calculations and limits annual assessment increases. Council Member Paluso, the bill sponsor, said the amendments correct charter language, specify how assessments are measured, and add an exemption for church-owned properties. Paluso also said the BID board would be composed of property owners and merchants and that he plans to put approximately $150,000 of his discretionary CBA funds into the BID for the first year so no assessment would be collected in year one.

The measure drew three public supporters who spoke during the committee’s public-comment period. Casey Roth, representing Riverside Avondale Preservation, said the group is “committed to preserving, enhancing, and celebrating the historic fabric of Riverside and Avondale” and expressed support for 20250539. Dory Thompson, president of the 5 Points Association, and Andre Green of Cornlot Development Group also testified in favor, citing safety, beautification and commercial viability.

Committee debate focused on who would be assessed, how many property owners and businesses had supplied written support, and whether nonresponses should count as approval. Paluso said 94 properties would be assessed and that he had documentation of “well over 60” letters of support from property owners and merchants. He later acknowledged he had misstated an earlier total and clarified the packet showed 94 properties.

Opponents on the committee expressed concern about the decision rule treating nonresponses as consent. Council Member Freeman said he was “very discouraged” by raising assessments and asked how an assessment differs from a tax; staff replied that this is a special assessment tied to the parcel and collected with the tax bill but legally distinct from a tax. Council Member Gay and Council Member Salem noted they had counted a number of formal objections in the submissions (Gay reported finding 12 explicit objections among the submitted forms). Freeman and Gay said they wanted more direct confirmation from businesses and property owners before supporting a recurring assessment.

Council Member Paluso and supporters said merchants and retailers on the ground largely backed the measure and had participated in door-to-door outreach and mailed notices. Dory Thompson said the association has “at least 30 businesses that are very active” and that many retail and restaurant tenants want enhanced services even if landlords would technically be assessed. Paluso also estimated roughly 120 affected business spaces when accounting for units within parcels, though others used the 94-parcel figure to count assessed properties.

Two committee amendments were adopted before the final bill vote. Neighborhoods Amendment 1 (approved earlier) corrected charter language, named the 5 Points Association by its legal name, set building assessments by heated square footage and parking-lot assessments by GIS square footage, specified that supervisors would be appointed by the council president and confirmed by city council, exempted church properties, and updated the parcel exhibit to remove duplicates. Neighborhoods Amendment 2 reduced the maximum annual increase to assessments from $2 to $1 per heated square foot for buildings and from $1 to $0.50 per GIS square foot for parking lots.

After those amendments were adopted, the committee took up the amended bill. The Rules Committee approved the ordinance 4-3. The chair recorded: “4 yeas, 3 nays. By your actions, you’ve approved 20250539, as twice amended.”

The ordinance will proceed to the next step in the council process (finance or full council) for further consideration and the sponsor encouraged business owners and stakeholders to attend upcoming hearings to offer additional input.