Jacksonville Logs 400,000 Hours in Efficiency Savings

City efficiency gains since July 2023 include faster permit reviews and simpler processes across departments.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Government

Jacksonville Logs 400,000 Hours in Efficiency Savings

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Jacksonville, Florida has recorded more than 400,000 hours in efficiency savings since July 1, 2023, when Mayor Donna Deegan took office. The city attributes the gains to examining existing processes, removing unnecessary steps and simplifying everyday tasks.

Why it matters

State House Bill 967 requires local governments to modernize payment options so residents can pay for city services online. The efficiency work is part of the city's effort to speed up services residents interact with directly.

The city's self-reported figures show 400,000 hours saved since July 2023 and first plan review waits cut from 33 to 19 days, though the methodology for calculating hours saved was not detailed. Projections for the AI assistant pilot and the Fire and Rescue warehouse system remain unrealized.

The players

Donna Deegan

Donna Deegan is the mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, who took office on July 1, 2023.

904 LEAN

904 LEAN is the city of Jacksonville's continuous improvement program that examines processes to identify and remove unnecessary steps.

The details

Efficiency gains come from the 904 LEAN continuous improvement program, which examines processes and eliminates steps. Permit reviews have sped up through the Jacksonville Enterprise Permitting, Inspections and Compliance System, known as JAXEPICS, whose Civil Plan Review module launched last year. The city has also completed thousands of electronic signatures, each saving at least one hour, and the annual budget preparation process now takes roughly half the time it once did.

July 1, 2023: Donna Deegan took office as mayor, the starting point for the city's tally of savings.
Last year: The JAXEPICS Civil Plan Review module launched.
Fiscal 2026: More than 180,000 efficiency hours were recorded.

Political Context

Jacksonville's modernization push is tied to State House Bill 967, which requires Florida local governments to let residents pay for city services online. The city's digital permitting and process work aligns with that statewide mandate.

Residents who pay city fees should watch for expanded online payment options as the city works to meet State House Bill 967's requirement. Those waiting on construction permits may see shorter review times as the JAXEPICS system continues to operate.

The takeaway

Process reviews that remove redundant steps can produce measurable time savings in government, but residents benefit most when those gains show up as faster permits and easier payments. Watching whether the projected savings are realized will show whether the early figures hold.