4 Sept 2026
PB & JAX | Episode 69 - Councilman Will Lahnen on Budgets, Veterans, and Jacksonville's Future
On this episode of Pioneers and Builders in Jacksonville (PB & Jax), host Randall Thomas sits down with Jacksonville District 3 City Councilman and Finance Committee Chair Will Lahnen. A fifth-generation Jacksonville resident, Naval Academy grad, and former submarine officer, Will breaks down what it's like to run a $2 billion city budget, why he ran for office in the first place, and what he wants Jacksonville voters to know heading into the March election.We cover his path from the Navy to CSX to leading the Northeast Florida office of Focus CFO, as well as how the city's finances have improved since he took office. He gives a plain-English breakdown of the millage rate and the homestead exemption vote coming up on November 3rd. He opens up about his veteran advocacy work, including the Veteran Entrepreneurship Grant Program, the Jax Heroes Act, and the effort to bring the decommissioned USS Jacksonville submarine home as a permanent memorial.We dig into some of Jacksonville's hottest topics: the new stadium, concerns over JTA's finances and the NAVI autonomous transit program, the Otto Aerospace deal bringing 1,200 jobs to Cecil Field, and whether downtown development is coming at the expense of the rest of the city. It's a wide-ranging, honest conversation about how City Hall actually works, straight from the guy running the numbers.If you're a Jacksonville resident, small business owner, or just want to understand where your tax dollars are going, this is an episode worth your time.Like this episode? Hit subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode of PB & Jax.Timestamps00:00 – Welcome back to PB&Jax 00:59 – Meet District 3 Councilman Will Lahnen 01:15 – His Jacksonville roots: five generations, Navy family history 04:34 – Naval Academy, submarine service, and orders to Kings Bay 05:47 – Leaving CSX and deciding to run for City Council in 2022 07:40 – What campaigning was like (knocking on 3,000 doors) 10:09 – What District 3 actually covers 12:07 – The first year in office 13:56 – How council committees work 15:05 – Working across the political aisle 16:02 – Goals going into his first term 18:40 – What hasn't gone as planned 19:46 – Veteran initiatives: Jax Heroes Act & Veterans Entrepreneurship Grant Program 23:51 – Building a pipeline from military bases to local business ownership 25:52 – The most exciting win of his first term: Auto Aerospace at Cecil Field 29:47 – Why a growing budget can actually be a healthy budget 34:16 – What is a millage rate? (plain-English explainer) 38:01 – Pedestrian safety and infrastructure 39:19 – City Council's relationship with the Jax Chamber 40:40 – City Council's relationship with the Downtown Investment Authority 42:31 – Why downtown gets so much attention (and buy-in on other districts) 44:35 – Small business in District 3 45:36 – Favorite projects in and outside his district 48:29 – Making up lost Jaguars game-day revenue during stadium construction 50:02 – Plans for a second term & bringing home the USS Jacksonville submarine sail 52:44 – A Civil War shipwreck under the Buckman Bridge 56:18 – Budget quick hits: the new stadium's price tag 57:18 – JTA finances and the Navi autonomous transit debate 1:00:38 – Will the Holon hydrogen plant still come to Jacksonville? 1:01:21 – Rapid fire round (favorite meal, Gators vs. Seminoles, Army-Navy game, and more) 1:06:38 – What Jacksonville residents should be excited about 1:09:04 – Closing thank-yousAbout the GuestWill Lahnen is the Jacksonville City Councilman for District 3 and current Chair of the City Council Finance Committee. A Naval Academy graduate and former submarine officer, he spent over a decade at CSX before co-founding the Northeast Florida office of Focus CFO. He is running for re-election in the March election.
