County Commission Approves Funding Roadmap

With the end of the year approaching, individuals, businesses and even governments are looking ahead to the coming 12 months to set their priorities. But St. Johns County officials are looking a lot further ahead than that. At a recent County Commission meeting, Intergovernmental Affairs Director Adam Tecler presented the county’s Funding and Advocacy Roadmap for the next four years.

“This plan is replacing the original legislative action plan,” he said. “This moves us in a little bit different direction. The Funding and Advocacy Roadmap is a list of priorities and steps the county may initiate to secure financial resources and other support.” That support ranges from state and federal resources to other partnerships.

Tecler said the four-year plan, if approved by commissioners, will be presented to the county’s legislative delegation at a meeting on Jan. 10.

The roadmap lists five high-priority projects the county could seek funding support for. The first is the State Road 16 corridor project, which Tecler said offers “significant opportunities to secure competitive funding” and addresses a “major and important gateway corridor.”

Second on the list was protecting rural and family lands, which is a priority the county has already identified. “Hopefully this program will continue to be fully funded,” Tecler said.

The third item on the list was the county’s support for the Florida Museum of Black History. The county was selected by a state task force to be the home of the facility earlier this year.

“We’re moving forward with development governance legislation,” Tecler said, adding that included creating a board of directors for the museum as well as design work “and then eventually some funding along with that.”

A big priority for the county is the District 23 Medical Examiner’s Office, which Tecler said is not only important to St. Johns County, but Putnam and Flagler counties as well.

“This project would be building a new facility,” he said. “It is an absolutely critical project.”

Earlier this month county officials held a media tour featuring Florida House Representatives Sam Greco and Kim Kendall, along with Danielle Curbow, Legislative Aid for State Sen. Tom Leek. representatives for the State Attorney’s Office, St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, and Putnam County Sheriff’s Office of the existing medical examiner’s facility.

Other items on the list include the intracoastal flood mitigation project and work on water and wastewater infrastructure.

Commission Member Christian Whitehurst asked an item be added to the list to overturn a vaping shop preemption law passed in 2021 that bars local governments from creating a minimum safe distance between a school and a vape shop.

Commission Chair Krista Joseph asked Tecler about possible legislation regarding electric bikes. Tecler said he would have to check on that for commissioners.

The Funding and Advocacy Roadmap was approved unanimously by the County Commission.