St. Johns County homeowners will decide Nov. 3 whether to tax themselves to fund a $100 million land-conservation program, after commissioners voted 3-2 on Tuesday, Aug. 18, to place the referendum on the general election ballot.

The measure would authorize the county to issue up to $100 million in general obligation bonds, repaid through a property tax levy capped at 0.15 mills. That works out to $15 annually per $100,000 in taxable value, or $75 on a home with $500,000 in taxable value, according to St. Johns Citizen. The Trust for Public Land estimated the average St. Johns household would pay about $47 a year.

Commissioners split 3-2, with dissenters citing tax burden

Commissioners Sarah Arnold and Christian Whitehurst voted no. Board Chair Clay Murphy and Commissioners Krista Joseph and Ann Taylor voted yes. Deputy County Attorney Kealey West presented the ballot question as Item 3 on the Aug. 18 agenda.

Whitehurst raised concerns about asking voters to approve a new tax alongside Amendment 3, a state constitutional measure on the same ballot that would raise the homestead exemption from $50,000 to $150,000 on non-school property taxes.

"There's a referendum on the ballot that's asking people to cut their property taxes, right? That's been a primary concern. Are we overtaxing our people?" Whitehurst said during the Aug. 18 meeting, according to News4JAX.

Taylor acknowledged the tension but voted yes, saying the county needs to act and that she was unsure there would ever be a perfect time. "But who knows when the right time is right," she said.

Why the county is turning to voters now

The bond comes as the county's existing Land Acquisition and Management Program faces a funding gap that commissioners have acknowledged for months. LAMP's recurring annual allocation is $500,000; a $1.5 million Tree Bank Fund transfer brought fiscal year 2026 funding to $2 million, and the program held about $5.5 million in its account. Taylor said in March, during a commission discussion of LAMP's property ranking list, that "$500,000 does not make a dent in properties of this caliber" and that the county lacks adequate funding for the program.

That shortfall became concrete on July 30, when the county's top-ranked conservation target, 50 acres of Matanzas River waterfront, sold to homebuilder Ashley Homes for $12 million. The county had offered about $7 million. LAMP was subsequently directed to freeze all new acquisitions.

Development pressure is also accelerating. As we reported Tuesday, six properties including more than 4,000 acres near Nocatee are in line for fast-track residential certification under Senate Bill 686, a state law that took effect July 1. Growth Management Director Mike Roberson told News4JAX the law removes local authority: Once a property is certified, the county cannot reject development based on land use, zoning or traffic.

How the bond money would be used

Bond proceeds would flow through LAMP, which was established by Ordinance No. 2021-38. The money could acquire, restore and manage land that protects drinking water, wetlands, wildlife habitat, coastal areas, farms and forests.

Matanzas Riverkeeper Jen Lomberk said at the Aug. 18 meeting that the bond would let the county leverage state and federal matching funds. In a pre-vote statement, the Matanzas Riverkeeper organization projected that $100 million locally could become $300 million or more with regional, state and federal grants and private donations. Bonds would mature within 20 years of each issuance.

Trust for Public Land polling cited by News4JAX shows 5-to-1 support countywide for conservation funding.

What happens between now and the Nov. 3 vote

The Aug. 18 vote does not impose the tax. Voters make the final decision Nov. 3. If approved, the measure authorizes the county to issue bonds; the county would decide whether and when to levy up to 0.15 mills to repay bonds and interest.

Among LAMP's remaining priority targets in the Julington Creek and Fruit Cove area is the Bailey family property on Bishop Estates Road, a working ranch of about 67 acres.