St. Johns County homeowners will decide in November whether to tax themselves an estimated $42 a year to fund $100 million in land conservation, after county commissioners voted 3-2 on Tuesday, Aug. 18, to place the bond referendum on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

What the $100 Million Bond Would Do

If voters approve the measure, the county would issue up to $100 million in general-obligation bonds repaid through a property-tax levy capped at 0.15 mills, according to the county's meeting agenda. That works out to $15 per year for every $100,000 in taxable property value, or $75 annually on a home with $500,000 in taxable value. The Trust for Public Land estimated the average St. Johns homestead would pay about $42.

Commissioners Split 3-2 Over Tax Concerns

Commissioners Sarah Arnold and Christian Whitehurst voted against the measure, News4JAX reported. Whitehurst pointed to Amendment 3, also on the November ballot, which asks voters to cut 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 at the meeting.

Commissioner Ann Taylor, the board's liaison to the county's Land Acquisition and Management Program, voted yes but acknowledged the tension. She said the bond would apply only to willing sellers and that every potential acquisition would still need LAMP board approval.

Behind LAMP's Funding Squeeze

The proceeds would flow through LAMP, which currently operates on about $2 million a year. The program had roughly $5 million on hand heading into the vote. At the board's March 3 meeting, Taylor said the program's $500,000 base allocation from the general fund could not compete for the high-value parcels on LAMP's acquisition list.

That funding gap became concrete on July 30, when the county's top-ranked conservation target — 50 acres of Matanzas River marsh — sold to a homebuilder for $12 million after the county's roughly $7 million offer was rejected. LAMP acquisitions were frozen after the sale while officials assessed the impact of Florida's proposed property-tax overhaul on the county budget.

Bond money could be used to acquire, restore and manage land protecting drinking water, wetlands, wildlife habitat, coastal areas, working farms and forests, and to reduce flooding or provide outdoor recreation. Matanzas Riverkeeper Jen Lomberk said the $100 million could leverage state and federal matching funds and private donations into $300 million or more.

Fast-Track Development Law Adds Urgency

The vote came one day before a public hearing on agricultural-enclave applications covering more than 6,558 acres under Senate Bill 686, a state law that took effect July 1 and gives agricultural landowners a faster path to residential development. As we reported Aug. 18, six properties in the county are already in line for certification under the law, including more than 4,000 acres near Nocatee.

How the Referendum Reached the Ballot

Commissioners directed county attorneys on July 21 to prepare the referendum after hearing a presentation from the Trust for Public Land and the Live Wildly Foundation, whose polling found county residents support conservation funding by roughly 5-to-1. The research was completed at no cost to the county.

Officials said they will need to move quickly to finalize ballot language in time for the Nov. 3 election.