Local Government
Local Government
Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.
Local Government
View MoreSt. Johns County opens one-stop Public Service Center
St. Johns County's new Public Service Center at 4040 Lewis Speedway consolidates county permitting and Clerk of Court services, eliminating multi-stop trips for residents and contractors filing deeds, permits, marriage licenses and passport applications.
Local Government
View MoreAll five fake voter guide defendants seek dismissal of charges
All five defendants in the St. Johns County fake Republican voter guide case, including sitting Commissioners Christian Whitehurst and Sarah Arnold, have filed motions to dismiss their charges, with Whitehurst's attorneys arguing the local GOP's symbols weren't formally filed with the state until nearly a year after the guides were distributed.
Local Government
View MoreSt. Johns County gains $4.54 billion in income from newcomers
St. Johns County gained $4.54 billion in net annual income from newcomers between 2019 and 2023, according to a Miami Association of Realtors analysis of IRS data, but the influx is intensifying affordability pressures in a county where the median home price hit $546,500 in January 2026.
Local Government
View MoreSt. Johns may halve alcohol buffer near churches
St. Johns County planners discussed reducing the 40-year-old, 1,000-foot alcohol buffer near churches and schools to as little as 500 feet at an Aug. 20 workshop, drawing fiery opposition from a Baptist preacher nearly removed from the meeting.
Local Government
View MoreSt. Johns certifies 1,166 acres for 15,000 homes
St. Johns County commissioners voted 3-2 at an Aug. 19 special meeting to certify Heritage East and Heritage West as agricultural enclaves under SB 686, opening roughly 1,166 acres of former timberland near I-95 and SR 207 to as many as 15,000 homes that will bypass traditional public approval.
Local Government
View MoreSt. Johns freezes $100 million projects as tax vote nears
St. Johns County has paused more than $100 million in capital projects, including the planned Beachwalk fire station and 30 firefighter positions, as officials brace for a November ballot measure that could cut county property-tax revenue by $68 million in year one.
Local Government
View MoreRivers Edge III adopts $3.2 million budget for RiverTown
The Rivers Edge III Community Development District adopted a $3.2 million FY2027 budget, a 5.4% increase over last year, with tax roll assessments rising $314,000 as developer contributions shrink during RiverTown's continued buildout.
Local Government
View MoreSt. Johns sets two hearings on $1.46 billion budget
St. Johns County commissioners will hold public hearings Thursday, Sept. 3, and Tuesday, Sept. 15, to adopt the Fiscal Year 2027 budget and set final millage rates, giving residents their last chance to weigh in before the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
Local Government
View MoreColee Cove 199-foot cell tower faces Sept. 1 commission vote
A 199-foot Verizon cell tower proposed for a wooded parcel along scenic CR 13 North in Colee Cove heads to the St. Johns County Commission on Tuesday, Sept. 1, after the Planning and Zoning Agency voted 5–2 to recommend denial.
Local Government
View MoreJudge upholds St. Johns denial of 3,332-home agrihood
Circuit Judge Howard O. McGillin Jr. ruled Wednesday that St. Johns County lawfully denied a 3,332-home agrihood proposed for 2,673 acres between County Roads 208 and 214, but a federal lawsuit and possible state appeal keep the dispute alive.
Local Government
View MoreSt. Johns runs 25,000 yearly water tests
St. Johns County Utilities Department conducts about 25,000 water and wastewater tests annually from the Floridan Aquifer and is urging residents to protect the supply through proper chemical disposal and efficient water use during National Water Quality Month.
Local Government
View MoreTourism council cuts $50,000 in Players Championship perks for staff
The St. Johns County Tourist Development Council voted Aug. 18 to recommend cutting $50,000 in extra PLAYERS Championship tickets and food that had gone to county employees, with Vice Chair Charles Cox questioning whether the spending complied with state tourism-tax law.
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