Press Release
John Crawford
Clerk of Courts
Nassau County, Florida
May 27, 2016 12:43 p.m.
The audit is done and the news is good! I am proud to report that Nassau County remains fiscally healthy and is doing very well. The annual financial audit results are in for fiscal year ending 2015 and independent auditor Ron Whitesides, from Purvis Gray & Company, reports “…very positive audit result… the county remains in strong financial condition.”
Mr. Whitesides attended the Wednesday, May 18th Board of County Commission meeting to provide a brief summary of the audit results: total revenues increased substantially from $80 million in 2014 to $102 million in 2015; county pensions are in the Florida Retirement System which is 92% funded (making it one of the top three state retirement systems in the country); unrestricted funds finished the year above the Government Finance Officers Association’s minimum requirements of two months reserves (approximately $25 million of the $18 – $20 million benchmark); and the county finished the year with an excess of nearly $5 million (while spending just over $19 million on capital outlay).
In addition to the annual financial audit, my office monitors several other indicators to assess the county’s strong and improving fiscal health: taxable values in 2015 increased 5.3% over the previous year (even with the Save our Homes cap of 0.8%); recurring revenues (ad valorem property taxes, one-cent surtax, and other governmental revenues combined) are now the highest ever in Nassau County’s history (totaling $68.6 million, with even more planned for the upcoming budget year); tourism continues to grow at record breaking numbers, bringing in nearly $5 Million in Tourist Development Tax for fiscal year ending 2015 (up another 11% from last year); current unemployment rate for April is 4.2% (this is down 19% from 2015); and closed home sales for 2015 are up 35.7%, with foreclosures down 19%. The county also has a fully funded five year Capital Improvement Plan totaling over $47 Million of approved projects (adding over $9.2M in projects over the last year); maintains its high credit rating, affirmed by Fitch Ratings in October 2015 (“A+” for non ad valorem revenue bonds and “AA-” for the implied general obligations rating); and possibly the best news of all, the county continues to pay down debt, thus creating the opportunity to be debt free in just under 16 years which in turn will free up additional revenues!
Nassau County’s fiscal health continues to be strong and trending positively. With the proper planning and managing of the resources we have, we can continue to avoid placing undue burdens on the taxpayers. Rest assured, the only way we fall off a fiscal cliff is if we steer that way; as independent auditor, Mr. Ron Whitesides affirmed, “I continue to think that Nassau County is in a good, strong financial position.”
Looks like Good News for the Fiscal Health of Nassau County and It’s Residence. The Key to our Future Financial health is as Mr Crawford states in the Last paragraph of this report. ” The only way we fall off a fiscal cliff is if we steer that way.” The aggressive, and unfettered growth to our County as proposed by Rayonier Corp.,and Out Side Developers, Through their Propaganda Arm, 501 (C) 4 Concerned Citizans for a Better Nassau County, is one way to do that. remember the local guys promoting, the growth in Nassau County, either have “Skin in the Game” or are “Hired Guns”. Growth in Nassau County is inevitable, What we don’t need is more Strip Malls and Mega Gas Stations along SR200 which feed off each other. Or Corporations wanting a hand out via free infrastructure and tax incentives, payed for on the backs of local tax payers. We who are really concerned about our community, residence and our local leaders continue to hear from the Nassau County Economic Development Board. “You are sending the wrong message, to potential investors, developers” Really? Do you want us to roll over, to conform,? Have you looked at what has happened to other Communities along the Florida Coast. As I see it we are giving away our quality of life, for someone else’s greed. We need to proceed with caution. and I don’t see it at this time.
I was going to comment but Steven Crounse covered the bases. Read the financial data sheets and make an informed decision before you vote this August. Any candidate that doesn’t have the taxpayer and their family at heart needs to be defeated. #Plowingthroughthepolitics #Peoplenotpoliticians #Supportlocal #FarmerNation #WarriorPride
For several years, county revenues have come up about 12 million dollars short to cover county expenses. The county budget has been balanced by using reserves which are running out. What is your plan to balance the budget once the reserves have been depleted? Also, I am interested in hearing your plans for capital improvements. I often read that we have a fully funded capital plan. Well of course it is fully funded. A capital project can not be placed on the plan unless funding has been identified. There are many needed projects that are not on the plan because funding has not be identified. What is your plan for moving these projects off the “needs to be done” list to the capital plan? I am really interested in hearing the plans of each candidate so that I can make an informed decision on voting day. Please be specific.
If it “ain’t” broke; do not try to “FIX” it, Johns Crawford needs to stay in office!