County Officials Visit Tallahassee Ahead of 2022 Legislative Session

from The County Insider
Office of the Nassau County Manager
January 3, 2022

 

At a Special Meeting held on November 3, 2021, the Nassau County Board of County Commissioners approved eight (8) priorities to be submitted to the Florida Legislature to be considered for funding during the 2022 Legislative Session. Each year, in coordination with the Nassau County Legislative Delegation, the Board of County Commissioners submit a prioritized list of requests for the Florida Legislature to consider. County Staff has worked with members of the Delegation, partner agencies, and the County’s contract lobbyist to prepare for a successful 2022 legislative session.

County staff have identified eight (8) requests for the Board of County Commissioners to consider submitting to the Florida Legislature.  The purpose of this meeting is for the BOCC to consider staff recommendations, discuss and consider any additional requests for submission and to prioritize the list of requests.

  • County Road 121 ($9,000,000)
  • American Beach Water and Sewer Project ($1,850,000)
  • SR200/A1A Widening from CR107 to Amelia Island Parkway ($1,200,000)
  • Department of Juvenile Justice SWEAT Program ($110,000)
  • Northeast Florida Public Safety Training Facility-Phase 2 ($5,950,000)
  • US Hwy 301/Crawford Road Intersection Improvements ($1,550,000)
  • Amelia Island Trail-Phase 4 ($5,119,474)
  • Tourism Expansion via Ecotourism/Water Access Improvements-Nassau River ($755,025)

Now that our priorities have been determined, the County must work hard to ensure the members of the State Legislature understand our needs. Last week, County Manager, Taco Pope, and Assistant County Manager, Marshall Eyerman, visited Tallahassee to meet with House and Senate Budget staff, State Agencies, and the Governor’s office of Policy and Budget. Approximately 10 meetings took place. Overall, it was a very productive trip, however there is a lot of work left to be done.

The 2022 Legislative Session will officially convene on January 11, 2022. County Officials will likely have to return to the Capitol for additional meetings as the Legislative process continues. They will continue to fight for Nassau County to ensure that our needs are not forgotten. We wish them luck in their endeavors and look forward to sharing news about any funds that are appropriated for Nassau County in the Spring of 2022.