Dale Martin
City Manager
Fernandina Beach
August 31, 2018 12:00 p.m.
The recent conversations regarding conservation have brought a longstanding issue back into consideration: the delineation of City boundaries.
Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island are not jurisdictionally synonymous. The official city limits are haphazardly configured on the northern half of Amelia Island. The southern portion of the Island, without fail, is entirely outside of the city limits. If you live south of the Harris Teeter location, you are part of unincorporated Nassau County, not Fernandina Beach (no matter that your mailing address states Fernandina Beach). Similarly, if you live off the Island, you are most assuredly not within the city limits since those limits do not extend across the Amelia River.
Other notable areas that are not within the city limits are many locations off of Will Hardee Road, specifically between Safe Harbor Lane and Simmons Road. In conjunction with most neighborhoods located off of 14th Street south of Sadler Road, a wide swath of property is carved out of the city limits from Will Hardee Road west to 8th Street and beyond to the Amelia River.
Another area with irregular boundaries is along Citrona Drive. Between Lime Street and Sadler Road, all neighborhoods to the east of Citrona Drive are outside the city limits. The west side of that same area, with the primary exception of the Amelia Park neighborhood, also lies outside of the city limits.
So why does that otherwise invisible line matter, some people ask. We’re all part of the same small island and wonderful community. The issue, as it often is, relates to money: those property owners outside of the city limits have no financial commitment to the governance, operations, services, and programs provided by the City.
They pay no city taxes to support the City. They have no vote for City Commissioners. It is sometimes befuddling as to how many unincorporated residents contend that “we need to do this” or “we shouldn’t do that” with regard to City government and operations. The responsibility and burden of those decisions sits with taxpaying City residents.
The additional significance of the city boundaries are the provisions of city services. This community, by far, is the most generous community in which I have served. The City of Fernandina Beach provides free public safety services to properties outside of the city limits. Those services consume approximately fifty percent of the entire General Fund budget of the City.
If you live in one of the areas outside of the city limits described above and you need public safety assistance, in most cases, it will be a City patrol officer, firefighter, or paramedic that reaches you first. It is that level of response that is inherent to the enhanced services provided by city government, paid for by city taxes. It is nonetheless essential that the services of City and County public safety support each other.
If a non-city property owner is receiving one of the primary benefits of city residency (police and fire protection) at no cost, why should that owner consider annexing into the city and then pay taxes to get a benefit already received?
According to monthly reports, the City Police Department responded to twenty-three calls for service outside the city limits last month. The Fire Department responded to forty-four incidents outside the city limits last month. Free service provided by city tax dollars. And as with pretty much everything, the costs of those services to city residents will continue to rise.
How does the city address this disparity? Over the course of the past few years, as properties outside the city limits desired water and sewer service, the City began to require voluntary annexation agreements: you want city water and sewer, you need to join the city. Prior to the implementation of that policy, water and sewer services were simply provided as desired (and, as remains the case, a surcharge on usage fees is imposed). A surcharge is also imposed upon non-city users of Parks and Recreation services.
The City Commission has a growing awareness of the cost of these services outside of the city limits. It will be a challenge to address how to resolve the issue, but the burden upon city residents to provide expensive services at no cost to others requires consideration. For now, though, city residents will graciously continue to provide free services.
Dale, a slight correction to the water and sewer service charges; when the City purchased the utility from FPU, those who were receiving services from FPU and were in the unincorporated area were immediately put on the 25% surcharge fee. This surcharge was reported in the press as needed to pay in part for the purchase price of the utility which some at the time questioned as being outlandish. IOW they did not request to join the city utility as they were with it as customers when the City purchased it.
Regarding the police and fire services you mention, the county charges a municipal service fee for the cost of those services. IMO, the argument of whom should pay for those services seems to be misdirected at the individual county resident who is paying a tax for them. If the costs are unbalanced between the City and County, perhaps the City should rework their intergovernmental agreement with the County?
As a county resident living on the island, I often see County Sheriff officers patrolling my neighborhood. Although they are quite welcome, I have never seen City police routinely patrolling.
Over the years I have heard the argument that county residents don’t pay their fair share and I have also heard Vince’s argument regarding the interlocal agreement between the City and the County. It would be great to read some detailed, up-to-date information on the subject. (Hint, hint Observer staffers.)
The subject is a bit more complex than “who shows up” during an emergency. Usually it’s the closest available responder and therein lies the rub. Availability may depend on distance from the emergency as well as which officer is busy with something else.
Adding to the complexity is that fact that the County now provides most, if not all, dispatch services to the City at no cost. These services include employee salaries as well as a 911 system that was expensive to purchase and set up and also requires periodic maintenance and upgrades as does all modern computerized systems. Maybe Mr. Martin would like to kick in a few bucks to help even things up.
I’ve heard the arguments. How about some detailed facts from both sides.
Oh, and Mr. Martin, I WILL continue to comment on absurdities such as a $2 million airport terminal which cost state and federal taxpayers (me) more than $4 million. Can’t wait to see how the City will sell the future Post Office / City Hall boondoggle to the taxpayers. I’m sure there will be lots of “other people’s money” available to pay for it.
Sadly, both citizens and those in positions of authority continue to fuel this childish argument. It divides the residents of the island and distracts us from far more important problems and from planning for a better future. Apparently, it has distracted city and county officials from identifying and resolving any inequities, and constantly reinforces misinformation. If there are inequities, please stop whining about them and resolve them. Then, distribute accurate information.
This installment of Weekly Comments started with a statement about renewed discussions concerning land conservation. IMHO conservation is a goal that knows no boundaries.
It is very simple really – conserve, preserve and protect Amelia Island. All of it! For all our sake. No matter what jurisdiction or taxing district we live in, we all benefit from conservation.
Continued loss of tree canopy, wetlands, dunes and native vegetation impact our entire barrier island and in the event of a storm, it will be a negative impact for sure. Storms like Beryl, Debbie, Matthew and Irma do not follow squiggly lines on a map when they train water over us. Neither do they check to see who pays a utility surcharge before knocking out power. Storms do not make a note of whether it was a city or county EMT who is hunkered down waiting for the onslaught of 911 calls. So let’s stick to the topic. Put all the options on the table and hatch a plan. Conservation ensures the health and well being of our little slice of paradise which, in turn, ensures the health and well being of all of us who live here on Amelia Island – rain or shine.
I am a home owner for many years and now a permanent resident of a few years to Fernandina Beach City. I would like to understand the dynamics of the City versus the County. What would it take to make the whole island Fernandina Beach City? It would make the police, EMT, and other city services melded into one government. The conservation and zoning of the island a cohesive plan. Am I missing something? Does the City and the County not want this to happen and why. Do the people to the south of the island not want this.
In 1996 the city launched an effort to incorporate the entire island into the City of Fernandina Beach. While citizens of the city overwhelmingly supported the referendum in November of that year, residents of the unincorporated portion of Amelia Island overwhelmingly rejected it. Since then, many portions of the island have voluntarily annexed into the city, primarily for access to city water and sewer. The issue has always boiled down to having to pay more taxes by joining the city. However, two factors may make additional annexations more attractive for some islanders who currently do not live in the city. The County is raising the Municipal Services Taxing Unit for county residents on Amelia Island by a mill in the new fiscal year. Additionally, the water service at the south end of the island appears to be failing. These two factors, coupled with concerns about regulating development and conservation, may make voluntary annexation into the city more attractive to some who previously objected.