Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in St. Johns County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
6 issues in general with high priority
county property lease / Black History Museum
The Foundation asked the county for $125,000 to hire fundraising and administrative staff for the state-located West Augustine museum, whose construction could approach $100 million. The board only agreed to have staff look at funding — no commitment yet.
Smoking Ban
St. Augustine Beach just banned smoking and vaping at its beaches and parks, so you’ll need to leave the vape or cigarettes at home. It’s part of a broader push by Florida coastal towns to clean up public spaces. If you use those areas, the rule changes what you can do outdoors—and it’s aimed at less litter and cleaner air.
Lawsuit Over Gun Rights
A gun-rights group is suing St. Augustine over a local gun policy—and it’s naming the mayor and commissioners personally, not just the city. That means elected officials are now directly in the legal crosshairs, and taxpayers could end up footing part of the bill.
Short-term rental registration compliance
About 685 of 1,078 eligible short-term rentals are registered — though the count jumped to 824 within weeks. Staff use internet-scraping to catch unregistered rentals and are limited by state preemption on what rules they can enforce.
County Attorney Appointment
The county attorney is now a contract position costing less than the prior salary plus benefits, and more litigation is handled in-house — projecting a $300,000 budget reduction.
Panhandling Ordinance Settlement
St. Johns County has settled a lawsuit with three men arrested under its panhandling rule and is dropping enforcement. That means the old anti-panhandling ordinance is effectively dead, so how the county handles people asking for money in public spaces is changing. Why care? It’s a free-speech and public-space fight that could affect taxpayers and anyone who panhandles or supported the rule.