about my county st johns county florida

With only two days until the primary election, I have one more post to write.  Watching TV last night, I heard the term “bond of trust.”   That is what this election is about.

We have three challenger candidates who are neither qualified nor trustworthy running to unseat three incumbents who are overwhelmingly qualified and who have demonstrated that they can be trusted.

While you might not like the incumbents’ decisions, never once have they been anything other than open and honest.  They have tirelessly explained the reasons for their decision even in the face of rude residents accusing them of corruption.  They not only have deep knowledge and experience with county government, but they work closely with all residents, developers and staff to understand what is being proposed.

The three challenger candidates have tied themselves to Nicole Crosby and Commissioner Joseph, both of whom have personal agendas – to win power and control over St Johns County so that they can do what they want. To achieve their goal, they have trashed the reputation of incumbent commissioners and others who got in their way, have attempted a coup through misinformation, and have demonstrated clearly that they are not right for St Johns County.

Let’s explore the two issues – qualified and trustworthy

Why are the challengers not qualified?

They have no clue about the complexity of a $1.2billion operation that serves 300,000 residents.

• They think the commissioners can sit in a Board meeting without the proper staff and shred $25 million from the 2025 budget and not cause serious ripple effects throughout the county.
• They think that the county shouldn’t use consultants, and that the staff should pick up any work assigned to a consultant.  They obviously have never been part of an extremely large operation that manages costs by engaging staff in daily work and engaging more costly specialists with unique skills only when needed.
• They think the Enterprise Resources Management software is a costly luxury that can be postponed even when the existing software is obsolete, instead of recognizing that credible data is essential for transparency. 
• They don’t understand that healthy debate makes for better decisions.  They prefer to just do things because it fits their narrative rather than hear the pros and cons and decide accordingly.
• Meanwhile, the incumbents are constantly searching for creative and LEGAL ways to manage development.

Why are the challengers not trustworthy?

• Commissioner Joseph used her elected position to influence voters.  That is contrary to state law, yes.  But more basically, it is ethically wrong.  Our country is based on the rule of law, established to ensure an orderly and just society.  She thumbed her nose at her fellow commissioners and state law and demonstrated that she cares only for her position, not anyone else’s. 
• Nicole Crosby has fronted a Facebook page “Fight for St Johns County” for a few years, preying on the emotions of residents who are tired of rapid growth.  She uses the site and builds her audience with half-truths, innuendo and outright lies about the incumbent Commissioners.  For this she has been sued for defamation.  While we won’t know the outcome of the lawsuit before the election, do we care?  Is that who we want controlling our county?
• The “Anns” are running on a platform of lies.  Lie #1:  the Commissioners voted to raise the sales tax.  Fact #1:  the Commissioners voted to let the residents decide on the ballot.  Lie #2: the Commissioners raised our property taxes.  Fact #2:  Property values skyrocketed, and by keeping the millage rate flat, residents will pay more taxes.  Regardless of how one feels about paying taxes, these are lies.  Is that what we want for our county?
• The “Anns” lied about the relationship of the professional firefighters and the incumbent Commissioners.  Even when the President of the Firefighters Association posted a letter in rebuttal, they doubled down on their lies, meandering around technicalities.
• They disrupt the important work of the Board of Commissioner meetings and public comment with their political campaigns.  Residents with real concerns run out of time.
• The challengers have created a myth that the county is a mess and plastered it everywhere.  This is not true – it isn’t even a matter of opinion – it is a lie.  Indeed the rapid growth is a challenge, but the county is beautiful, 30% conserved, and serving 300,000 residents with safety, social services, utilities, libraries and emergency management.  Even when there are hiccups, such as the trash vendor change, the current commissioners and staff work tirelessly to fix it.  But Commissioner Joseph proudly said that she did not vote for the new vendor.  How self-serving is that?  Talk about sticking up for yourself rather than supporting the team. Certainly not a “bond of trust.”

I’ll stop here

I could go on. But if this doesn’t give any voter pause about voting for the challenger candidates, then that is very sad.  We are a beautiful, fun, energetic county with wonderful beaches, history galore, productive farmland, and commercial amenities that rival a big city.

Let’s cherish that rather than destroy it.  If you are not happy with the current Commissioners, work with them.  It has been my experience that they want very much to work with us.