The St. Augustine Record

The state Legislature opens its annual session Tuesday, and most people have a list of big-picture items they expect to be dominant. Depending on who’s asking, those include budget, where spending vs. saving always sparks a heated battle (Gov. Ron DeSantis, with his $91.4 billion budget recommendation, came down on the side of spending); guns (some lawmakers are anxious to roll back some of the gun-control provisions passed in the aftermath of the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas HIgh School in 2018) and crackdowns on illegal immigrants (in the form of DeSantis’ desire to force Florida employers to use a program called E-Verify to ascertain work status of potential job candidates).

But St. Johns and Putnam counties have their own priorities — issues they realistically expect their local delegation to pay attention to. And those are the ones we’re focusing on today — even if they are caught up in debates that are likely to have great statewide significance. After all, all politics is local … and these statewide issues are very, very local indeed.

  • Transportation. St. Johns County has a long list of state road projects it wants funded. The top priority, however, is the State Road 313 bypass that would connect it to U.S. 1, creating an alternative route. It’s been in the works for years. This year, it should be funded. Lawmakers should also keep up progress on the popular River-to-Sea loop trail.
  • Affordable housing and homelessness. This could be one of the biggest fights of the session, and it will certainly have resonance locally, where low-wage workers (and even some middle-income families) face trouble finding housing they can afford. The problem is much broader than many imagine; 19 percent of households in St. Johns, and 30 percent of Putnam households, don’t have enough income to regularly cover the cost of their basic needs, which includes shelter. And the challenge of transitioning homeless people into stable housing is made more difficult when even modest apartments rent for $900 a month or more. Lawmakers are perennially eager to raid the Sadowski fund, a state trust fund set aside to help pay for community-based affordable housing projects, but this year any move toward the fund will be watched with increased vigilance. Lawmakers should resolve to keep their hands off.
  • Fund Visit Florida. The local economy depends heavily on tourism — particularly in St. Johns County, but also in Putnam County as outdoor and heritage tourism becomes more popular. Local tourism officials have plenty of examples showing how state funding has boosted local efforts,and given this area national and international exposure it could never afford on its own. Starving Visit Florida of necessary funding — or shutting the agency down entirely — would be foolhardy in the extreme, and local officials should be prepared to say so loud and long.
  • Target water projects. St. Johns County is asking for more than $31 million for septic tank conversion and sewer rehabilitation. This is one of the more critical pieces of the plans to repair troubled springs and clean up coastal areas. Across the state, the price tags on these are enormous — much more than local residents or governments can afford. DeSantis wants to set aside money for these and other water projects. It should be an easy “yes” for lawmakers.
  • Fund adult mental health. The state has spent lavishly on school-based mental health in the aftermath of the Parkland shooting. But meanwhile, adults that need help are being put on waiting lists or turned away because funding isn’t available. Stewart-Marchman Act is asking for funding for a successful program known as FACT that supports people with severe mental illnesses. That program is well-established in St. Johns and Putnam counties and proven to save money — $2.8 million in this area that would have been spent on jail and hospital treatment. Lawmakers should give it permanent funding and allow its expansion.

There are dozens of other issues that could be on this list, and we’ll be following them closely in our news coverage and on this page. But it’s always good to remind lawmakers that local issues need support, and that their constituents expect action.

Article last accessed here on January 13, 2020. A print-ready version is available here.