St. Johns County ‘need list’ includes airport renaming, infrastructure asks

The new Legislative Delegation for St. Johns County, which includes Sen. Tom Leek and Reps. Sam Greco and Kim Kendall, heard what stakeholders want in 2025

One speaker called it a “need list.” Yet it remains to be seen how much will be deliverable from Tallahassee.

St. Johns County Commission Chair Krista Joseph wants state matching funds for the District 23 Medical Examiner’s office (a “critical need” for the “outdated office” encompassing St. Johns, Flagler, and Putnam) and the North Beach flood mitigation project affecting 84 blocks that “sit in a bowl.”

She also wants funding for the Florida Museum of Black History.

“We’re hearing crickets,” Joseph said, about the state commitment to the “epicenter of African-American history.”

Howard Holley, a board member of the Museum of Black History and member of the state task force establishing the museum, echoed these concerns.

Commissioner Ann Taylor bemoaned “severe traffic issues” at the “failing exit” of I-95 at the World Golf Village, exacerbated by increased commercial development approved by the county commission.

She wants a new exit ramp to remedy “dangers and delays” including people sitting through multiple light cycles, with “assistance at both the state and federal level.” Taylor noted the County Commission is unanimous in this plank of its “need list.”

School Superintendent Tim Forson said start times for schools mandated by the state could lead to “very young children” waiting for buses in the dark, but he didn’t say what change he wanted.

St. Johns Property Appraiser Eddie Creamer noted that property is expensive in the county, and increasing senior exemptions from school taxes and other burdens could help “retiree homeowners.”

St. Augustine Mayor Nancy Sykes-Kline wants a roundabout on A1A and fire station relocation, which would be a $5 million hit if approved.

Finally, Airport Authority Interim Director Courtney Pittman presented the local bill that would rename the Northeast Florida Regional Airport to St. Augustine Airport, correcting a change made four years ago. This would align the name with that of the “city it serves” and its “global reputation as a high-end, culturally rich destination.”

Rep. Kendall will carry that bill.

Lawmakers wanted clarity on removing the regional airport designation, and Pittman noted that it is clunky for people trying to communicate.