4/28/23 @ 3:00 p.m. - Below are pictures from the week of April 21 - April 28, 2023. 

-Sabrina Robertson
​ Public Information Officer

4/27/23

The National Association of Counties (NACo) has proclaimed April as National County Government Month. Each day this month, we will provide different facts about Nassau County, including information about its history, services provided and more.

Public Information Office
It is the goal of the Public Information Office to provide accurate and timely information to the residents of Nassau County, specifically as it relates to activities under the jurisdiction of the Board of County Commissioners. In addition to providing Press Releases, newspaper article, monthly reports, and annual reports, the Department maintains the news blog, The County Insider, and social media pages on FaceBook, Twitter and Linkedin. 

The Department provides monthly email/news blasts which features stories about County employees, projects and achievements; information on upcoming meetings in events; our weekly edition of "Week in Pictures"; job opportunities and and more. If you're interested in receiving weekly emails,  you can sign up here. 

Other ways to stay abreast of things happening in your county is to sign up for website alerts including our public notice alerts which will notify you when public meetings and gatherings, as well as website alerts where you can be notified when meetings, workshops and special events are added to the website calendar. 

Sign up for Public Notices
Sign up for Calendar Alerts

We trust that you will find this information useful. If you have any questions, you can contact the Public Information Officer at (904) 530-6010, option 1, or via email at [email protected]. 

-Sabrina Robertson 
 Public Information Officer

5/1/23 @ 11:05 a.m.

On Saturday, April 15th, the County hosted a Government Field Day for County employees. The event was coordinated by the County's Wellness Team for the purpose of enhancing employee wellness and to allow employees to get to know their co-workers in a fun environment. The event featured kickball, tug-of-war, sac races, a foot race and other field-day activities, as well as a variety of non-competitive games  including giant Jenga, minigolf, axe throwing and cornhole. Other highlights included adoptable pets from Nassau County Animal Services, Hands Only CPR by the Medical Reserve Corps, and food trucks. 

Participants included Commissioner John Martin; Commissioner Jeff Gray; Commissioner Klynt Farmer; County Manager, Taco Pope; Assistant County Manager, Marshall Eyerman; Port Authority Commissioner, Justin Taylor; and Mike Freeman with the Clerk of Courts Finance Division. As you can imagine, employees spent a lot of time at this booth hoping to sink a government official and/or one of the work superiors. ​

Overall, a great time was had by everyone in attendance and we are already looking forward to hosting this event again next year. We really appreciate our sponsors for their generous contributions that helped make this event happen.

Sponsors: 
Mute Sports Equipment
Celsius
LMNT
Redcon1
Chestee
321 Apprarel
Strong Coffee
O2 - Drink Recovery
WOD & DONE

4/27/23 @ 1:30 p.m. - On Saturday, April 22, 2023, Nassau County Solid Waste and Keep Nassau Beautiful partnered to bring the bi-annual Household Hazardous Waste Recycling Event. This event allowed Nassau County residents to safely dispose of items that are too hazardous for the landfill. Examples of items collected included paint, aerosol cans, fluorescent light bulbs, propane tanks, electronics, fertilizers, pesticides, and more. 

Overall, the event was a huge success. While it will be a few weeks before we have our final number on the tons of items recycled, we are excited to report that 419 vehicles came through the event, most of which were processed in less than 1 minute. 

Great job to all the County employees and the volunteers that worked this event. And a big thank you to the residents who participated to ensure that their harmful items were disposed of properly. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Office

4/27/23 @ 11:30 a.m. - Several Board of County Commissioner departments participated in the Fernandina Beach Middle School's career day yesterday. They were able to speak with students about the important work they do for the community every day. Thank you FBMS for allowing us to participate and share more about the role of County government to some of our future leaders. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Informatino Officer

4/27/23 @ 10:15 a.m. - Today, we would also like to congratulate a second employee, Engineer Greg Jones, on being selected for the News-leader and Nassau County Record's "40 Over 40" award. 

Greg has worked for Nassau County Fire Rescue as a Firefighter/Paramedic since April 1994 and is currently serving as an Engineer at Station 40. In addition to responding to medical and fire calls, Greg serves on the Peer Support Team providing a variety of services to his colleagues including emotional support, action planning, directing them in self-care methods to address any concerns they are experiencing, and by just being a good listener. Greg also serves as the department's Chaplain and provides support for those in Fire/Rescue that have been affected by an emergency crisis. 

We appreciate Greg for all he does for Nassau County, its employees, and our residents. He is an outstanding employee who goes above and beyond to help someone in need and we are so proud to have him on our team. 

For those that are interested, below is a copy of the newspaper article with a Q&A with Greg. 

​-Sabrina Robertson
​ Public Information Officer

4/27/23 @ 7:00 a.m. 
​
Nassau County 4-H programs highlight 4-H youth talents in public speaking, demonstration/illustrated talks, photography, chef in training, and share the fun (talent).  All of our winners from county events advance to the district competition and a possible opportunity to advance to state except for photography.  

In the photography portion of County Events, the winners will advance directly to the Florida 4-H State Photography competition to compete against other 4-H youth in their age division. This year we had 90 photography entries that were submitted by all the age divisions for our County Events Program. (Cloverbuds 5-7, Juniors 8-10, Intermediates 11-13, and Seniors 14-18)

Categories of photos include:  black and white, still life, animal, flora/fauna, architecture, etc. 
 
We are amazed by the talent our Nassau County 4-H Youth have. Congratulations to our winners below!
 
Junior Division- Roxie Oakes
Category:  Animal
Title:  Love Birds
 
Intermediate Division- Jackson Norstrem
Category:  Animal
Title:  Hiiiii
 
Senior Division- Emma Norstrem
Category- Photo Story
Title:  Old Glory in Battle

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

4/26/23 @ 4:45 p.m.

The National Association of Counties (NACo) has proclaimed April as National County Government Month. Each day this month, we will provide different facts about Nassau County, including information about its history, services provided and more.

​PROPERTY TAX REDUCTION
Are you aware that for the last 2 fiscal years, the Board of County Commissioners has reduced its countywide millage rate, with the goal of having no tax increase for homesteaded properties? In fact, a County budget policy was updated on October 1, 2021 to read, "The County shall adopt a “revenue driven” budget philosophy where expenditures are limited to expected revenues based on the existing millage rate adjusted to account for changes in the percent change in the “Save Our Homes” (SOH) assessment limitation.  This amount shall be equal to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or 3%, whichever is less". 

What is a millage rate you ask? Millage is the rate charged per thousand dollars of taxable value. For example, ad valorem taxes on a home with a taxable value of $350,000 would be calculated by dividing the value by 1,000, then multiplying the total taxable value by the current millage rate. For the current Fiscal Year (October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023), the total millage rate is 9.3182, down from 9.6008 the previous year. (Countywide millage rate of 7.1041 + Municipal Services Fund rate of 2.208 = 9.3182).

So in this example, a home with a taxable value of $350,000 would pay the County $3,259.48 in taxes ($350,000/1,000 * 9.3128 = $3,259.48). Please note this does not include millage rates charged by other taxing districts such as the School Board, St. Johns River Water Management District, the Florida Inland Navigation District, the School Board, or a Municipality (charge to those residing in a City or Town). This is strictly ad valorem taxes paid to the County to support the Constitutional offices (Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, Property Appraiser, Sheriff, Supervisor of Elections, and Tax Collector) and the Board of County Commissioners. The funding to the Board of County Commissioners is then further allocated to the Court, Department of Health, Emergency Operations, Fire and Rescue, Road and Facilities Maintenance, and other county operations.

Below are sample bill tax calculations that show how millage rates charged by Nassau County are distributed. In the first example, you will see that out of the $3,259 collected by the County for a property with a taxable value of $350,000, only $973 is distributed to the Board of County Commissioners. In the second example, you can see how the $973 allocated to the Board is distributed amongst the various Board departments. 

Millage rates are established annually as part of the budget process. Based on the current budget policy, this year's budget would also include a reduced countywide millage rate. The Board will remain focused on seeking operational efficiencies and alternate revenue sources to continue supporting the Constitutional Offices and the operations of the County. 

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer
​

4/26/23 @ 2:10 p.m.

Join us as we kick off our Summer Movie Series. The first movie featured will be "The Goonies". We are happy to have the Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau partner with us for this first event in honor of National Travel & Tourism Week which is recognized from May 7 - May 13, 2023. 

You can enjoy the movie from your car using a designated radio station or you can bring chairs and blankets and enjoy the movie in front of our giant movie screen. There will be food trucks onsite for you to enjoy as well. 

WHAT:  Outdoor Movie Night featuring "The Goonies"
WHEN:  Friday, May 12th. Event starts at 6:00 p.m. and movie
       starts at 8:30 p.m.
WHERE: Peters Point Beachfront Park, 4600 Peters
       Point Road, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

If you have any questions, please contact Parks & Recreation Director, Jay Robertson, at (904) 530-6120 or via e-mail at [email protected]. 

-Sabrina Robertson
​ Public Information Officer

4/26/23 @ 10:45 a.m. - The Nassau County Record and the News-Leader recently asked their readers to nominate individuals over the age of 40 who are community-drive and have contributed to the greater good of the County. We are pleased to report that the Board of County Commissioner's very own Director of Strategic Advancement, Brandy Carvalho, is a recipient of the 40 Over 40 Award!

Brandy joined Nassau County as the first Director of Strategic Advancement in September 2022. In this position, Brandy leads the County's efforts in increasing public engagement, enhancing civic engagement and improving transparency as a means of creating a more effective, efficient and inclusive government. She also leads efforts to support the annual budget by reducing the demand on ad valorem dollars to execute special projects, programs and initiatives through alternative revenue generation such as fundraising, capital campaigns, grants, partnerships and other non-traditional methods.

Since arriving in Nassau County, Brandy has been busy working with our Economic Resources Director on implementation of the County's Conservation Land Acquisition Management (CLAM) Program and and is developing a capital campaign to raise funds for a new animal shelter. She also serves as a liaison between the County and various agencies engaged in creating and sustaining a health economic ecosystem such as the Chamber of Commerce, JaxUSA and the Nassau County Economic Development Board. Brandy works closely with the Directors of the Nassau County Public Library System, the County Extension Office, the Public Information Office, and Nassau County Animal Services Office to ensure that their activities are consistent with the County's adopted strategic plan and to facilitate efforts to further the department's mission in providing programs and services to the community. 

We are proud to have Brandy on our team and would like to extend a big congratulations to her, as well as to all the other recipients of the 40 Over 40 Award! We have a lot of amazing and talented people in our community and we could not be more proud to have one of them representing the Board of County Commissioners. 

For those that are interested, below is Brandy's Q&A segment from the newspaper article. 

4/26/23 @ 10:25 a.m. - Oops! We just realized that our Day 24 post for National Government Month was shared on our social media page but we forgot to include it here as well. You can find it below.

The National Association of Counties (NACo) has proclaimed April as National County Government Month. Each day this month, we will provide different facts about Nassau County, including information about its history, services provided and more.

STATE HOUSING INITIATIVES PARTNERSHIP (SHIP) PROGRAM
The SHIP Program was established by the passage of the 1992 William E. Sadowski Affordable Housing Act and provides funding to local governments to produce and preserve affordable home ownership. In order to participate, counties must establish a local housing assistance program by Ordinance and develop a local housing assistance plan and housing incentive strategy. Funds are then allocated to local governments on a population based-formula. The funds are used for emergency repairs, new construction, rehabilitation, and down payment and closing cost assistance for very-low, low and moderate income families who meet all the requirements listed in Florida Statutes, Chapter 420.907, Florida Administrative Code 67-37, and Nassau County's Local Housing Assistance Plan.

Below is a link to a article published by the Florida Housing Coalition about a Nassau County resident who was awarded SHIP funds to make her home more accessible with her wheelchair.

Here' a link to a article published by the Florida Housing Coalition about a Nassau County resident who was awarded SHIP funds to make her home more accessible with her wheelchair.

-Sabrina Robertson 
​ Public Information Officer

4/26/23 @ 10:15 a.m. - Ooops! We just realized that our Day 24 post for National Government Month was shared on our social media page but we forgot to include it here as well. You can find it below.


The National Association of Counties (NACo) has proclaimed April as National County Government Month. Each day this month, we will provide different facts about Nassau County, including information about its history, services provided and more.

Locating a County Ordinance
An ordinance is a local law that is passed by municipal governing authorities, such as a city council or board of county commissioners. Ordinances also apply only to the local jurisdiction, as opposed to the entire state.

Online ordinances are provided by Municipal Code Corporation (Municode). Municode has more than 50 years of experience publishing codes of ordinances for local governments. The company has published codes for more than 2,600 cities and counties in 49 states.

A simple search in Municode allows you to find all adopted Ordinances. The sight also includes information on Ordinances that have recently been adopted but not yet codified.
View Nassau County Ordinances online here: https://library.municode.com/.../codes/code_of_ordinances
Contact
​
If you have questions or need assistance with County Ordinances, please contact the Clerk's Administrative Department at (904) 548-4600.

The National Association of Counties (NACo) has proclaimed April as National County Government Month. Each day this month, we will provide different facts about Nassau County, including information about its history, services provided and more.

Building Permits
Did you know that when you file for a building permit, you can follow its progress online through our permitting system? From the date your permit is submitted to the date it is issued, you can see each time it is routed to a new division for review, as well as any staff comments that are received during the review process. Having the ability to track permits often relieves anxiety and reduces concerns because the applicant can stay informed throughout the process. 

Next time you request a permit, visit our MUNIS Self-Service website. You will need to create an account first but once that is done, all you need is a permit # or address to search and view the status of your permit. 

If you have any questions,  please contact the Building Department at (9040 530-6250.

-Sabrina Robertson
 Public Information Officer

4/25/23 @ 2:15 p.m. - The North Florida Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), in concert ​with their consultant, engineering and design firm, Atkins, are completing a regional bicycle and pedestrian master plan to identify gaps and opportunities to connect sidewalks, paved trails, and paved bicycle facilities throughout northeast Florida. As part of this study, citizens in Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties are being asked for their opinion via an electronic survey that will be open until May 14th. The survey will take about 5 minutes to complete and can be found here. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to Public Affairs Manager with the TPO, Marci Larson, at (904) 306-7513 or via e-mail at [email protected]. 

-Sabrina Robertson 
 Public Information Officer