Fiscal Year 2025 Budget

The Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Workshop Sessions workbook reflects all budgetary requests from each BCC Department including personnel, operating, and capital. It is compiled by County service area to assist, both the public and interested constituents, in understanding resource needs for each service area during the Budget Workshop Sessions (beginning on May 10^th). Budget Summaries for new personnel requests, capital, vehicles, and the five-year capital improvement plan, are included to further assist in the Session discussions.

At this point in the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget process, the workbook reflects only BCC Department requests and projected revenues.  Constitutional Officer budget requests (Sheriff’s Office, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, Supervisor of Elections, and Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller) for Fiscal Year 2025 are not included for the Budget Sessions, but will be included in an updated version of the Budget Workbook in June.   In addition, the Property Appraiser’s Office will provide a certification of taxable values by July 1, 2024, providing the final variable to calculating Ad Valorem property taxes for a Fiscal Year 2025 Recommended Budget in July.   

The County Office of Management & Budget will use the Budget Workshop Sessions and feedback from County Administration to provide an overview to the Board of County Commissioners in June in preparation for submitting a Fiscal Year 2025 Recommended Budget in July, in accordance with Florida Statute 129.03.  Subsequently, the Board of County Commissioners will consider the adoption of final millage rates and the budget in two public hearings held in September. 

Budget Workshop Series

As part of County Administrator Joy Andrews’ framework for open governance and efficiency, St. Johns County is unveiling a transformative Budget Workshop Series for Fiscal Year 2025 (Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2025). This enhanced series of workshops, May 10 to 20, will amplify public engagement and encourage collaborative discussions about the budgeting process for County departments and services. The emphasis of these discussions will be on respective challenges, resource needs, and projected service delivery to the community. There will be opportunities to watch the workshops in person or on the County’s government access channel.

Location

All budget workshops will take place at the St. Johns County Administration Building, 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine. There will be limited seating available in the San Sebastian Conference Room. Additional seating in the County Auditorium will be available for those who choose to attend so that they can watch it on GTV. All budget workshop sessions will be broadcast live on GTV and on the County’s website at www.sjcfl.us/gtv. A recording of each workshop will be made available at www.sjcfl.us/gtv within 72 hours of the completion of the session.

Additionally, the budget workshop sessions will be broadcast live at the St. Johns County Public Library System branches listed below.

Feedback

Once all budget workshop sessions have been completed, St. Johns County will announce a dedicated email address for members of the public to submit comments, questions, and concerns about the budget process. County staff will read and reply to all public comments that seek a response with regard to the budget process in the days that follow.

FY2025 Budget Workshop Session Schedule

May 10 – Begins at 1 p.m.

• Library Services
• Grants and Legislative Affairs
• Administration/Board of County Commissioners/Office of Management and Budget
• Utility Services

May 13 – Begins at 1 p.m.

• Veteran Services
• Performance and Transparency
• Economic Development and Incentives
• Public Works and Solid Waste

May 14 – Begins at 1 p.m.

• Building Services
• Growth Management
• Medical Examiner
• Public Safety

May 15 – Begins at 2 p.m.

• Tourism and Development Council
• Parks and Recreation

May 16 – Begins at 9 a.m.

• Human Resources
• Risk Management
• Agricultural Extension Services
• County Attorney
• Facilities Management

May 17 – Begins at 1 p.m.

• Management Information Systems
• Public Affairs
• Health and Human Services
• Health Department

May 20 – Begins at 9 a.m.

• Land Management
• Purchasing and Contract Management
• Emergency Management
• Coastal Management
• Disaster Recovery

Broadcast Live at Public Libraries

Additionally, the budget workshop sessions will be broadcast live at the St. Johns County Public Library System branches listed below:

• May 10 – Anastasia Island, Southeast, Main, Hastings, Bartram Trail
• May 13 – Anastasia Island, Hastings
• May 14 – Anastasia Island, Main
• May 15 – Anastasia Island
• May 16 – Anastasia Island
• May 17 – Anastasia Island, Bartram Trail
• May 20 – Anastasia Island, Main

Upcoming

In June, the St. Johns County Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will unveil a dedicated budgetary website for the public, providing a line-item workbook of the requested budget along with other budgetary materials. Unlike previous budget discussions, this year’s budget workshop sessions will not utilize a line-item workbook.

The County OMB will also use the budget workshop sessions and feedback from County Administration to provide an overview of the budget workshop sessions to the Board of County Commissioners in June in preparation for submitting the Fiscal Year 2025 Recommended Budget in July, in accordance with Florida Statute 129.03. The Fiscal Year 2025 Recommended Budget will be made available to the public via the budgetary website and announced across St. Johns County platforms.

County budgets from previous fiscal years are available for the public to view at www.sjcfl.us/departments/office-of-management-and-budget.

Dear Residents of St. Johns County,

I am excited to announce that we’re pulling back the curtain on St. Johns County’s inner operations, and you’re invited to join us in the front row. This isn’t just about listening in; it’s about actively shaping the decisions that impact our community.

We’re launching our brand-new Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Workshop Series, representing a pivotal step in our commitment to open governance. Our aim is to provide you with unfiltered access to the dialogues among your County Operation staff as we plan for 2025. We want every voice to be heard and every perspective considered as we navigate the budgeting process for the upcoming fiscal year. This new Budget Workshop Series, from May 10 to May 20, is your direct access to the inner workings of County governance. From public safety to parks and recreation, economic development to health services, and everything in between, we’ll delve into the details of balancing revenues and expenditures and address operational needs for fiscal 2025—all broadcast live and recorded for your convenience.

Why are we doing this? Because we wholeheartedly believe in the power of community engagement.

Each of the 28 scheduled workshop sessions will be broadcast live and recorded for your convenience, allowing you to tune in from the comfort of your home or at our public broadcast locations throughout the county via GTV at www.sjcfl.us/GTV. A recording of each workshop will be available at www.sjcfl.us/GTV within 72 hours of the session’s completion.

Additionally, we’ll provide avenues for you to share your feedback, ask questions, and contribute your ideas following each session. Your input will directly shape my final budget recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners in July, ensuring that our budgetary allocations align with the needs and aspirations of our community. To do so, after the sessions are completed, we will provide you with a special email address that you can use to ask questions or provide your feedback.

I invite you to join us on this journey of collaboration and co-creation as we work together to build a stronger, more vibrant St. Johns County. Your voice matters, and your participation will help design our operations, projects, and programs that affect us all.

For more information on workshop dates, topics, and how to get involved, please visit our website at www.sjcfl.us/2025Budget.

Thank you for your commitment to our community and willingness to engage in this vital dialogue. Together, we can create a brighter future for St. Johns County.

Warm regards,

Joy Andrews
County Administrator