By Julia Roberts
Nassau NewsLine
The current controversy regarding paid parking in downtown Fernandina Beach has proponents on both sides, both of which feel passionately about the matter. While the city commission has taken the first steps to implement paid parking, a citizens group is collecting signatures on a petition that would allow city voters to choose to prohibit charging to park, and put that prohibition in the city’s code of ordinances.
How does that process come about? The Nassau NewsLine asked the Nassau County Supervisor of Elections and city officials to explain, so our readers could make more informed decisions.
In order to be put on the ballot, 10% of those registered to vote in city elections, 1,135, must sign petitions and those signatures must be verified by Supervisor of Elections Janet Adkins. That verification requires the signatures must belong to a registered city voter, the signature must match the one on their voter registration and the date must be correct. Adkins told the Nassau NewsLine there had been, as of Monday, Sept. 8, 1,640 signed petitions submitted to her office; 1,482 of those petitions had been verified, enough to begin the process. Petitions must be received by the Supervisor of Elections’ office by Jan. 2, 2026.
After verification, the petition is submitted to the city clerk’s office. The clerk then places the matter on a city commission meeting agenda. The commission can vote to approve the language in the petition. In order for an ordinance to become final, it must be approved by two city commission votes. After a second reading, it would go into the city’s code of ordinances.
Alternatively, the matter could be put on the ballot for voter approval. If voters approve that language, it could become part of city code.
The matter could be placed on a city commission agenda in October, and placed on the ballot next year.
