St. Johns County is eyeing a $1.46 billion budget for the next fiscal year | Noah Hertz, Jacksonville Today
Published on July 21, 2026 at 4:33 pm
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St. Johns County is proposing to keep its tax rate flat next year, but many residents could pay higher taxes anyway.
The County Commission took the first steps Tuesday toward approving a $1.46 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which will begin Oct. 1. The budget is down from last year’s $1.8 billion.
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By a narrow margin, the commission OK’d a tax rate that matches what it levied last year. But many residents would have to pay higher taxes because their property values have risen.
According to data from County Budget Director Wade Schroeder, a homeowner with a home valued at $500,000 would experience a tax increase of about $94. Someone with a home valued at $350,000 could expect a $66 increase in taxes.
Budget conversations typically center around how the county will pay for things like hiring new firefighters and improvements to county facilities, but news out of Tallahassee dominated the conversation about next year’s budget.
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“We’re really presenting this budget in a moment of real uncertainty,” County Administrator Joy Andrews told the commission. “We know that proposed tax reform on the November ballot is potentially going to fundamentally change how every county in the state of Florida is going to be funded and how we’re going to deliver service and the level of service that we are able to deliver.”
The vast majority of the taxes St. Johns County collects — for law enforcement officers, libraries and more — comes from residential housing.
If voters in November agree to increase tax exemptions for homesteaded properties, St. Johns County stands to lose $66 million in fiscal 2028 and as much as $830 million cumulatively by 2032, Andrews says.
Members of the County Commission remain split on the property tax proposal.
County Commissioner Chrisitan Whitehurst has expressed concern about what reducing property tax levies would mean for local services. County Commissioner Krista Joseph, however, has publicly stated that she supports the tax exemptions.
Andrews says the county is working to diversify revenue streams and slow spending, assuming the measure will pass. That includes pausing some hiring and reviewing all projects to determine what could be deferred.
Budgeting for growth
Highlights of the county’s $1.46 billion budget include hiring 24 firefighters and emergency medical services staff, as well as building up the county’s emergency reserve bank. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office also is seeking nearly $150 million to, in part, raise salaries for deputies.
Those plans come at a time when St. Johns County continues to grow.
With an official census just shy of 350,000 people, data from St. Johns County shows a 26% population increase since 2020.
In addition to serving new and existing residents, Andrews says high inflation rates have affected the cost of everything from health insurance for county employees to road improvements.
With all that in mind, Schroeder, the budget director, recommended the commission pass a flat tax rate, or the same tax rate the body approved for this year.
Just the first step
What the commission approved is just the local preliminary tax rate. That rate is what homeowners will see on their Truth in Millage notices in the coming weeks.
Multiple members of the County Commission signaled a desire to eventually approve a rolled-back tax rate, or the tax rate that would yield the same amount of revenue for the county as the previous year. That means, factoring for rising property values, many homeowners would not see an increase on their property tax bills.
The commission approved the preliminary tax rate by a 3-2 vote. County Commission Chair Clay Murphy and Commissioners Sarah Arnold and Christian Whitehurst supported the tax rate. Joseph and Commissioner Ann Taylor voted against it.
Whitehurst and Arnold were recently charged with misdemeanors in connection with a fake voter guide. They voted remotely Tuesday to “avoid being a distraction to the community,” Murphy said.
Joseph, who is currently running for reelection, said she “always wants to see taxes go down,” although Murphy agreed, saying he intends to push for a lower tax rate in September.
The County Commission will hold its first budget hearing, when residents can voice their support or opposition, at 5 p.m. Sept. 3.
The meeting will be held in the County Auditorium at 500 San Sebastian View. It also will be broadcast live on the county’s website and social media pages.
