Fernandina voters will decide fate of paid parking. Or will they?

Residents in Fernandina Beach now have an official say on paid parking downtown. But their say might not be the final word.

Early voting in the Florida primary opened in Nassau County on Thursday, putting a citizen-led ballot initiative before voters for the first time since the city launched its paid parking program in February.

The ballot language, however, is not straightforward. Voters who want to end paid parking should vote yes. Voters who want to keep paid parking should vote no.

And even if voters approve the measure to block paid parking in Fernandina Beach, city commissioners could potentially overturn it with a supermajority vote — four out of five commissioners.

The case against paid parking

Jeff Freese owns Ash Tree Cigar Parlor in downtown Fernandina Beach and helped lead the petition effort that put the amendment on the ballot. He says the program has changed the feel of the city.

“Our island time has been taken away,” Freese said. “When people come downtown Fernandina, it’s always been a walk at your leisure, take your time, enjoy the downtown, enjoy the marina. Now people are on a time clock.”

Freese also described the day-to-day friction the meters create for business owners and their customers.

“I spend a majority of my day helping customers fight and figure out how to scan the code and go through the process,” he said. “And these are people that are tech savvy, too.”

The case for paid parking

Robin Lentz has lived in Fernandina Beach since 2002 and previously served as the city’s mayor. She supports keeping the program, pointing to the revenue it generates for city infrastructure.

“We’re a really small town with a lot of visitors and a lot of wear and tear on our infrastructure,” Lentz said. “I think it was really wise that we looked at other ways to bring in revenue to specifically help our wonderful downtown.”

The city reported that paid parking has brought in approximately $580,000 in net revenue since the program launched in February.

Deputy City Manager Jeremiah Glisson said the bulk of that money comes from visitors from Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Fleming Island.

Lentz also credited city leaders for finding a middle ground on the issue.

“This commission really listened to citizens and ultimately came up with some compromises to come up with a way to still generate half a million dollars,” she said.

Both sides say they’ll accept the outcome

Despite the sharp divide, both supporters and opponents of the program say they are willing to work together after the vote — and will accept whatever the results show.

Lentz said she hopes a “silent majority” of residents will make their voices heard at the polls.

“When they look at their tax bill and they think about, hey, we’ve got a lot of stuff to pay for — let’s have some other people that use this infrastructure pay for it,” she said. “It feels like a no brainer to me.”

Early voting is now underway in Nassau County. Election Day is Aug. 18.

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This story was produced by News4Jax, a Jacksonville Today news partner.