Opinion
By Jesse Clyde Stubbs, 5-19-25
County vs city ratio who gets more public funds? The city does who pays for most of these funds? the county does!
Who gets more public funding the City of Fernandina Beach or the rest of the County and is it proportionate?
1. Fernandina Beach is the County’s Only Municipality
• It’s more densely populated, but it represents only about 13–14% of Nassau County’s total population.
• Yet it receives a disproportionate share of grants, especially through:
• FIND (Florida Inland Navigation District)
• State resilience and infrastructure funds
• Tourism development grants
• BOCC passthrough funding from the County
2. Public Grant Funding Comparison (Typical Pattern):
• City of Fernandina Beach often secures more frequent and higher-dollar grants because:
• It has dedicated staff for grant writing (e.g., a Grants Administrator)
• It already owns prime real estate eligible for improvement
• It applies for grants in its own name, while unincorporated areas rely on the County Commission to act
• Unincorporated Nassau County, which makes up ~86% of the population and land area, is often underrepresented in capital improvement grants unless:
• Residents push hard for inclusion
• The County Commission files joint applications (which it doesn’t always prioritize)
The Real Problem:
Even though countywide taxpayers help fund many of these programs (including FIND and TDC tourism funds), the City often benefits disproportionately — and the public outside city limits gets little say.
The views expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Citizens Journal Florida.
