The St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners met Monday morning for its regular meeting, recognizing community volunteers and a popular civic education program before moving on to more contentious matters — including a proposed solution to a years-long sewage odor problem, a heated debate over the county attorney’s contract, and a sobering look at what Florida’s proposed property tax overhaul could mean for the county’s $400 million budget.
SJC 101 Graduates Recognized
The meeting opened with recognition of 28 graduates from the spring session of SJC 101, also known as the Seasons Academy — the county’s 12-week civic education program that gives residents an inside look at county government operations. Now in its fifth session, the program has grown from a small pilot with 120 people on the waitlist to approximately 100 alumni and counting, with more than 30 county departments and constitutional officers now participating.
Graduates shared their experiences. “I realize the work that’s behind it,” said one participant. “There’s never an excuse for us not to know what’s happening in the county, because there is an avenue for me to not only learn that, but if you put it in layman’s terms, I can understand it and share it.” Another said: “For me, it helps me understand where I fit in — because there are so many different departments.”
County Administrator Joy Andrews said her goal for the program is simple. “I would like for our residents to leave with a true sense of curiosity,” she said. “It’s really about your willingness to be part of an authentic dialogue. That’s how we build trust — building trust one student at a time.”
Parks and Recreation Month Proclamation
The board adopted a proclamation designating July 2026 as Parks and Recreation Month. St. Johns County’s parks system covers 2,586 acres of active and passive parkland, 56 parks, 14 boat ramps, a public golf course, 3,780 acres of conservation land, and 40 miles of coastline — all funded without a separate parks assessment.
Parks Director Jason Halsey shared that the county recently began using geo-fencing technology to track park visits. Davis Park alone recorded just over 900,000 visits in a 12-month window. “Knowing that this is where people are coming together,” Halsey said, “whether it’s our programs, beaches, or passive parks — we have great places for the great people of St. Johns County to utilize.”
Biosolids Facility Proposal Sparks Disagreement
The meeting’s most debated item was an unsolicited proposal from Merrell Bros., a family-owned biosolids management company, to build and operate a covered, indoor biosolids processing facility in St. Johns County.
Biosolids are the solid byproduct of wastewater treatment — essentially treated sewage. Every wastewater plant produces them daily and must find a place to send them. St. Johns County currently sends its biosolids to the Indianhead Biomass facility, an open-air composting site that has generated numerous odor complaints from nearby residents.
Merrell Bros. CEO Dustin Smith laid out what he called a statewide crisis. Florida produces approximately 2.3 billion wet tons of biosolids annually, but four major processing facilities have closed in the past two years, and new state law signed as Senate Bill 290 has eliminated Class B land application — previously used to treat about 40% of the state’s material. Meanwhile, landfills across Florida are at or near capacity, with a state DEP study projecting they will be full by 2041 at current rates. “Right now there’s a shortage of about 25% of the state’s total volume,” said Blake Merrell, who handles operations for the company. “There is a perfect storm of problems here.”
Merrell Bros. proposed a public-private partnership in which St. Johns County would own the facility — sized for 50,000 wet tons — while the company would design, build, and operate it using patented technology that processes biosolids indoors with carbon air filtration, solar drying, and pasteurization, eliminating the odor that comes with open-air composting. The county currently produces about 46,000 wet tons annually, growing as the population grows. The proposed processing fee would be approximately $80 per ton — less than the current market rate of $110 and below the projected future market rate of $150-$170.
Commissioner Whitehurst asked what residents near Indianhead could expect in the short term while any new facility is being built. Merrell acknowledged that odor has improved through tighter operating controls — receiving trucks later in the day, burying material in compost rows quickly — but said a permanent indoor facility is the only long-term solution.
Before the presentation began, Commissioner Krista Joseph moved to pull the item from the agenda, arguing the public had not been given enough advance notice about such a significant business proposal and that a formal public hearing should be held. “I think the public needs to weigh in — this is the utility business they’re asking us to become part of,” she said. Three commissioners voted to keep it on the agenda, and the motion to remove it failed 3-2.
Several residents addressed the board during public comment. Most expressed concern about the process. “My choice would be to reject this proposal and invite other companies to present alternatives,” said one speaker. “It’s only fair for the public to understand what’s going on.” Another asked about operational costs and whether the proposal’s price covered all construction materials and assembly.
The board voted 3-2 to acknowledge receipt of the unsolicited proposal and direct staff to begin the formal competitive procurement process — meaning other companies will now have the opportunity to submit competing proposals. The decision does not approve any contract or construction. Commissioner Joseph and one other commissioner voted no.
County Attorney Contract Update
The board also considered amendments to the contract of County Attorney Ryan Komando, who has served the county since being hired through the law firm he is associated with, paying the county approximately $216,000 annually for legal services.
The key contract change would require a supermajority vote — four out of five commissioners — to terminate Komando without cause. Currently, a 3-2 majority is sufficient to remove him. Terminations for cause — incompetence, malfeasance, or similar reasons — would still require only a simple majority.
After considerable discussion and some confusion about the exact language, an outside attorney clarified the provision: “If the reason for the termination is for anything other than Mr. Komando’s competency in the job, it would require a supermajority. If it’s related to his competency or some lack thereof, whether he’s done some type of malfeasance, then it would still be a simple majority.”
Chair Murphy summarized the intent plainly: “This is not a carte blanche for you to do whatever you want. This is if the political whims want to get rid of you for no cause — it has to be for a supermajority.”
The contract also sets his hourly rate at $250 — compared to $275 currently paid for outside counsel. The board voted to approve the updated contract.
Several residents spoke in support of Komando’s performance. One supporter said: “Mr. Komando has done a good job for us. He has an excellent staff working for him and I think we are rolling on all cylinders here.” A skeptic raised concerns about transparency and whether a conflict-of-interest provision was adequately enforced.
Property Tax Reform: A Potential $200 Million Hit
Near the close of the meeting, county budget staff presented a detailed overview of what Florida’s proposed property tax reform could mean for St. Johns County. If voters approve the amendment in November, the impacts are projected to be severe.
Under the proposal as currently written:
- The homestead exemption would increase to $150,000 in fiscal year 2028, costing the county approximately $16 million in annual revenue.
- The exemption would then increase to $250,000 in fiscal year 2029, costing approximately $113 million per year.
- Assessment caps on non-homesteaded residential and commercial property would drop from 10% to 5% beginning January 1, 2027.
- A state trust fund was included to help local governments offset losses — but staff revealed that as of the previous evening, that trust fund had been removed from the legislation.
Making matters more difficult for St. Johns County specifically: more than 53% of the county’s property tax revenuecomes from homesteaded properties, compared to a statewide average of about 31%. A full elimination of homestead property taxes would remove over $200 million from the county’s current $400 million property tax base.
Commissioner Taylor presented a simplified breakdown: subtracting $113 million from a $400 million budget leaves $287 million. Of that, the sheriff’s office and fire department together currently consume approximately $250 million. That would leave only $37 million to fund parks, drainage, veterans services, health and human services, elections, libraries, and all other county functions for a county of 350,000 people.
“If people will have the facts, they can go into the polls and if they want to vote to abolish the parks department, they can do that with their eyes wide open,” Taylor said. “That is their right. They have the right to go in and vote on that item — but I think we need to present the facts about the impact.”
The board reached consensus to direct staff to prepare a factual informational sheet for residents — not advocating for or against the amendment, but explaining what the financial impact would be.
County Administrator Andrews also informed the board that in response to the potential reform, staff has already begun evaluating tiered service levels, pursuing a stronger fee recovery model, pausing uncommitted long-term contracts, and placing a temporary hold on new hiring for positions where no offer has been made. “We are really leaving no stone unturned in terms of how we can protect the level of service we provide,” Andrews said.
This article is based on the official St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners meeting transcript from June 2, 2026. Note: The source transcript was compiled from uncorrected closed captioning and some words may have been transcribed imprecisely.
