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Anti Paid Parking Petition effort has strong weekend
As the Fernandina Beach City Commission moves forward with selecting a vendor for a proposed downtown paid parking program on Tuesday, citizens opposed to the plan obtained hundreds of signatures over the weekend in their efforts to ultimately put the issue before voters.
"We're hoping that people in city leadership positions will start listening to citizens who don't want paid parking in downtown," Lore said. "But they're (city commission) moving forward (picking a vendor) and so are we in an effort to have residents be able to vote on this."
The proposed ballot language reads: The City of Fernandina Beach shall not implement paid parking in any designated area without majority approval (50% plus one) vote from a public referendum of registered city voters.
"All we're trying to do is just say if any big policy decision like this comes up (before the commission) in the future, just let it go to a vote by the citizens not five commissioners," Lore said.
If a majority of voters approve the proposed ordinance at the referendum, it becomes law immediately after certification of election results. It cannot be repealed or amended except by a supermajority vote of the City Commission.
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PaulaM
Looks like the PEOPLE are speaking…
Monday, August 18, 2025 Report this
AlexShonnard
Paid parking is stupid.
Get a competent contractor in to lease space and build a parking garage they then operate and pay the city. It would cost the city nothing.
How can registered voters who are not on the island this summer sign the portion to block this inane paid parking idea?
Ps. In our 15 years on the island we’ve never had trouble parking.
Monday, August 18, 2025 Report this
DouglasM
It will be interesting to see if the Commission continues to move forward Tuesday. With this effort to mandate a referendum going on, a motion to "postpone to a time certain" might be a good move for now. It would be highly embarrassing for the Commission to make a decision to implement paid parking, only to have it overturned by the citizens (who have been clamoring for a referendum for months). Wait to see if the referendum comes to pass.
Do not make the mistake of thinking the most vocal residents who speak at the meetings against paid parking are in a minority. Everyone I have talked to is against it........
Monday, August 18, 2025 Report this
Mark Tomes
Just some thoughts: Paid parking will put our downtown on a whole 'nother level. Gone will be the quaint and cozy atmosphere of downtown. Seeing the parking meters and machines will be an intrusion, in favor of people who have money over families and tourists who are here on a budget. The paid parking vote was already a supermajority, four to one, so the city commission could overturn even the citizen's referendum, if they keep the same vote. An election is costly, as well. There's room for parking structures just two or three blocks away from downtown. And like another commenter, I've never had trouble parking within a couple blocks of Center Street.
Thursday, August 21, 2025 Report this
DouglasM
Mark Tomes.....yes, a super majority can overturn the referendum (Sec 141).....however, it is one thing to vote for paid parking now and quite another to vote to overturn the will of the people once that becomes known (especially if it's the 80-20 issue one Commissioner predicts). So it is important for the initiative to continue at full speed.
The FBCC's only hope to preserve it would be to make paid parking as palatable to residents and businesses as possible in the implementation phase.....but with the issues other municipalities have had, I don't give that much hope.
Saturday, August 23, 2025 Report this