CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK $1.00 FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 /20 PAGES, 2 SECTIONS • fbnewsleader.com Soothing Ocean Breeze? City endorses lower tax rate ANGELA DAUGHTRY News-Leader School board For the first time in years, the city’s adopts rate “rollback” millage rate will actually be rolling back instead of forward. The Nassau County School City commissioners on Tuesday Board adopted its tentative prop- approved a decrease in the total ten- erty tax rate and budget Monday tative operating property tax rate from night. The tentative local property 6.5080 mills for last fiscal year to 6.3663 tax rate is 5.068 mills, the tenta- mills for fiscal 2014-15. tive discretionary millage is 0.748 The actual operating rollback rate mills and the tentative capital is 6.1021, with a voter-approved debt of improvement millage is 1.4 mills. 0.2642. The tentative budget is $155.8 That means property owners million. Construction projects next whose homes have not increased in year include a new elementary value will see a 2 percent decrease in school in Yulee. their tax bills next year. Those whose The final budget hearing is properties have increased may see a scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 8 at slight increase in their property taxes. the school district, 1201 Atlantic The rollback millage rate is Ave., Fernandina Beach. required by state law to guarantee that property taxes will generate the same revenues as the previous year. It has nance, and once approved cannot be been increased annually since at least increased, but may be decreased. 2008 because of declining property Tuesday’s unanimous vote by the values. four commissioners present came with Fortunately for city taxpayers next no discussion. Commissioner Charles year, the city had a 3 percent overall Corbett was absent. increase in property values, accord- In 2008, the rollback rate was ing to numbers from the Nassau increased to 3.9922 from the previous PHOTOS BY MARY MAGUIRE/NEWS-LEADER year’s rate of 3.8359, to generate the Construction crews work to clear land Wednesday for the new Ocean Breeze subdivision north of the County Property Appraiser’s Office. same amount of income for the city as airport on Amelia Island, above. Paul Alexander of Besch & Smith in St. Augustine, below, said he This increase resulted in a city staff in the previous year. It has been has fielded complaints from neighbors. recommendation to adopt the lower rollback rate. increased annually by the city com- According to calculations by the mission since then, until this year. city finance department, that means for The city budget for 2014-15 must be a property valued at $100,000, there finalized before the new fiscal year will be a decrease of about $14.17 in begins Oct. 1. annual property taxes if the home has Budget workshops, for commis- not increased in value. If the property sioners to discuss specific details of the has increased in value by 3 percent 2014-15 budget, are scheduled for ($103,000), there will be an increase of Wednesday at 4 p.m. and Tuesday, $4.93 in property taxes. Aug. 12 at 4 p.m. According to state statute, the mill- age rate can only be adjusted by ordi- CITY Continued on 3A County to hire 3 firefighters MARY MAGUIRE is an engineer with the county’s fire News-Leader department. County officials said they have been Three new firefighters will join the spending more money to provide serv- county’s Fire Rescue Department. ice on the county’s West Side since The county commission unani- ending agreements last October with mously approved a plan at the Monday the volunteer department. They say it night meeting to hire the firefighters in is a necessity. Hydrants are virtually an effort to avoid continued overtime non-existent in Nassau County west of costs staffing a tanker truck. I-95. When the new hires would join the Commission Chair Barry Holloway department was not set, but an official asked County Manager Ted Selby to in the county manager’s office said the weigh in on the matter. goal was Oct. 1 and that the jobs may “Clearly we need the water,” said be advertised before then. Selby. “If we want to have that water Under the agreement with available 24/7 we need to have it Professional Firefighters Local Union manned by our people.” 3101, the plan also calls for the depart- The county owns one water tanker Construction heralds 110 new homes ment to promote three firefighters to and had been relying for years on vol- engineer. unteer departments to bring water to MARY MAGUIRE “Oh my lord, is that what they’re doing?” said Maxine The board also agreed to hold a fires on their tanker trucks. Since the News-Leader Haward. “Wow.” public meeting with leaders from county ended agreements with the vol- The development backs up to the Ocean Reach sub- Hilliard and Callahan to discuss agree- unteers last year, Fire Rescue has had Construction crews with earthmovers and dump division off Will Hardee Road where Haward said she has ments with the volunteer departments. to staff the truck around the clock with trucks are clearing land for a new subdivision with 110 sin- lived for the last 15 years. The meeting is scheduled for Aug. staff on overtime. gle-family houses on 32 acres north of Simmons Road on She was in front of her house Wednesday morning with 13 at 6 p.m. and will be held at Hilliard The county currently maintains an Amelia Island. neighbors talking about the construction project where Town Hall. agreement with one volunteer station. The Ocean Breeze subdivision between South 14th sounds from the equipment could be heard in the back- Officials said adding more staff will That’s Nassau Oaks. But Selby told Street and Seminole Avenue was announced last year ground. save money over the long term. the board that he held meetings through public meetings. The developers are the owners John Joyce said his property backs up to the devel- Commissioner Danny Leeper asked Monday morning with leaders at the of Johnny Myers Truck Service. The company and their opment. for numbers. Ratliff Road volunteer station and in house are located on the property. “There’s a vibration just this morning that loosened my Budget Director and Assistant the afternoon held meetings with vol- In November, the county commission approved a draperies and they fell off the wall,” said Joyce. County Manager Shanea Jones said it unteer leadership in Yulee. request by engineer Nick Gillette of Gillette & Associates “No, I didn’t call the sheriff, but I’ll sign whatever cost the county $323,000 annually to “We’re recommending that they to eliminate a requirement for a left-turn lane into the petition they want me to sign to get it stopped.” staff the tanker with overtime person- both be in the reserve program,” said development from South 14th Street. A sheriff’s deputy showed up at the construction site nel and $220,000 to hire full-time fire- Selby. He also said that while he is Gillette pointed to a traffic study he commissioned that Wednesday morning and spoke with the project super- fighters. hopeful, he doesn’t know at this point said the turn lane wasn’t needed. The board said OK. intendent about noise and code compliance. “So, it’s a savings of $123,000 to if things will work out. But now that trees are coming down, neighbors say have three full-time staff members,” they’re surprised. BREEZE Continued on 3A said Jones. Her husband, Grant Jones, FIRE Continued on 3A News-Leader INDEX OBITUARIES ........................................... 2A SEA TURTLE NESTING SEASON 160th year. No. 62 CLASSIFIEDS ...............................5B OUT AND ABOUT ................. 2B 2014: 103 Hatched: 477 COMMUNITY ............................ 8A RELIGION .................................................. 3B Copyright, 2014 2012 Nests: 189 Hatchlings: 14,096 The News-Leader EDITORIAL .................................. 7A SERVICE DIRECTORY .......................5B Please turn off or redirect lights shining Fernandina Beach, FL HOMES ....................................................... 5B SPORTS .................................................... 10A directly on the beach. For a detailed count Printed on 100% recycled MUSIC NOTES ..................................... 2B SUDOKU ...................................... 2B newsprint with soy based ink. see www.ameliaislandseaturtlewatch.com . CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK 2A FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 NEWS News-Leader OBITUARIES Tips to stay safe Betty Douglas Cochran She was a devoted daughter and an most precious Christmas incredible mother. Her children and grand- gift. in lightning storms (August 1, 1930-July 26, 2014) children knew they were loved immense- Educated in the local Betty Dorothy Douglas Cochran was ly. She remained very close with her former public schools, she was born on August 1, 1930 in Telmore, husband’s entire family. Aunt Betty employed for many years JENNETT BAKER ning is close by. Georgia. A lifelong resident of Waycross, Dorothy was greatly loved and admired as a housekeeper. CREED Executive Director Safety precautions out- Georgia she had been a resident of by all of her numerous nieces and nephews Mrs. Stays was a mem- doors Savannah Grand in Fernandina Beach, and their spouses and always enjoyed being ber of First Missionary Protect yourself and your • If the weather forecast Florida for the past 8 years. around them. Baptist Church, 22 S. 9th St., Fernandina loved ones from lightning calls for thunderstorms, Preceding her in death She passed peacefully and quietly on Beach, Florida, Darien K. Bolden Sr., during a thunderstorm. postpone your trip or activity. were her parents, James Saturday morning just as the sun was Pastor, where she served faithfully on The weather forecast • Remember: When Wesley Douglas and Etha beginning to rise to the accompaniment Usher Board #1 and the Pulpit Aid Board.