Government

Melissa Wissel, Communications Director for the City of St Augustine, informed local Historic City News reporters that former mayor, George M Gardner, died yesterday, Tuesday, April 6, 2021.  Gardner would have turned 84-years-old next month on May 23rd.  Flags at City Hall will be lowered to half-staff to honor the life of this mayor of the people, on a date to be determined.  George Gardner came into office as mayor and served the citizens from 2002 until 2006.  He concluded his six-years in elected office at the City of St Augustine as a commissioner from 2006 until 2008.

Read more

During their Tuesday regular meeting on March 16th, County Administrator Hunter Conrad presented a broad set of goals for the purpose of establishing the official “vision” for St Johns County planning.  Historic City News has previously reported that, together with St Augustine City Manager John Regan, the somewhat ambiguous vision is said to influence the virtually autonomous administrators as they go about their decision-making on a day-to-day basis.

Read more

St Augustine City Commissioners moved during their Monday evening meeting to approve a series of bills currently in the state legislature.  The City is represented by a professional lobbyist.  They are also members of the Florida League of Cities who regularly lobby the legislature on matters of interest to Florida’s local municipal governments.

Read more

Historic City News has reported in the past on several “false flag” indications, both from the department and from City Hall, that the police department was attempting to achieve accreditation. But in 2019, the city manager, John P Regan, put some money behind the talk and hired a new employee specifically for the purpose of getting the department in position to achieve accreditation. 

Read more

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement to Historic City News after voting to acquit former President Donald Trump.  In that statement, he explained his view of the attack on the Capitol on January 6th as well as his reasoning based on his understanding of the United States Constitution, trials by the Senate, and political overreach at the hands of moral opportunists trying to bully a former president of the United States.

Read more

St Johns County Clerk of Court Brandon Patty is on a mission to gain an additional county court judge; a measure he says will help cure “unacceptable delays” in our local court system. 

Read more

Former Mayor Nancy Shaver may be one of Historic City News’ best qualified sources of current information and most familiar with the resiliency issues facing St. Johns County.  While in office, she traveled as part of a Florida delegation to the Netherlands to learn first-hand about technological solutions to sea level rise, including resiliency measures for nuisance flooding and storm surge.

Read more

Communications and Events Coordinator Melinda Conlon reported to Historic City News that at the City Commission Meeting on Monday, January 4, 2021, the City of St. Augustine Beach elected its Mayor, Vice Mayor and installed two Commissioners.

Read more