St Augustine residents turned out by the dozens last night, only to have their hopes dashed after city manager John Regan’s sophomoric attempt to boost support for his “pet commissioner” Nancy Sikes Kline and a thinly veiled attempt to save his job. Regan’s poor management and poor decision-making in the highly-paid position has been challenged by social friend and vice-mayor Commissioner Todd Neville as well as Mayor Nancy Shaver, putting Regan’s job only one vote away from termination.

“Three strikes and you’re out” is the call for ubiquitous political candidate Thomas F. Reynolds, after Historic City News learned that he has withdrawn from a contest against St Augustine Beach Commissioner Undine C. George, who Supervisor of Elections Vicky Oakes reports is therefor elected by default.

The City of St Augustine is clearly recognized for many things, but except for mis-management, poor-management, overpaid-management, or self-serving-management; professional management is not one of them. The latest example of lost opportunity for the city under John Regan’s underqualified management is the announcement that, in the next few months, any revenue from non-government owned parking lots will dry up.

A popular point-of-view among Historic City News readers is that property owners should have the final say in what happens to the real estate they own.  When you buy real estate, you are buying a bundle of rights — everything from mineral rights underground to “air rights” above.

Supervisor of Elections Vicky Oakes reported to Historic City News today that the Elections Office has received calls from voters reporting suspicious requests from groups presumably attempting to get potential electors registered to vote in the November General Election.

Historic City News has found occasion to criticize “legal advice” given by the city attorney, Isabelle Lopez, that is often blindly followed by members of the St Augustine City Commission without question or obtaining a second, independent opinion.  Although Lopez was quick to lead the city to a “constitutional attorney” to re-write our local panhandling ordinance, she dictates that the city police, city manager, and commissioners remain “hands off” because of her interpretation of constitutional law when it comes to violations at the hands of Ronald Rawls.

On Thursday, September 13, 2018 Historic City News readers are invited to attend a joint meeting of the city’s Planning and Zoning Board and the Historic Architectural Review Board when they take up the review and update of the King Street entry corridor.

The meeting will start at 2:00 p.m. in the Alcazar Room, located off the courtyard at City Hall, 75 King Street.