for Our Communities ? by Howard M . Holley
“ I am driven from an economic standpoint as a commissioner to encourage and support economic development because this county has a history of growth ,” said Henry Dean , chairman of the St . Johns County Board of County Commissioners . “ But the growth is a growth of residents , not so much business .”
Dean said economic growth is “ a very high priority ,” especially since many St . Johns residents work outside the county , mostly in Jacksonville .
“ What that means is we have a limited amount of tax revenue coming from business and commercial interests ,” he said . “ Commercial business revenue is really the preferred source of revenue because they have very few demands for service .”
The imbalance between property tax revenue from residential homeowners and commercial interests is not unique to St . Johns County , Dean said . But the county ’ s strong growth over the past 20 years has exacerbated the situation in his jurisdiction .
The county ’ s population has jumped from 100,000 residents in 2000 to 300,000 in 2020 , making it one of the fastest-growing areas in the state . But that growth puts pressure on the county ’ s infrastructure and keeps a heavier ad valorem tax burden on homeowners , creating a delicate balancing act for elected officials .
“ My role , I think , as a commissioner is to promote economic development , maintain and enhance environmental beauty ,” Dean said . “ If we can maintain our quality of life and maintain our infrastructure and we can encourage economic growth , I will be a happy camper .”
Henry Dean
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