This week, a City Council committee formed to review the St. Johns River Ferry is expected to review draft legislation to create a commission to find funding for the operation.
Council member Bill Gulliford, chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on Funding the St. Johns River Ferry, wants to create a standing commission to operate, maintain, fund and oversee the St. Johns River Ferry.
Gulliford has drafted an ordinance to create the commission as one of the latest ideas to help save the ferry, which links Florida A1A across the St. Johns River at Mayport.
The Jacksonville Port Authority currently funds the service, but decided to end its support Sept. 30. The JPA cited operating costs of about $680,000 a year and another estimated $4 million in needed repairs.
Gulliford distributed the draft legislation to his committee colleagues last week to be discussed Thursday.
The commission would act as a “vehicle for funding,” he said. As proposed, it would consist of seven members comprising two appointees by the mayor, four by Council and one by the Council president.
All would have “a demonstrated interested in the preservation of service of the Mayport Ferry,” according to the draft legislation.
It would meet at least monthly.
“I think we have to start somewhere,” Gulliford said.
Council member Greg Anderson asked for a “starting point” of how much funding is needed and $500,000 was discussed.
Council Auditor Kirk Sherman listed some potential savings, revenues and improved practices, including requiring receipts for all cash transactions, raising fares, reducing or eliminating free rides, advertising on ticket books and on the ferry and marketing the ferry as a tourist attraction.
He also suggested pursuing “all the grants you can” from the federal government.
Mayport resident Mikki Baldwin told the committee she thought the ferry could compete for several federal grants, but not by Sept. 30.
The mention of potential funding from the City’s general fund was immediately discarded.
“You can quickly draw a line through that one,” Gulliford said. “I don’t think that one is going to fly.”
Also discussed were possible Tourist Development Council funds and historic preservation funds and creation of a special tax increment district.
Committee member Ray Holt said a special taxing district was “worthy of exploring” and could be put on the ballot this summer after creating a map of its boundaries.
“You’ve got people who are benefiting the most contributing to it and I think that’s a fair way to approach it,” Holt said.
Holt also mentioned Florida Inland Navigation District funds for operations if approved at the state level. He said the funds currently can be used only for capital projects.
The committee is scheduled to meets at 4 p.m. Thursday at City Hall.
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