City of Fernandina Beach Commissioner Seat 1
The Fernandina Beach City Commission consists of five citizens who are elected at large, including the Mayor who presides at all meetings of the Commission. Non partisan; 4-year term, $12,000 salary
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Bradley M. Bean
(NOP)
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Joyce M. Tuten
(NOP)
What motivated you to run for this office?
What training and experience qualify you for this position?
What do you see as the most pressing issues for this office and how do you propose to address them?
The Florida Legislature has passed a number of laws that directly impact the ability of local governments to implement regulations in their local community. Do you see these new laws as a help or a hindrance to local governments?
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Fernandina is at a critical tipping point. The majority of the current City Commission wants to make it easier for developers to subdivide single family home lots and increase our density. This will destroy neighborhood character and increase tree removal. The natural beauty of Amelia Island is the economic engine of the City. We must protect our natural assets in order to protect our economic resilience. Tourists come here and residents stay because we have unmatched beauty and a large historic district. Fernandina is headed down a road of destruction that has ruined too many Florida beach towns. I am running for City Commission to protect our quality of life, protect our neighborhood character and protect our future economic resilience.
My M.S. in Nutritional Biochemistry gives me the analytical skills to integrate information for complex decision making. As a retired science teacher, I can communicate issues to foster transparency. I have the time and energy to serve. I served 4 years on a city Sustainability Committee, winning the county Sustainability Award. During my husband’s deployment, I was awarded the US Army Heart of Victory award as the Family Readiness Group leader. Thousands of volunteer hours with Big Sisters, PTO Boards, athletic Boards, coaching, the Conserve Nassau Board, turtle patrol, shorebird stewarding, invasive plant removal, and playing division 1 college soccer, have all taught me the team building skills necessary to find collaborative solutions.
The City must put citizen safety first and fund our Police and Fire Chief staffing needs. We must strengthen our laws that prevent chemical manufacturing in the city limits. We must create a detailed Hurricane Recovery plan that will get businesses back on their feet to provide goods and services to citizens. We must protect the historic district from flooding. Timely completion of the seawall and enhancing living shoreline grasses and oyster beds is critical. The City must work to protect our quality of life. We can grow to intolerable levels or we can take charge of our future. Our economy is secure when we protect our natural beauty and small-town feel. We must strengthen our laws that protect neighborhood character and our tree canopy.
The State undermines enforcement of local laws that best meet our needs. We are denied the right to protect our trees, dunes and wetlands. Our weakened resiliency contributes to rising insurance rates. The Bert Harris Act lets developers threaten officials over land usage. It weakens our laws and makes tree removal easier. Our fragile barrier island relies on maritime forest for beauty and sense of place, but also for storm protection. The ‘Live Local Act’ fails to reduce rental costs and allows developers to disingenuously make affordable housing claims. State laws allow short-term rentals to multiply, further impacting the housing crisis. The state doesn’t consider the long-term impact on our unique community and threatens our livelihood.
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