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County moves to allow legal notices on public website; first hearing clears way to second hearing May 20
Summary
The board held the first of two public hearings to amend the code to allow statutorily permitted legal advertisements to be published on a county website instead of or in addition to newspapers; staff cited potential cost savings and a vendor contract of roughly $30,000.
St. Lucie County commissioners held the first of two public hearings on an ordinance that would allow publication of certain legally required advertisements and public notices on the countywebsite instead of newspaper print, if doing so is less costly. Assistant County Attorney Catherine Barbieri summarized the change, citing a recent amendment to Chapter 50 of the Florida Statutes that permits government agencies to publish statutory legal advertisements on a publicly accessible county website if it is less expensive than newspaper publication.
Barbieri said the county has determined that website publication would cost less; the proposed contract with a vendor to provide notices on the county site is approximately $30,000. "St. Lucie County has spent between $100,000 to $150,000 in legal print ads each year," she told the board. Eric Gill, the county communications director, said vendor selection included a committee of representatives from cities, the school board and constitutional officers.
Barbieri said the ordinance requires a second public hearing, currently scheduled for May 20, 2025, at which the Board would consider final adoption. Commissioners asked whether other Florida counties had adopted similar practices; Barbieri and staff said Broward, Palm Beach, Leon and Volusia counties already use similar web publication approaches. No members of the public spoke on the item during the meeting.
Commissioner Clardy said the online option would increase accessibility for readers who use online news sources and the web. The Board voted to advance the measure to the required second public hearing on May 20, 2025.
