Marion County adopts ordinance allowing legal notices on county website; board approves related LDC updates

Marion County commissioners on Sept. 16 voted to allow the county to publish some legally required public notices on a Marion County-operated, publicly accessible website instead of in local newspapers — a change authorized by state law in 2023.

The ordinance passed 4-1 (Commissioner Curry dissenting) after staff and public testimony. Deputy county attorney Dana Oluski told the board the change would let the county post notices on its website as an alternative to newspaper publication if the county finds it would be less expensive and meets accessibility requirements. The ordinance requires a conspicuous link on the county site, a staff-signed proof of publication for web postings and an annual in-print notice to alert residents to the web option.

In a related set of votes the board also approved three land development code amendments (items 6.2–6.4) clarifying how the county may use the publicly accessible website for legal advertisements, including a standardized display size for certain LDC amendment notices. Those amendments passed unanimously.

Staff and several members of the public debated the change at length. Oluski said the website option preserves the existing newspaper route while providing an alternative that county attorneys and staff expect will be more efficient and less costly over time. She told commissioners the county currently spends roughly $60,000–$75,000 a year on legal ads but budgets more than that ($228,000) to accommodate heavy ad years; that budgeted amount could be reduced if the website option is used. Auditor/budget director Audrey Fowler later confirmed the county spent about $62,000 in 2024 and $60,000 in 2023 on legal advertising; the $228,000 figure is a budget estimate.

Some speakers from Florida newspapers urged caution. Carolyn Nolte of the Florida Press Association and Jennifer Mertie of the Ocala Gazette told commissioners that many readers still rely on printed notice and that a survey the association cited indicated residents expect notices in newspapers. Journalists also argued newspapers provide independent verification of publication. The Ocala Gazette’s representative said local papers can often publish notices more quickly than larger papers and urged the county to preserve a combination of web and print notices during a transition.

Several residents told the board they support the web option if the county retains safeguards: an annual in-print notice, strong search and archival features on the website, an ability for residents to sign up for email or first-class mail alerts, and firm public records and proof-of-publication procedures. Deputy county attorney Oluski said the proposed ordinance requires searchable archives and a staff-signed proof of publication and that county staff plan to create a policy and workflow before moving fully to web-only publication for any category of notice.

Commissioner Curry dissented on the main ordinance vote, saying he worried about removing the traditional print avenue and about the county having to absorb additional responsibilities if municipalities or other local governmental entities choose to use the county’s site. Commissioners Zalick, McLean, Stone and McLean said the change will modernize the county’s publishing process, reduce delays caused by newspaper deadlines and could increase accessibility for residents who use email and mobile devices.

The board directed staff to return with implementation details and a proposed policy establishing which types of notices would be web-only and how municipalities could join the system. Staff said eligible notices would include many land-use items, code-enforcement notices and other county legal advertisements; land-use and mailed notice requirements already in the LDC would remain in place and the LDC amendments approved by the board clarify how the web option interacts with existing mailed or posted notice requirements.

The board’s actions: item 6.1 (ordinance making county website an alternative to newspapers) passed 4-1; items 6.2–6.4 (LDC edits to permit web publication option and set ad style rules) passed unanimously. Staff said they will return with a policy and an estimate of any additional staff time or IT costs before the county phases in the web option.