Clay County adopts $780.6 million final budget and millage; board approves range of permits, rezonings and contracts

The Clay County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 23 adopted final millage rates and a $780,630,570 fiscal year 2025–26 budget and approved a slate of items including renewal of a private EMS certificate, several rezonings, the dissolution of a recently created community development district and an insurance renewal.

The board approved the millage and budget in separate roll-call votes after holding the statutorily required public hearing. County staff said the adopted aggregate operating millage is 8.5854 mills, 7.88% above the rollback rate; the budget totals $780,630,570, inclusive of the Lake Asbury Municipal Service Benefit District amount reported on the budget roll. The board voted to adopt the resolutions and the budget during the second public hearing on the budget and millage.

Board members also approved a public convenience-and-necessity renewal for AmeriPro EMS of Florida LLC, a purchase-and-sale for a small parcel needed for the bonded transportation program, and several land-use and zoning requests. The board approved a motion to accept a property-and-casualty insurance renewal recommended by the county’s broker but directed staff to review the county’s relationship with the broker after commissioners pressed staff that a competing quote from a public trust appeared lower.

"For this fiscal year we are adopting the millage and the budget as advertised," the county manager told the board before votes. The clerk of court provided an update earlier in the meeting on Value Adjustment Board petitions and filing statistics.

The board also adopted ceremonial proclamations recognizing National Recovery Month and National Fire Prevention Week and proclaimed Sept. 24 Orange Park Mall Day; those proclamations passed without recorded opposition.

Votes at a glance

- Final millage rates and budget — adopted. Motion(s): separate roll-call votes adopted the final millage (aggregate 8.5854 mills) and the FY 2025–26 budget, $780,630,570 (inclusive of Lake Asbury MSBD). Outcome: approved (roll-call recorded as passed).

- AmeriPro EMS COPCN renewal (Class B, C, D) — approved. Outcome: approved (5–0).

- Oakleaf community development district — ordinance to dissolve district — approved. Outcome: approved (5–0).

- Comprehensive Plan amendment COP25-0004 (Brannonfield to Master Plan Community for ~0.6 acre) — approved. Outcome: approved (4–1).

- ZON25-0025 (rezoning ~2 acres on County Road 220 to PS-3 for ambulatory surgical center/medical offices) — approved. Outcome: approved (7–0 recommendation from planning commission; board approved 5–0).

- ZON25-0019 (rezoning ~5 acres in Clay Hill overlay from BA-2 to BB-3 with a development agreement for outdoor storage restrictions) — approved. Outcome: approved (5–0).

- Parcel 617 purchase for bonded transportation program (fee simple + easements) — approved. Outcome: approved (5–0). Purchase price recorded in agenda materials.

- County property & casualty insurance renewal (broker: Brown & Brown; carrier: PGIT) — approved with directions to review broker relationship. Outcome: approved (5–0). Commissioners directed staff to confirm apples-to-apples quotes and pursue best-and-final pricing next year.

- Stewardship-district items (local bill) — the board passed the statutory resolution of no-objection for the Feed Mill stewardship district (5–0). The board approved a written letter of support for Feed Mill and for the Chateaune stewardship district by 3–2 votes.

What the board said and next steps

County staff said the advertising and public-notice requirements for the budget and millage were met; the public hearing closed with no public speakers on the budget. Chief Mok (Fire Rescue) and other staff briefed the board on code requirements before the AmeriPro public hearing; the county’s medical director and office of management and budget provided written approvals for the COPCN renewal.

Several rezoning items came to the board after planning commission review and community advisory committee input. The board voted to approve the ambulatory-surgery center zoning after the applicant removed retail uses from the earlier PUD application; staff said the site and zoning are consistent with the comprehensive plan. The board approved the tire-service rezoning in the Clay Hill overlay with planning-commission recommended conditions and said required buffers and the overlay standards will apply.

On insurance, commissioners pressed the broker and staff about a lower quote from a public entity trust (FMIT). Brown & Brown representatives told the board they had bid other lines in the open market and said differences reflected differing exposures quoted; commissioners asked staff to confirm that future quotes are apples-to-apples and to re-open procurement options if needed.

Several administrative and consent items were approved as listed on the agenda; one consent item (Item 20, insurance) was pulled for discussion and handled separately.

Provenance (selected evidence spans)

- Budget adoption: evidence_excerpt: "The fiscal year 2025-26 aggregate operating millage rate is 8.5854 mils... The Clay County Board of County Commissioners must approve 2 separate resolutions as part of this public hearing." (transcript time 4375.375–4438.575). reason_code: topicintro

- AmeriPro COPCN public hearing and approval: evidence_excerpt: "The ordinance requires that the fire chief analyze the application... To date, we've not received any comment... Clay County Fire Rescue has found that it is in the best interest of the county for the board to grant the request... Move approval. Second motion." (transcript time 4138.0303–4301.4453). reason_code: topicintro

- Insurance discussion and vote: evidence_excerpt: "I'm going to propose... I'm gonna recommend a motion to go with Brown and Brown with the caveat that we've reviewed our relationship..." and broker response from Brown and Brown. (transcript time 7601.29–8371.265). reason_code: topicintro

Speakers (attributions used in article)

- Tara Green — Clerk of the Court and Comptroller (government). First referenced: Value Adjustment Board update (transcript 3012.015–3041.555). - Chief Mok — Fire Rescue Chief (government). First referenced: COPCN public hearing (transcript 4138.0303–4182.2354). - Ed Dendor — Transportation Program Administrator (government). First referenced: County Road 218 presentation setup (transcript 8383.851–8425.825). - Chris Evangelist — Senior business consultant, Florida SBDC at UNF (nonprofit). First referenced: SBDC presentation (transcript 2108.5051–2128.1602). - Molly Grande — Brown & Brown insurance representative (business). First referenced: response to commissioners on insurance bids (transcript 8008.685–8114.515). - Wes Haber — Counsel for stewardship districts (attorney, business). First referenced during stewardship-district discussion (transcript 13137.8–13149.245).

Clarifying details

- Budget total: $780,630,570 (inclusive of Lake Asbury MSBD). Source: county staff presentation and adopted resolution (transcript 4647.035–4688.9897). - Aggregate operating millage: 8.5854 mills; rollback was 7.958 mills; increase ~7.88% (transcript 4375.375–4417.285). - Insurance quotes: Brown & Brown/PGIT proposal and FMIT/FACT quotes discussed; commissioners asked staff to verify apples-to-apples comparisons and to review broker relationship (transcript 7726.315–7921.715).

Community relevance

- Geographies: Countywide; Lake Asbury MSBD; County Road 218 corridor (Middleburg/Clay Hill). - Impact groups: All county property taxpayers (millage/budget); EMS providers and ambulance service areas (COPCN); small-business and commercial property owners along County Road 218; residents of areas affected by rezonings and stewardship districts.

Searchable tags: ["budget","millage","AmeriPro","COPCN","rezoning","insurance","County Road 218","stewardship district","Oakleaf","Clay County"]

Salience (editorial judgments)

- overall: 0.75 — county budget and multiple land-use votes are high local importance - impact_scope: "local" — affects Clay County residents - attention_level: "high" — budget adoption and insurance discussion drew sustained board attention