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Candidates tell Fernandina voters they oppose paid parking, offer budget-based alternatives
Summary
At a Fernandina Observer forum, all three seat 4 candidates said they oppose paid parking and recommended a mix of budget cuts, targeted grants and negotiated resident exemptions to replace lost revenue if voters eliminate paid parking.
Candidates at the Fernandina Observer forum spoke in unison about paid parking, but they proposed different ways to replace any lost municipal revenue. "I'm against paid parking. I think it was done wrong," Scott English said, arguing for resident exemptions and moving some charges off-street.
Stacy McMonagle said eliminating paid parking must be followed by a sustained budget review and department-level reductions: "We need to consistently look at our budget and find ways to get our budget back down where it needs to be." Len Krieger said he would wait for referendum outcomes before supporting removal and noted broader tax-law changes (the homestead-exemption debate) complicate revenue forecasts. Candidates suggested hiring additional grant-writing capacity, negotiating county assistance and delaying capital projects as tools to offset revenue losses.
