Anti Paid Parking referendum drive scores early success in collecting signatures

As the Fernandina Beach City Commission moves forward with selecting a vendor for a proposed downtown paid parking program on Tuesday, citizens opposed to the plan obtained hundreds of signatures over the weekend in their efforts to ultimately put the issue before voters.

Under Section 141 of the Fernandina Beach City Charter, registered city voters have the power to propose or amend ordinances through the initiative process. The section also allows voters to force a referendum if the City Commission fails to adopt a proposed ordinance without changes.

The 'No Paid Parking' group conducted petition drives Saturday at the Farmer's Market and A1A Cidery and Sunday at Hola Cuba Cafe and Ash Street Cigar Parlor. Organizers estimated they had collected about 650 petitions at the events. Petitions must be signed by at least 10% of registered voters from the last regular city election in 2024 to qualify for a ballot referendum. Paid parking opponent Paul Lore said the group hopes to have 1,100 signatures or more to present to the Nassau County Supervisor of Elections to be certified.

"We're hoping that people in city leadership positions will start listening to citizens who don't want paid parking in downtown," Lore said. "But they're (city commission) moving forward (picking a vendor) and so are we in an effort to have residents be able to vote on this."

About 400 petition signatures were collected Saturday

Once the supervisor of elections certifies the petition signature, City Clerk Caroline Best has 20 days to certify the petition’s sufficiency.

If deemed sufficient, the City Commission has 60 days to adopt the proposed petition ordinance without changes. If the commission refuses, the measure would be sent to voters on the November 2026 ballot.

The proposed ballot language reads: The City of Fernandina Beach shall not implement paid parking in any designated area without majority approval (50% plus one) vote from a public referendum of registered city voters.

"All we're trying to do is just say if any big policy decision like this comes up (before the commission) in the future, just let it go to a vote by the citizens not five commissioners," Lore said.

If a majority of voters approve the proposed ordinance at the referendum, it becomes law immediately after certification of election results. It cannot be repealed or amended except by a supermajority vote of the City Commission.

The process gives opponents of the paid parking plan a legal path to halt or overturn the city’s actions — if they can gather enough signatures quickly.

With the Commission scheduled to select a vendor for the parking program Tuesday, the referendum drive sets up a test of speed and organization: whether the city finalizes a contract before opponents can certify their petition, or whether the petition effort suspends the plan and sends the decision directly to the ballot box.

Once the city selects a management firm to run the paid parking program, staff will negotiate a contract with that vendor that subsequently requires approval by the city commission. Once the contract is approved, a paid parking ordinance will be brought before the commission.