Petition drive to recall Fernandina Beach commissioners Poynter/Minshew starts this week

A citizen-led effort to recall Fernandina Beach City Commissioners Tim Poynter and Genece Minshew will begin collecting signatures this week, with organizers scheduling multiple public signing events starting Saturday at the downtown farmer's market.

The recall effort follows the City Commission’s recent approval of a paid parking program for downtown Fernandina Beach which is set to begin Feb. 16. The recall effort is being organized by opponents of the measure who say commissioners ignored public opposition.

Roger Martin, a local real estate agent on the Facebook group Recall FB 2026, announced the effort in a post last Saturday, describing the recall as a last resort.

“This is the last thing we want to do. Let me repeat that: THIS IS THE LAST THING we want to do!” Martin wrote. “But we feel we have no choice.”

According to a flyer circulated by the group, the petition signing will begin Saturday at the Downtown Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by additional events through Feb. 7 at locations including The Boathouse, Ash Street Cigar, PJD’s, and the 14th & Lime Street farmers' market.

Martin said the recall is motivated in part by statements from commissioners suggesting they could override a future voter-approved ban on paid parking if such a referendum passes in November.

“Commissioners have stated they will override the vote if it passes in November to ban public parking, so much for the idea of representative government,” he wrote.

Martin said the recall effort is focused on only two commissioners is in order to break what he described as a supermajority supporting paid parking.

“Our mission is to break the supermajority when the measure passes to ban paid parking on the November ballot, so we only need two to do that,” Martin wrote.

He said cost and complexity were also factors.

“This process, governed by Florida law, is difficult (as it should be) to navigate for one commissioner; we need to do it for two, making it twice as hard,” he wrote. “Yes, all four deserve to be recalled, but we want to be successful, so we will begin with two.”

The paid parking initiative was also approved by Mayor James Antun and Commissioner Joyce Tuten. Vice Mayor Darron Ayscue voted in opposition.

Municipal recalls in Florida are governed by Florida Statutes §100.361, which establishes a two-stage petition process.

Only registered voters who live within the City of Fernandina Beach are eligible to sign the recall petitions.

The first step requires organizers to collect signatures within a 30-day window. Martin said the group will need approximately 1,600 valid signatures for each commissioner during this initial round, meaning each participating voter must sign two separate petitions.

Once collected, the petitions are filed with Fernandina Beach City Clerk Caroline Best, who forwards them to the Nassau County Supervisor of Elections for verification. Neither the clerk nor the supervisor evaluates the truth or merit of the stated recall reasons; their role is limited to verifying signatures and procedural compliance.

If the initial petitions are certified, the targeted commissioners are served with the recall language and given an opportunity to submit a 200-word written defense. They can also challenge the legality of the recall as stated on the petition in Nassau County Circuit Court. A judge would then rule on whether the petition language meets the state requirements.

If the process advances, organizers must conduct a second petition round, known as the “Recall Petition and Defense,” which includes both the recall grounds and the commissioner’s response.

“In this round, we will need about 2,000 signatures and must complete it within 45 days,” Martin wrote.

State law requires signatures from 15 percent of the city’s registered voters during this second phase.

If that threshold is met and certified, the commissioner has five days to resign. If no resignation is submitted, a recall election is scheduled by the circuit court.

Petition signing schedule

According to the group’s flyer, petition signing events are scheduled as follows:

• Saturday, Jan. 31 – Downtown Farmers Market, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

• Tuesday, Feb. 3 – The Boathouse, 4–7 p.m., 305 S. 2nd St.

• Wednesday, Feb. 4 – 14th & Lime Street Farmers Market, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

• Thursday, Feb. 5 – Ash Street Cigar, 5–8 p.m., 406 Ash St.

• Friday, Feb. 6 – PJD’s, 12–4 p.m., 12 S. 2nd St.

• Saturday, Feb. 7 – Downtown Farmers Market, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.