A look ahead at the 2025 legislative session

This week, Florida lawmakers will begin the annual legislative session, which will include consideration of hundreds of bills. St. Johns County has an entirely new State Legislative Delegation this year, and we encourage you to contact them directly on issues of importance to your business. 

The Chamber has identified a number of issues to engage on that will have a direct impact on St. Johns County businesses; we’ll keep you updated on those efforts throughout the session.

Elimination of the state sales tax on commercial rent

Florida has taxed the value of commercial rents/leases for many years; it’s the only state in the U.S. that does so. Since the mid-2010s, the Legislature has reduced that tax from 6% to the current 2% (plus half-cent county sales tax as of July 1, 2024), and Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed the elimination of this sales tax in the 2025 budget. The Legislature is likely to either vote to further reduce the tax or eliminate it entirely. The Chamber has strongly supported the elimination of this tax as a way to keep the St. Johns County business community competitive by growing and attracting new businesses to the county.

Why does this matter? This tax becomes an added cost (and potential barrier) to opening and operating a business. Adding the 2.5% tax to a commercial lease every month is money out of your pocket or, at minimum, something to negotiate in your lease.

What can you do? Contact the SJC State Legislative Delegation and urge their strong support for the repeal of the sales tax on commercial rents.

Funding requests for county infrastructure projects

The county has a huge backlog of unfunded road and infrastructure needs. St. Johns County has requested substantial state funding to widen SR16, upgrade SR206, SR207, SR 208 and CR210, and to extend CR2209 and SR312/313. The county has also requested funding to address beach erosion south of the Guana Reserve, as well as funding for the completion of the feasibility study for a transit rail line between Jacksonville and St. Augustine. The Chamber is supporting all of these funding requests to increase mobility around the county, to preserve our beaches that drive tourism and economic development, and to strengthen regional mobility.

Why does this matter? Anyone who drives in St. Johns County knows firsthand the frustrations of not being able to get from Point A to Point B quickly and easily. Businesses are negatively affected as employees cannot get to work in a reasonable amount of time, residents are hesitant to get on the roads to go about their daily activities, and our quality of life suffers as we spend more time in traffic. State funding requests will go a long way to upgrading infrastructure as the county continues to grow and prosper.

What can you do? Urge support of the county legislative delegation for these high priority road and infrastructure investments.

Attainable housing 

St. Johns County has an ongoing attainable housing crisis. The median home price is more than $550,000 and would necessitate an annual income of nearly $200,000, and many workers cannot afford to to live here. Last year, the State Legislature amended the Live Local Act to further incentivize builders and developers to construct more housing at more affordable prices.

Why does this matter? The lack of attainable housing impacts businesses’ ability to expand and hire workers because home prices are simply out of reach for many workers, including first responders and teachers. As workers seek housing outside the county, local employers will struggle to attract and retain employees due to increased commute times and associated costs.

What can you do? Contact our Legislative Delegation members and urge them to support further amendments to the Live Local Act that would encourage builders and developers to increase attainable housing options in the county.

Workforce Development

The Chamber has been actively involved in workforce development for many years. With our partners at First Coast Technical College, St. Johns River State College, the St. Johns County School District and private sector employers, our goal is to develop a well-educated, homegrown talent pipeline that can power local businesses well into the future. The Chamber has facilitated partnerships between our public schools and local employers, promoted SJCSD’s career academies and supported state appropriations and grants designed to grow a strong local workforce.

Why does this matter? Employers need a pipeline of qualified workers to fuel growth and prosperity. Developing homegrown talent not only provides jobs for St. Johns County residents, but also it helps ensure a solid future for our local economy. We need young people to stay in St. Johns County, find work in St. Johns County and keep our momentum moving forward.

What can I do? To get involved in local workforce development programs or to learn how your business can benefit from the many available programs, contact Scott Maynard, the Chamber’s senior vice president of economic development and public policy. You can also encourage these programs by sharing support for state and federal funding for workforce development in the county.

Tourism Development

As St. Johns County’s largest sector, a strong tourism and hospitality industry is vital to the economic well-being of our community. The Chamber has long supported tourism development efforts, including Visit Florida, the state’s nonprofit tourism development corporation, which assists bringing visitors to areas like St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra Beach. The Chamber also strongly opposes any effort to divert tourist tax revenues away from localities or to allocate the revenues to fund non-tourism related programs.

Why does this matter? Visitors to St. Johns County spend billions of dollars here each year, supporting many sectors of the economy. According to county data, in 2023 visitors spent more than $2.4 billion locally. Additionally, the county’s Tourism Development Tax (paid primarily by non-local tourists) provides more $23 million annually to support the local tourism and hospitality industry, allowing businesses to hire more workers and improve their facilities. 

What can I do? Contact members of the county’s State Legislative Delegation to let them know how important tourism funding is for St. Johns County, including the need for continued funding of Visit Florida.