Fernandina supports $168 million wish list despite mounting financial challenges

FERNANDINA BEACH — The Fernandina Beach City Commission unanimously supported a five-year Capital Improvement Plan Tuesday, endorsing an ambitious blueprint for nearly $168 million in infrastructure and public facility projects while acknowledging that many of those projects will ultimately compete for limited dollars during future budget cycles.

The commission voted 5-0 to adopt the plan, the first formal step in the city's annual budget process. The plan outlines approximately $47 million in capital projects for fiscal year 2026-27 and roughly $167.6 million over the next five years, but city officials repeatedly emphasized that the document is a planning tool rather than a spending commitment.

Glisson stressed that the Capital Improvement Plan remains flexible as the city's financial picture evolves.

The vote came as the city faces a growing list of expensive priorities that could strain future budgets.

Outside the adopted plan, commissioners also face the challenge of finding at least $4 million for new soccer fields while preparing for the possibility that a proposed increase in Florida's homestead exemption could significantly reduce future property tax revenue.

Glisson said the size of this year's plan reflects several unusually large projects.

He pointed to marina redevelopment, wastewater improvements to meet the state's 2032 reclaimed-water requirements, airport work associated with Runway 13/31, beach harmonization, fleet facility upgrades, MLK sports field improvements and expanded stormwater projects as major drivers of the increase.

"A majority of what's happening here in fiscal year 2027 is related to enterprise funds," he said, citing the marina, airport and wastewater utilities.

Other funding sources include recreation impact fees, Community Redevelopment Area funds and the law enforcement recovery fund.

"We're in the throes of a number of master plans," he said. "That will start bridging the gap between the five-year and the 20-year look per our comp plan."

Two commissioners praised both the planning process and a new software platform that organizes the city's capital projects.

"This is like a huge — for someone who loves process — this is like, it's like, yay," Minshew said. "This has been a really big step in the right direction."

"You can tell me it's going to cost $2 million to do this. But what I really want to know is where's the $2 million coming from?" Minshew said. "If it has come from multiple pots, I want to know that, too, so that I can tick and tie all these things together."

Mayor James Antun echoed those comments, thanking staff for the work.

"It took me a while to go through it because the format's so different compared to last year's, but it's beautifully organized and it was easy to read," she said.

Glisson said Tuesday's approval establishes the city's capital priorities but does not lock in future spending. The Capital Improvement Plan will return to the commission later this summer as part of the fiscal year 2026-27 budget process, where projects may be revised, delayed or reprioritized depending on available funding and commission direction.