More than 100 Clay County residents formed a recall committee Friday, Sept. 4, targeting all five county commissioners over a new stormwater drainage fee.
Residents Pack Middleburg Meeting to Demand Commissioners' Ouster
The crowd packed the Middleburg Civic Center, standing elbow-to-elbow along the walls, according to Clay News & Views, which first reported the gathering. Charles Hodges, a Keystone Heights dock builder, led the meeting.
"If you do a bad job, you need to go and you sure don't deserve a raise," Hodges said.
Forming the committee is the first step under Florida's recall law. The group must now draft petitions naming each commissioner and stating specific grounds for removal. Florida law limits those grounds to malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, incompetence, drunkenness, permanent inability to serve, or conviction of a felony.
The commissioners targeted are Chair Kristen Burke of District 5, Vice Chair John Sgromolo of District 1 and Alexandra Compere of District 2. Jim Renninger of District 3 and Betsy Condon of District 4 are also named, according to county meeting minutes.
Condon voted against the fee. She initially drew sympathy from the crowd, but attendees decided they wanted a clean slate and included her in the effort.
New Stormwater Fee Set to Take Effect Oct. 1 Fuels the Recall Push
The Board of County Commissioners voted July 28 to create a stormwater utility under Ordinance No. 2026-33. The fee takes effect Thursday, Oct. 1, and will first appear on tax bills in November.
Most homeowners in unincorporated Clay County will pay $51 to $161.50 a year depending on impervious surface area, according to a Clay News & Views rate breakdown. The county expects to collect $9.2 million in the first year, citing more than $30 million in needed capital improvements.
The fee does not apply inside Orange Park, Green Cove Springs, Keystone Heights or Penney Farms, which run their own stormwater programs. Fleming Island, which is unincorporated, falls under the new fee.
More than 200 residents spoke against the fee at the Aug. 26 approval hearing, Clay Today reported. A previous board rejected a similar fee in 2019 after public opposition.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued the county a Notice of Non-Compliance in November 2024 after auditing its stormwater program, according to county records. That finding led to the recommendation for a dedicated stormwater utility.
Legal Experts Split on Whether the Fee Violates State Law
Robert Meadows, a retired naval aviator and engineer, presented research at the Sept. 4 meeting arguing the fee is illegal. He said stormwater assessments can only be levied on parcels that receive a direct benefit from drainage work. Commissioners have maintained all property owners benefit indirectly.
Civil engineer Colin Groff, who has built seven or eight municipal stormwater utilities over 40 years, told Clay News & Views on Aug. 25 that the ordinance is "probably legal." But he said commissioners "failed miserably at communication with the public regarding the fee."
Recall Effort Faces Lengthy Legal Process Before Reaching a Vote
Under Florida law, once petitions are filed, the supervisor of elections must verify signatures. If verified, each targeted commissioner may file a defense. The committee would then have 60 days to collect signatures from 15% of qualified electors to trigger a recall election. The law also bars a recall petition until an official has served at least one-fourth of the current term.
The commissioners and County Manager Howard Wanamaker have not publicly addressed the recall effort as of Saturday, Sept. 5. The recall committee has not announced a date for its next meeting.
