When Nassau County recently accused residents of spreading “misinformation” (see attached press release below) about impact and mobility fees, it raised an important question:
Why are citizens only being “educated” after they object to massive fee increases?
The County has a full communications and PR apparatus. Yet instead of proactively explaining these fees before unveiling eye-popping increases, officials waited until residents pushed back — then issued a press release framing public concern as confusion.
Let’s clarify the facts — accurately.
Impact Fees and Mobility Fees Are Similar — But Not the Same
Nassau County is correct about one thing: impact fees and mobility fees are related concepts.
They both exist to offset the cost of growth.
But they are calculated differently and — more importantly — applied differently.
Impact Fees
- Are applied countywide
- Use the same rate regardless of location
- Help pay for needed facilities such as:
- Fire and police
- Parks
- Government buildings
- General infrastructure
Every new home, regardless of where it’s built in Nassau County, pays the same impact fees.
Mobility Fees
Mobility fees are also growth-based — but they are location or zone-specific and calculated based on estimated travel behavior, not just development.
Nassau County has defined three mobility zones:
- Zone 1: East of I-95 (includes Fernandina Beach and all of Amelia Island and Yulee)
- Zone 2: ENCPA / Wildlight
- Zone 3: West of I-95
This distinction matters — a lot.
How Mobility Fees Are Actually Calculated
Mobility fees are based on travel estimates for:
- Trip counts
- Trip length
- Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)
Every time you leave your house and go somewhere, that’s a trip.
For example:
- Home → grocery store
- Grocery store → post office
- Post office → school pickup
- School → home
That’s four trips.
Even if those destinations already existed, they still count as trips — and the distance between them matters.
Longer trips = more time on the road = more impact on the transportation network = theoretically more fees needed.
Why Amelia Island Is Fundamentally Different
This is where Nassau County’s one-size-fits-all zoning breaks down and frankly doesn’t work.
On Amelia Island and in Fernandina Beach:
- Grocery stores, schools, doctors, government offices, restaurants, and services are close together
- Trip lengths are short
- The City has a connected roadway grid with parallel streets and multiple route options
- Most daily trips are completed early — which is why you can famously lie down on Atlantic Avenue after 8:00 p.m. and not get hit by a car
In short:
Vehicle miles traveled on the island are minimal.
Yulee Is Not the Same — Yet It’s Treated the Same
Yulee, which is also in Zone 1, is fundamentally different:
- Destinations are spread out
- Trip lengths are longer
- Vehicle miles traveled accumulate quickly
- Traffic patterns are heavier and last later into the evening
- The roadway network is still developing and lacks redundancy
Yet Amelia Island and Yulee are charged the same mobility fee rate.
That means:
Island residents are paying for roadway impacts they don’t create — so growth elsewhere can be accommodated.
The Real Issue: Nassau County Mobility Zones That No Longer Reflect Reality
At this point, it is increasingly clear that:
- Amelia Island should be its own mobility zone
- Yulee should be its own mobility zone
Until that happens, island residents will continue to:
- Pay disproportionately high mobility fees
- Receive negligible transportation benefit
- Subsidize infrastructure needed for entirely different development patterns
This isn’t speculation — it’s how the fee formula works.
And One More Question the County Still Hasn’t Answered
If these fees are so fair, lawful, and necessary — why were residents not clearly educated before the increases were proposed?
Why did it take:
- Public outrage
- Detailed comparisons
- Citizen analysis
…for the County to suddenly decide clarification was needed?
A transparent government explains policy before it sends the bill.
