Why Nassau County Brags About Their Fees Compared to St. Johns — But Hides the Comparison That Really Matters
When local officials want to make themselves look good, they don’t change their policies — they simply change how they compare themselves. That’s exactly what’s happening in Nassau County today.
County leaders have been proudly declaring, “Our Fees are lower than St. Johns County!”
Cute line. Sounds good.
But here’s the truth they leave out:
Nassau County is almost double the cost of Clay County, which is another County in our Metropolitan Statistical Area.
That’s not a rounding error.
That’s not speculative.
That’s not “depending on the zone.”
That’s your money — and it’s a 97% higher cost to build a basic 2,000 sq. ft. single-family home in Nassau than in Clay County.
When the comparison is bad, the County goes quiet.
When the comparison makes them look good, suddenly it’s a press release.
That’s called cherry picking — not transparency.
📉 The Numbers They Don’t Want You to See
2,000 sq. ft. Single-Family Home Fee Load
| Category | Clay County | Nassau County |
| Police | $968 | $1,190 |
| Fire | $1,278 | $1,382 |
| Parks (Total) | $1,584 | $2,831 |
| Admin / Facilities | $915 | $1,919 |
| Mobility Fee* | $5,083 | $11,996 |
| Total Fees | $9,828 | $19,318 |
Nassau County costs $9,490 more — a 97% increase over Clay County.
Comparison uses the largest mobility fee zone in each county.
⏳ One More Thing: These Are Proposed Fees — and There’s Still Time to Stop This Train
Before anyone shrugs and says “Well, that’s just how it is,” remember this:
👉 These numbers reflect the proposed fee increases Nassau County is pushing — not fees that are already locked in.
That means:
- They can still be challenged.
- They can still be changed.
- They can still be stopped.
Once these fees are officially adopted, reversing them becomes nearly impossible.
Right now is the moment taxpayers still have a voice.
And it’s the moment county officials hope you’re not paying attention.
🍒 How the Cherry Picking Works
Here’s the game:
- Clay County makes Nassau County look bad.
So Clay County magically disappears from county presentations. - St. Johns County is more expensive.
So suddenly Nassau officials talk about St. Johns every chance they get. - Nassau leaders present selective comparisons
— always picking the one county that helps them sell a narrative instead of telling the truth.
This is what politicians do when the real numbers don’t support their decisions.
💬 A Fair Question for County Leaders
If our fee burden is so reasonable,
why won’t the County compare itself to Clay?
Why won’t they show residents the full picture?
Why are taxpayers forced to discover these numbers on their own?
Because once the public sees that Nassau is nearly twice as expensive as a nearby peer county, the story changes.
Housing affordability changes.
Competitiveness changes.
Future growth strategy changes.
And public trust changes most of all.
🔍 The DOGE Message: Show All the Data — Not Just the Parts You Like
Cherry picking is not transparency.
Residents deserve honest comparisons, not curated talking points.
That’s not leadership.
That’s marketing.
And taxpayers deserve better — especially while these fees are still only proposals and public pressure can still stop them.
