ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The St. Johns County Commission Tuesday meeting was marked by tense moments when County Administrator Joy Andrews' job performance was scrutinized.
Board Chair Krista Joseph introduced a motion for a vote of no confidence, citing several concerns, including issues with trash pickup from the previous year.
Several commissioners defended Andrews, arguing she was not responsible for the trash issues, while others felt she should be held accountable.
During the meeting, Joseph criticized Andrews for being out of the country during the launch of the FCC Environmental Services trash hauler.
Joseph stated, “A vacation is not something that an experienced County Administrator with a major contract about to commence should take when there may be operational issues.”
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Commissioner Ann Taylor, who joined the board in November, seconded the motion. Joseph also raised concerns about a tree protection ordinance, claiming Andrews failed to address it during Comprehensive Plan discussions.
“As a result, the commissioners voted citing Joy Andrews’s comprehensive plan rationale for doing so,” Joseph said. “And the county’s trees have continued to be decimated at a high rate in the 15 months since the Comprehensive Plan discussion of trees never happened.”
Taylor expressed her reasons for supporting the vote of no confidence, stating, “If Miss Andrews' administration had done their research and properly vetted the new hauler, they would have learned that there wasn’t sufficient manpower and equipment to handle our county.”
Commissioner Christian Whitehurst, along with Commissioners Sarah Arnold and Clay Murphy, voted against the motion. Whitehurst took responsibility for the trash issues, saying, “I was at the Emergency Operations Center... we were there nose to nose, fighting, tackling the issue.”
Joseph claimed Andrews was on vacation in China during the FCC rollout, but Whitehurst clarified she was bringing her kids home from visiting family in China and was responsive during that time. Taylor, however, felt Andrews' absence impacted the rollout’s management.
“Our residents would completely disagree that it was a well-managed rollout. I’m still getting messages about the garbage situation,” said Taylor.
During the meeting, Murphy said it wouldn’t be a smart decision to pass that motion right now. I spoke with Murphy on the phone Friday about what happened.
“I think we need to show a unified front. We’re in a unique position in St Johns County with on the federal and the state side when it comes to funding large construction and infrastructure projects, and I feel like we need to stay focused on bringing home, if you will, federal and state dollars,” said Murphy.
After the vote of no confidence failed, Andrews delivered her report to the commission, appearing visibly shaken. She stated, “This is actually a very difficult moment for me to give a report but I’m going to be as professional as I can be.”
Despite the challenging meeting, Whitehurst noted that Andrews remained dedicated to her work, saying, “She’s been right back to work, although she was shaken, she has not taken her foot off the gas.”
News4JAX reached out to Krista Joseph, Sarah Arnold, and Joy Andrews for comment but has not yet received a response.