ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County Tourist Development Council voted unanimously to recommend $850,000 in additional funding for St. Augustine’s signature holiday event, Nights of Lights, addressing growing costs associated with the popular attraction.
The recommendation comes as St. Augustine officials sought $1 million in supplemental funding to support transportation and visitor amenities for the event, which illuminates downtown with millions of holiday lights and draws thousands of visitors annually.
“We have asked for an additional $1 million for a total of 1.2 [million],” Meredith Breidenstein, assistant city manager of St. Augustine, said.
The current allocation from the county for Nights of Lights stands at $200,000 for shuttle services and $100,000 for lighting.
Half of the $200,000 for shuttle services is for spring shuttles while the other half is exclusively for Nights of Lights.
Despite shortening the event by eight days, city officials emphasize the need for additional resources to manage growing attendance.
City Manager David Birchim said there is an urgency in securing additional funding, stating, “If that’s not possible we will have to scale back.”
The Tourist Development Council deliberated extensively on funding sources before reaching their recommendation. Irving Kass, Vice Chair of the council, said, “We need to have those discussions or we will never be able to fund Nights of Lights.”
Councilmember Michael Wicks acknowledged the time-sensitive nature of the decision, saying, “Our backs are against the wall. We don’t really have time to try and figure out where every nickel is going to come from. I think my biggest concern is what we do moving forward after this year.”
The suggested $850,000 allocation, while less than the city’s initial request, received unanimous support from council members.
The recommendation will advance to the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners, who will review the proposed budget at their upcoming Tuesday meeting, where the recommended budget will also be presented.
