ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – With the Nights of Lights festival just weeks away, St. Johns County Commissioner Ann Taylor is calling for a task force to improve oversight and ensure tourism dollars are spent wisely.
The annual event draws thousands to downtown St. Augustine, but residents have long voiced concerns about traffic congestion and public safety.
“We’re less than two months out from one of the biggest tourism events in Northeast Florida,” Taylor said. “We have got to act now. Every day we wait, we lose precious time.”
This year, the city requested an additional $1 million in county funding to support the festival. Commissioners approved $850,000 — money earmarked for safety upgrades, parking improvements and public restrooms.
The funding comes from local bed taxes, which are collected from hotel and short-term rental stays. By law, those dollars must be used for tourism-related projects.
Despite the festival’s popularity, traffic and safety remain top concerns.
Last month, commissioners held a public workshop to hear directly from residents.
“It became almost impossible to go in and out of my home,” said Marta Han, a St. Augustine resident. “My street runs parallel to the river, so I don’t have many options. It’s a real safety hazard.”
“We cannot take safety seriously only 45 days out of the year,” said resident Scott York. “We need to take it seriously all the time.”
There’s no word yet on when commissioners will revisit the task force proposal. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.
Nights of Lights runs this year from Nov. 15 through Jan. 11.