Atlantic Beach's four commission candidates clashed at a Wednesday forum over a $600,000 tree fund, neighborhood parking and the city manager's departure.

Mayor Curtis Ford, challenger Nancy Staats, and Seat 4 candidates Lisa Herrold and Jennifer Lagner took questions at the Beaches Watch forum at the Beaches Branch Library. Beaches Watch President Maria Mark moderated. The general election is Nov. 3.

Candidates split on scale of tree canopy loss

All four candidates agreed the city's tree mitigation fund, which has grown to roughly $600,000 to $660,000 from fees charged when trees are removed, should pay for new plantings on public and private land. But they disagreed on the scale of the problem.

Staats cited data presented to the commission in August showing Atlantic Beach lost 12,690 inches of tree diameter in 2025 while planting only 2,000 inches. She said young saplings have roughly a 50% survival rate and take decades to replace mature canopy.

Ford said he authored the city's recently passed tree ordinance protecting trees 20 inches in diameter and larger. He said the city plans to spend $450,000 to $500,000 from the fund this year.

City manager's exit fuels transparency concerns

Herrold and Staats both pointed to the departure of former City Manager Bill Killingsworth as a communication breakdown. Staats said a special meeting was called on one day's notice, meeting the legal minimum under Florida's Sunshine Law but leaving residents without adequate information.

Herrold said she had concerns about the appointment of Kevin Hogencamp as city manager, saying commissioners had been told a search firm would be used before the appointment was made without one.

Ford defended the process. He said Killingsworth had asked that the circumstances of his resignation remain private, and that three other commissioners joined him in the vote to accept it. Ford said he did not use a search firm after working with the internal candidate for five months, calling the direct hire in the city's financial interest.

Parking fixes range from a new garage to stricter enforcement

Staats proposed a parking structure near the Kmart Plaza to serve visitors and restaurant employees, freeing residential spaces. She acknowledged retention and construction requirements complicate the idea. Ford pointed to a new pilot program allowing residents to install turf-block parking pads next to their homes, with costs split 50-50 between the resident and the city.

Lagner called for stricter enforcement of existing parking rules and said the city should collect fines rather than waive them. All four candidates described the paid parking system at Beaches Town Center as confusing.

Mayport Road redesign advances despite safety worries

Ford and Staats both supported the Florida Department of Transportation's plan to narrow Mayport Road from three lanes to two between Atlantic Boulevard and Dutton Island Road, adding a bike lane and an 8-foot sidewalk. Ford said the project should finish in fall 2027 and will lower the speed limit to 30 mph near Atlantic Boulevard.

Lagner raised concern that slower traffic could push drivers onto parallel residential streets such as Main Street.

Ford said the city has secured $630,000 from the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization for a design study of a double-roundabout at the five-way stop, plus $3 million for construction, all funded outside the city's general fund. Staats said she wants to see pedestrian and cyclist safety data near Atlantic Beach Elementary School before supporting the roundabout design.

Amendment 3 could force deeper budget cuts

On a statewide homestead property tax proposal on the November ballot, Staats estimated the net revenue loss to Atlantic Beach at $500,000 to $600,000. Ford said the city is already targeting roughly $500,000 in budget cuts, including elimination of an interim human resources director position, and that reductions would not touch public safety staffing.

The Beach Gazette reported that Beaches Watch plans to post the full forum recording on its website and YouTube channel. The city's filed-candidates page lists both races.