Nancy Staats wants Atlantic Beach voters to think about water.

The former anesthesiologist and critical care physician is challenging incumbent Mayor Curtis Ford for mayor. In an Oct. 12 interview on WJCT's First Coast Connect, Staats discussed the challenges of climate change for the coastal city. The conversation came days after an estimated 11 inches of rain fell during a king-tide storm the weekend of Oct. 10, flooding parts of the community.

Ford, who is seeking a third two-year term, has acknowledged the scope of the infrastructure problem. At a Sept. 2 candidate forum hosted by Beaches Watch at the Beaches Branch library, Ford proposed financing an overhaul of the city's stormwater system, which he said "is largely 70 years old and was designed for a smaller population."

The two candidates have sparred on other fronts as well. At the same Beaches Watch forum, reported by Beach Gazette, Staats called on the city to complete a long-pending interlocal service agreement with Jacksonville. She said Atlantic Beach pays about $750,000 a year for fire service while Neptune Beach pays nothing. She criticized the city for hiring an outside consultant to negotiate terms she said the two mayors could resolve directly.

On the budget, both candidates addressed the potential impact of statewide Amendment 3, a homestead tax proposal. Staats said homesteaded properties account for only about half of Atlantic Beach's ad valorem revenue and estimated the net gap at roughly $500,000 to $600,000. Ford said the city is already targeting about $500,000 in budget reductions and pointed to an estimated $630,000 gain from rising property values. He said Atlantic Beach holds the lowest property tax rate in Duval County.

Staats also raised concerns about the city's tree canopy. She cited data she said was presented to the commission in August showing Atlantic Beach lost 12,690 inches of tree diameter in 2025 while planting only 2,000 inches. Young saplings have roughly a 50 percent survival rate and take decades to replace mature canopy, she said.

Ford said he appointed Staats to the Community Development Board, a point he raised at the forum to argue that board appointments are not politically motivated. Staats countered that the city's Environmental Stewardship Committee had unfilled seats, in one case for nearly two years, before the commission reduced its membership from 11 to nine.

In her closing statement at the forum, Staats said she has not accepted campaign contributions from developers, realty companies, political action committees or special interest groups. Ford used his closing to outline the stormwater financing proposal.

The general election is Nov. 3. Voters will also choose between Lisa Herrold and Jennifer Lagner for Commission Seat 4.