Atlantic Beach voters will decide two contested city commission races on Nov. 3, with early voting starting Oct. 20.

Incumbent Mayor Curtis Ford faces challenger Nancy Staats for Mayor-Commissioner Seat 1. Ford is seeking a third two-year term. In the Commissioner Seat 4 race, Lisa Herrold and Jennifer Lagner are competing after a third candidate, Michael Kulik, withdrew, according to the city's filed candidates page.

Commissioner Seat 5 candidate Jessica Ring is running unopposed.

The four candidates appeared at a Sept. 2 forum hosted by Beaches Watch at the Beaches Branch Library, where budget planning, tree loss, parking and government transparency dominated the discussion, the Beach Gazette reported.

Amendment 3 could widen city's budget gap

A proposed state constitutional amendment on the same ballot, Amendment 3, would raise the homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 for nonschool taxes.

Staats estimated the city could face a net revenue gap of roughly $500,000 to $600,000 if the amendment passes. She said Atlantic Beach is better positioned than many Florida cities because homesteaded properties account for only about half of the city's ad valorem revenue.

Ford said the city is targeting about $500,000 in budget reductions that would not touch public safety staffing. He pointed to eliminating an interim human resources director position as one example. Ford also said the city gained an estimated $630,000 in tax revenue this year from rising property values alone.

Lagner said the city's more than $56 million budget should be reviewed for efficiencies before any service cuts.

Candidates spar over tree loss, city manager exit

Tree canopy loss emerged as a shared concern. All four candidates said the city's tree mitigation fund, which has grown to roughly $600,000 to $660,000 from removal fees, should be used to plant replacement trees on public and private property. Ford said he authored the city's recently passed tree ordinance protecting trees 20 inches in diameter and larger and that the city plans to spend $450,000 to $500,000 of the fund this year.

Government transparency also drew exchanges. Herrold and Staats both pointed to the departure of former City Manager Bill Killingsworth, saying a special meeting was called on one day's notice. Herrold said she had concerns about the process that led to the appointment of Kevin Hogencamp as city manager, saying commissioners had been told a search firm would be used.

Ford said Florida's Sunshine Law prevented commissioners from discussing the matter outside a noticed meeting and that Killingsworth had asked that the circumstances of his resignation remain private. Three other commissioners joined Ford in voting to accept the resignation, he said.

More local races also on the ballot

The Duval County sample ballot also lists three contested Beach Community Development District races: Seat 2 (Juan Canelones vs. Walter Repak), Seat 4 (Elena Korsakova vs. Karen Young) and Seat 5 (Raj Saralaya vs. Pawel Szeszko).

Voters countywide will also decide whether to renew the Duval County School District's one-mill ad valorem tax for school operating expenses, covering July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2031. Two other statewide amendments appear on the ballot: Amendment 1, which would raise the Budget Stabilization Fund cap from 10% to 25% of general revenue, and Amendment 2, which would exempt tangible personal property on agricultural land from taxation.

Early voting sites, hours and Election Day

Early voting runs Oct. 20 through Nov. 1 at 24 sites across Duval County, including the Jacksonville Beach Community Center & Exhibit Hall and the Beaches Branch Library. Hours are 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 20-23, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 24-25, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 26-30 and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 31-Nov. 1. Election Day polls are open Nov. 3.

Voters can contact the Duval County Supervisor of Elections at 904-255-8683 for ballot and polling location questions.