TU: Mayor's proposed budget calls for ending overnight camping at Huguenot Park

[Patricia M. McBride]

This is chump change compared to the cuts that need to be made.  Have you sent an Email to your city council person, called them, gone to city hall to speak to them or written a letter and mailed it. This is VERY important.  Serious cuts must be made in this year's budget.  Richard Clark has been leading the way in the finance committee and I am proud of him for keeping his word to the electorate.  Several other city council people are also giving it their very best.............and some are not at all.  Those folks who are trying to keep their promises to the people of the city need YOUR support! 

That would save money in the mayor's proposed budget for Jacksonville

Posted: September 10, 2011 - 12:00am

By Drew Dixon jacksonville.com Copyright 2011 The Florida Times-Union. All rights reserved. This m...

September 10, 2011 - 12:00am

Mayor's proposed budget calls for ending overnight camping at Huguenot Park

A revamp of Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown's proposed city budget calls for ending overnight camping at Huguenot Memorial Park off Heckscher Drive, the only place in Duval County where the public can drive on the beach.

That would save about $20,000, Brown spokesman Abel Harding said Friday.

Eliminating overnight camping at Huguenot is "a big deal," Harding said, like most of the city cuts.

It's a turnaround from a month ago, when Brown's proposed budget called for no change in beach services. Huguenot's funding was untouched in that version and the oceanfront Hanna Park had a slight funding reduction with no change in operations.

The City Council's Finance Committee approved the Huguenot cut, needing to find money in the proposed budget to cover about $5.8 million that could be required for the city pension fund. Brown wanted a study of the pension fund deferred another year.

This and other budget proposals will be discussed at public hearings during council meetings at City Hall on Tuesday and Sept. 27. The meetings will start at 5 p.m.

Eliminating camping at Huguenot could be touchy. Beach access advocates have haggled for years with environmental activists over access to the beachfront park.

Banning overnight stays "reduces the [hours of] public beach access to the beach front park," Harding said. "It will reduce revenue."

Daily visitors pay $3 per vehicle to enter the park, or $1 if they arrive before 10 a.m. For overnight camping, those with recreational vehicles pay $16.95 a night and tent campers pay $11.30 a night or $16.95 on campsites fronting the St. Johns River.

Finance Committee member Bill Gulliford, who represents the Beaches on the council, said Huguenot Park is important to many residents throughout Jacksonville, not just the Beaches.

Gulliford said he disagrees with eliminating camping at Huguenot and that "I'm surprised at it as much as I am opposed to it."

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-09-10/story/mayors-proposed...