Jacksonville Beach city elections are held every two years, with elected officials seeking staggered four-year terms. In 2024, voters will choose the mayor and three council members, all four of whom are elected at-large by all Jacksonville Beach voters. The elections are non-partisan.
An election was also scheduled to be held to fill an unexpired term for Council Seat 4, which covers District 1. However, only one candidate, John Wagner, entered the race, and was elected unopposed.
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News4JAX sent a questionnaire to each candidate asking about their background and their views on several issues. Scroll down to read the responses of those seeking your vote -- in their own words.
Note: Responses for each race are sorted alphabetically and are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4Jax staff.
| MAYORAL CANDIDATES |
Chris Hoffman
Occupation: Executive Director of the Beaches Museum
Age: 46
Family:
Education: Fletcher High School
BA from the University of Florida
MBA from the University of North Florida
Political experience: ‘I served on the Jacksonville Beach City Council for 2 terms before running for my first term as Mayor in 2020.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
Public safety is always job one of a local government. Not only is it important to residents, businesses, and visitors, but it is a very large part of the city’s annual budget. Supporting our Police Department, in particular, to make sure that they have the resources that they need to be successful is key. I’ve also created a Downtown Business Owner quarterly meeting that gives our business owners, public safety officials, and City staff the opportunity to work together to identify challenges, and create solutions. I support communication, use of technology, and prevention efforts that help identify and mitigate potential issues.
An overarching issue facing any city is meeting the needs of the community with the resources available. Determining priorities, budgeting and planning, and implementing those plans are challenges across all city services, particularly in a very challenging workforce, supply chain, and economic environment. Strategic planning, 5-year capital investment plans, and conservative spending are just a few ways to address this issue.
An additional overarching challenge is communication. Rapidly changing methods, technology, and access present a challenge in reaching citizens where they are. I have supported dedicated staff, a more robust e-newsletter distribution list, and an increased use of social media to reach citizens, visitors, businesses, etc. We can always do a better job of reaching our citizens where they are and I will continue to push innovative approaches as I always have.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
Having lived and worked in Jacksonville Beach for decades, I know the community, the organizations, citizens, and businesses very well. I have served in leadership roles on several non-profit boards including BEAM, Baptist Medical Center--Beaches, Rotary Club of Jacksonville--Oceanside, and the Beaches Division of the JAX Chamber. As the Mayor, I have spent the past four years representing the City in the media, Chamber of Commerce, League of Mayors, American Flood Coalition, and many more local, regional, and national organizations.
I’m invested in and committed to this community and work every day, in every role, to make it a better place for us all.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
The vision statement of the City of Jacksonville Beach is: “A vibrant coastal community that embraces ‘the beach life.’” I subscribe to this statement on a daily basis, in all that I do, and I would like to be remembered for moving us closer to that vision.
Campaign website: www.votechrishoffman.com
Campaign social media: Instagram | Facebook
Georgette Dumont
Occupation: I teach at the University of North Florida in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration. I am also the Director of the Master of Public Administration program.
Age: 50
Family: Husband, George (yeah, I know... George and Georgette)
Education: B.A. in Communication, Roger Williams University
Master of Public Administration, Bridgewater State University
Ph.D. in Political Science, Northern Illinois University
Political experience:
I served on the Jacksonville Beach Planning Commission for six years, fighting for smart growth while balancing residents’ concerns. Then, I served as District 3’s City Councilor when the city underwent its strategic planning sessions to develop what Jacksonville Beach strives to be: A vibrant coastal community that embraces ‘the beach life.’ I asked for a complete assessment of our city’s parks, and through that, a plan was developed to improve all the parks throughout the city with the input of those who live around each park. I have also served at the county level on Jacksonville’s Public Service Grants Council, where we awarded over $2 million annually to local human services nonprofits addressing the greatest needs of the residents in Duval County. In all these positions, my focus has been on improving our residents’ quality of life, whether through protecting their neighborhoods, improving our gathering areas, or ensuring critical services are available for those in need.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
1. Crime – We have seen an increase in crime in Jacksonville Beach, most notably the recent incident of three separate shootings in our downtown within an hour. I understand that crime is a complex issue and that most people arrested in Jacksonville Beach are not our residents. Still, we must be laser-focused on stopping this to protect our families, businesses, and quality of life. For instance, for years, our police department has wanted license plate readers installed in critical areas of our city to identify when people who have warrants out for their arrest are entering our city. The city’s approach has been to continue asking the state for money to fund this request, which has been unsuccessful. We need to invest in our police department and provide them with the tools it needs. In addition, there has been discussion about increasing the number of bar licenses in the city. I am against that, as continuing to turn our downtown into a “Regional Drinking Mall” would only lead to more bad actors flocking to our city.
2. Overdevelopment – In 2004, the citizens of Jacksonville Beach passed an ordinance that limited the height of new buildings to 35 feet by an overwhelming majority (76%). Last year, four members of our City Council and our Mayor worked to break that limit. I formed the political committee Protect the Beach Life to make sure people knew what our elected officials were trying to do, and the measure was soundly defeated again, with 82% of voters rejecting the change.
The city is also rewriting the Land Development Code, which, among other things, dictates parking requirements, lot coverage, and what can be built in your neighborhood. My experience on the Planning Commission makes me uniquely qualified to understand the changes and how they can impact our residents’ quality of life. I will not only respect the will of our citizens but will fight to ensure that their wishes are followed.
3. Citizen engagement – The government needs to reflect the will of the voters, which needs to be assessed more frequently than every four years. I have sat in City Council meetings where the room was filled with residents pleading with the Council to act in the best interests of the residents to no avail. It broke my heart. The city should not only listen to citizens who speak at public meetings but engage them throughout the process. When people talk at a public meeting, they get no reply from the officials. That is not engagement. I will hold neighborhood meetings and ask my fellow elected officials to join me in conversations with our residents before items get on the Council’s voting agenda. They want to be involved to get answers, and I will make sure they get them.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
Jacksonville Beach’s greatest strength is the residents who form our community. Together, we can solve problems. No individual has all the answers, but better solutions are developed when multiple voices are present. I will listen to and work with our citizens to help make Jacksonville Beach a better place to live, work, and raise our families.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
When my term of service ends, I hope to be remembered as a person who led with integrity to help create a more open and responsive environment for our citizens through an inclusive government to maintain our laid-back and unique beach culture.
Campaign website: www.Dumont4Mayor.com
Campaign social media: Facebook
| COUNCIL SEAT 1 (AT-LARGE) CANDIDATES |
Fernando Meza
Occupation: Small Business Owner/ Bar/ Service Industry
Age: 40
Family: Wife and stepson
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science
Political experience: I am a council member in Jacksonville Beach At-Large, Seat 1 and Vice-Chair of the Board of Library of Trustees. I volunteered on campaigns during college and ran for office for the first time right when I graduated from UNF.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
Public Safety, Urban trail, Penman Road are the top three issues. I have been a proud supporter of our first responders, and I have approved new police vehicle purchases, drones, armored van and will continue to approve whatever they need to make their job safer and easier. I support the idea of a trail that local residents can use around our beautiful beach, but I think certain sections of the trails can be scaled down or put on hold until or change sections of it. As for the Penman Road project, I support upgrading the infrastructure and putting the drainage ditch underground and covered. I think an extensive median along Penman Road may impede emergency vehicles and may be more hurtful than helpful to the community.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I bring a unique set of experience that has helped me tackle certain issues. I have been a huge advocate for the residents of Jacksonville Beach in Tallahassee and one great example is the short-term rental bill that was vetoed by the Governor. If this bill would have been signed by the governor, it could have been detrimental to our quality of life in Jacksonville beach. I have been involved in the beaches community for over a decade with local non-profits, voicing my stance in favor of the service industry and making sure our city departments have the resources to perform the job. The institutional knowledge I have gained over the years is something I am able to bring since others do not have the same experience.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I would hope to be remembered as the Council Member who fought hard for its residents and its police department.
Campaign website: (None given)
Campaign social media: (None given)
Bruce Wouters
Occupation: Semi retired educator, including 8 years at Fletcher High School. Before becoming a teacher I practiced law.
Age: 61
Family: My mother’s family landed in 1740 south of Savannah, Georgia. They were farmers. My mom was a nurse who worked in labor and delivery for decades.
My father’s family immigrated to America after the Nazis invaded Holland in 1940. They legally immigrated through Spain. My dad was an alumnus of Emory Medical School and practiced medicine for 40 years. I was born in Columbus, GA.
Education: BA, University of Arizona. Jurist Doctorate, University Of Denver, College of Law
Political experience: I am not a professional politician. I have been advocating for the past 5 years to protect our beach life by speaking at city council meetings, board of adjustment meetings and school board meetings (to save our schools). After seeing the council push the 55′ height amendment (that 82% of voters voted against), seeing the poor treatment of the VLSC and being told by the city council that the 415 units replacing the priceless Adventure Landing will not increase traffic congestion; I decided to act to protect our beach life.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
1) Protecting our beach life for the residents. I promise to listen to the residents and act on their concerns. I am for smart growth, not covering every blade of grass with concrete or asphalt.
2) Crime reduction. Many residents do not feel safe in the downtown area, on the boardwalk and sometimes sitting on their porch. Currently, the Jax Beach Police Department is lowest paid of the four police departments that serve Duval County. I will advocate for the reducing the cost of current projects like Urban Trails ($20 million cost) and allocate more money to our dedicated police department.
3) Road Congestion. I will fight to raise the price of parking and make those prices 24/7, but keep parking free for our residents. I will also work to limit the endless stream of variances granted that allow for greater densities than allowed by our current city code.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I have no agenda and no conflicts of interest. I am not involved in construction or a bar owner.
I am the only candidate that has spent almost two decades trying to help the youth of this community and I want them to be able to live here and be safe. I know that tomorrow can be better than today.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
Making our community safer! Making our community more livable! Protecting our beach life for our residents!
Campaign website: bruce4jb.com
Campaign social media: (None given)
| COUNCIL SEAT 2 (AT-LARGE) CANDIDATES |
Dan Janson
Occupation: Retired Law Enforcement Officer
Age: 61
Family: I am married to my wonderful and supportive wife, Becky Janson. We have seven children and seven grandchildren
Education: Associate of Science in Criminology - Florida State College at Jacksonville
Political experience:
‘- Currently in first term as a City Councilman
- Director at Florida Municipal Loan Council
- Trustee at Florida Municipal Investment Trust
- Florida League of Cities Land Use and Economic Development Committee Representative
- Florida League of Cities Home Rule Hero
- National League of Cities Jacksonville Beach Representative
- Certified Public Pension Trustee to the Jacksonville Beach Pension Board
- Beaches Representative and Vice Chair on the DCPS Sales Surtax Oversight Committee
- Jacksonville Beach Representative on the DCPS Feeder Pattern Focus Group
- Served on the Jacksonville Beach Board of Adjustments
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
1) Perception of Public Safety in our community - I have been working with our Police Chief and FOP President to assure that our police department is kept up to today’s standards and that needs are met. This includes, but are not limited to, transparent public communications, effective police presence in our downtown, proper response times, a robust investigations unit, recruiting and retaining quality law enforcement officers.
2) Economic pressures - When the economy is growing and inflation is increasing we as a city face challenges with maintenance of infrastructure, budgetary constraints and the impact of growth within our community. By prioritizing projects, optimizing expenditures, employing efficient use of technology, having a focus on federal funding and/or grant opportunities, monitoring emergency and contingency funds, and also promoting smart growth for sustainable development, we can alleviate many economic pressures.
3) Neighborhood School Closures - Recently families in our city have become greatly concerned with the closure and merging of our neighborhood schools. I have spoken with the affected Principals of our schools and participated in School Advisory Council meetings to listen to the concerns. I have also immersed myself in the Master Facilities Plan and am now the Vice Chair of the DCPS Sales Surtax Oversight Committee. With our new Superintendent, Dr. Bernier, now on board, I intend to meet with with him in the near future, as well.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I have created a strong network within government entities at all three levels of government; local, state and federal levels. Maintaining great working relationships with individuals at all three levels helps tremendously in getting support for our city from our representatives. Referring back to my list of experiences (above) one can see that I have embraced my role as a City Councilman, and in a relatively short amount of time I have made great strides to educate myself on the inner workings of our governance.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I hope to be remembered as the Councilman who fought for the people of our community by creating processes and procedures that provide calm safe work spaces and communities. I am committed to a greater cause in making impactful and meaningful changes in the lives of others../
Campaign website: DanJanson.com
Campaign social media: Facebook
B. Duke Lewis
Occupation: Former first responder and small business owner
Age: 46
Family: Married to my wife Nikki Lewis and we have 2 teenage children
Education:
Political experience:
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
The top three issues affecting Jacksonville Beach are supporting the Jacksonville Beach Police Department staffing issues. Secondly creating a policy to handle large crowds and lastly, ensuring a choice to the citizens of Jacksonville Beach .
I will address these issues in the following ways , #1 work with the Chief of Police identifying ways the city can support the department obtaining and retaining employees. #2 Using powers of the city to assist the police department in limiting crowds before they get out of hand. #3 Giving a voice back to the citizens. Citizens, leaving a council meeting, should feel their voice was heard and led to a genuine debate on their concern.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
By listening to voters concerns and following through with a vote that matches.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I would hope to be remembered for a council that listens to its citizens.
Campaign website: (None given)
Campaign social media: (None given)
| COUNCIL SEAT 3 (AT-LARGE) CANDIDATES |
Jennifer Ashley
Occupation: I am the Health Promotions Manager at Feeding Northeast Florida. My lifelong work in nonprofits has focused on community building, advocacy and making local government work for its citizens.
Age: 49
Family: I am happily married to my husband Mat and we have a bright and active 13 year old son. We are fortunate to have both our immediate and extended families living in the beaches area and the surrounding City of Jacksonville. We also have a grumpy hound that I like to take to Paws Park often.
Education: I attended San Pablo Elementary in Jax Beach and after Fletcher Junior transitioned to Douglas Anderson School of the Arts.
I went to on pursue a Bachelors in English Literature from University of Florida and finally a Masters in Public Administration from Baruch College at the City University of New York.
Political experience: My pursuit of a Masters in Public Adminstration came from my interest in local politics. I had been working in nonprofits for many years at this point and could see that there were upstream solutions to issues that I couldn’t address in my work.
After completing grad school, I had the opportunity to work for The Manhattan Borough President’s Office. My role involved meeting with residents on specific projects and helping to address community issues raised during City Council meetings. Through this experience, I gained insights into how local government operates, including its strengths and limitations.
Throughout my nonprofit career, I’ve focused on community building and advocacy. I have actively participated in many local government community boards, where significant work takes place. In Durham, NC, I was part of the Long-Term Care Community Advisory Committee. Additionally, I helped establish ‘Dementia Inclusive Durham,’ which followed AARP’s Dementia Capable Community model and heavily involved state and local government. Working with Family Caregivers on this project reinforced my respect for the expertise that citizens bring to the process of government. It’s common sense, but one that sometimes gets overlooked.
Upon returning to the area, I enrolled in the City of Jacksonville Beach ‘Citizens Information Academy’ (CIA). This program provides interested community members with a behind-the-scenes look at how their city functions. I was truly inspired and heartened to know that we have a group of highly capable and dedicated folks working for our city.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
1) Public Safety: Jacksonville Beach has seen five shootings resulting in two fatalities in as many months. While this could be dismissed as a string of summer violence, residents have long expressed their challenges with feeling safe to enjoy local events and the beach in their own town.
In order to properly address this issue, it requires a multi-level approach. It isn’t fair or realistic to make this solely the responsibility of Jacksonville Beach police department.
The response requires a revisioning of Downtown Jacksonville Beach that will include adjusting rules and fees on parking, incentivizing small business in this area, and literally changing the Land Development Code to create a different built environment. In addition to that, Jacksonville Beach needs a fully funded Police force that is equipped with resources to deal with the 4 million visitors it sees each year. That will take some hard choices and restructuring of priorities.
2) Smart Growth: Jacksonville Beach contains 8.06 square miles of land that is quickly becoming one of our most finite resources. We’ve seen useful development in Jacksonville Beach. We have also seen the approval of projects that have complicated traffic flow, provided insufficient parking to residents and have been in direct opposition to entire neighborhood communities with little to no value added toward our city’s goals.
The balance between development and neighborhood preservation is delicate. While conservation and maintaining the character of our beaches are often discussed, the reality is that developers frequently have undue influence. We can follow other cities in their focus on making it easier for residents, not developers, to improve and invest in their homes. We can work with developers on creating the kind of development that is right for our community instead of rubber stamping projects.
3) Neighbor Driven Governance: It’s clear to me that the residents of Jacksonville Beach are united on many of their desires and concerns.
I am here to serve, listen, and advocate for a Jacksonville Beach that reflects our shared values and aspirations. Let’s make our city the best it can be, together.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
For too long there’s been a commitment to maintaining the status quo, even as it becomes less and less effective. I bring a creative and well researched perspective to ‘how’ we meet our goals as a community. Those goals come from the community and from my deep roots in this area and shared values with my fellow Jax Beach residents.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I would hope to be remembered as someone who helped to shape a safe and vibrant downtown in Jax Beach. Someone who worked with residents to improve their city. And someone that had a lot of fun doing it.
Campaign website: www.jennifer4jaxbeach.org
Campaign social media: Facebook
Greg Sutton
Occupation: Insurance Executive
Age: 61
Family: Son, 31
Education: Fletcher High School
BS, Jacksonville University
Political experience: Jax Beach City Council 2022-present
Jax Beach Planning Commission 2005-2022
Jax Beach Code Enforcement Board 2003-2005
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
1. Public Safety - While Jax Beach remains safe thanks in part to our excellent police department, we have seen some high-profile incidents of late, primarily in our downtown area/Central Business District that are cause for concern. Our police force has remained generally flat for the past few years, and therefore I plan to address this and support bolstering our police department by 4+ officers in this next budget year, with subsequent review as needed and requested.
2. Community Engagement/Communication/Transparency - If I had to pick one thing I’ve consistently heard from residents in my brief time on Council it is “I didn’t know anything about that” on the Jax Beach topic or project of the day. Communication is so important and people want to feel not only that their input is heard and valued, but that they are kept up to date on issues affecting them with full transparency. Lack of communication or miscommunication only leads to confusion and misunderstanding. I plan to help address this by bolstering and improving the City’s communications through increased frequency, improved/expanded methods and development of an overall communication plan that meets the needs and expectations of our citizens.
3. Preserving the Beach Lifestyle - The residents of Jax Beach live here because they love the the relaxed lifestyle and community we have. With that comes an expectation of basic things like public safety, clean beaches, effective operating infrastructure, good recreation availability and safe pedestrian and bike mobility. I believe this is best addressed through representing the interests of our citizens on items such as improved/updated infrastructure, working with DCPS to maintain our exceptional community schools, working with the City of Jax to ensure our voice is heard on county issues such as Penman Road improvements, helping to ensure pedestrian and bike safety are at the forefront of projects such as the Urban Trails, and continuing support for the redevelopment and needs of our downtown and Central Business District including parking.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
As a 5th generation native, and with over 20 years in serving the citizens of Jacksonville Beach on municipal boards and as Councilman since 2022, I can lean into and draw upon a broad and deep base of experience in maneuvering and dealing with City Hall on the various interests that we, as citizens, are dealing with today and those we will face in the years ahead.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I’m not concerned for what I’d be remembered for, but I would hope to leave Jax Beach in a better place, and on a positive trajectory for our children and our children’s children. Pablo Beach/Jax Beach was a bustling destination 100 years ago and, while I don’t welcome any form of over development, I believe we can once again become a place that residents are very proud to call home and visitors look forward coming to.
Campaign website: www.votegregsutton.com
Campaign social media: n/a