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City Council Set To Vote On JTA's Ownership Of Mayport Ferry

HMS Ferries Inc.

The Jacksonville City Council will soon decide whether to transfer ownership of the St. Johns River Ferry to the Jacksonville Transportation Authority. As part of the ferry negotiations, Council member John Crescimbeni says, JTA asked the Council to extend the local option gas tax that helps fund road construction.

Crescimbeni says the gas tax was set to end in August, but the city has extended it for another 20 years.

Crescimbeni says now the Council must decide how much of the Mayport Ferry to give up.

“On the Mayport side,” he says, ”I’ve got a Council member that wants to keep one of the landings as a park.”

But he says JTA wants the ferry and the landings along State Road A1A.

JTA would take ownership of the ferry on April 1 if the legislation is approved.

Beatrice Sanchez is a senior at the University of North Florida. She will graduate this year with a bachelor's degree in communication with a concentration on media production. Originally from Manila, Philippines, she moved to Jacksonville four years ago to finish school. She spends most of her time at school or work, and if she ever does get free time, she enjoys watching re-runs of "Grey's Anatomy" or taking pictures of surfers out at the beach.