CLAY COUNTY – The Congressional representatives who represent the county will soon go to Tallahassee to fight for funding project in the area.

Reps. Sam Garrison (Fleming Island) and Bobby Payne (Palatka) joined Sen. Jennifer Bradley (Fleming Island) for their annual legislative session at the County Administration’s Board of County Commissioners meeting room last week. Local officials and residents were asked to bring their suggestions for projects they’d like to see funded during the next session.

Clay Today asked its readers on Facebook what kind of projects they want to be funded for as part of this week’s Facebook Question of the Week. Here’s what they had to say:

“I’d be happy with just picking up my recycling and yard waste again,” Christopher Marra said.

Marra’s comment touches on a big complaint seen throughout unincorporated Clay County. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a labor shortage, the county’s yard trash and recycling hasn’t been collected in weeks. To help with that problem, recycling has been suspended in the county and Marra doesn’t seem happy about that, either.

Mike Shortall said he want more funding for roads. This is something commissioner Betsy Condon has embraced. She wants the BCC’s budget to include funding to fix and pave roads in Keystone Heights and the rest of her district. Another commenter said they just want the services they already pay for to be better, which harkens back to the county’s trash service.

It also includes the struggles seen through the Clay County Sheriff’s and the Clay County Fire and Rescue departments.

“Some people dream of meeting their hero, but I raised mine,” one person said, saying her daughter works for CCSO. “Next month, she starts her fourth year as a CCSO officer. She continues to grow professionally with the agency as a crime scene technician, a field training officer and a member of the mobile field force.”

She said she is praised and thanked throughout each day for her service, but that love isn’t reciprocated in her paycheck. She said she hopes her elected officials can secure more funding for CCSO so that the office can pay its officers more.

CCSO funding is something many have mentioned. CCSO’s starting pay is one of the lowest in Northeast Florida, the jail is need of a lot of repairs and a multimillion-dollar expansion and officers generally need more reasons to stick around than, “this is the county I love.” Sheriff Michelle Cook, CCSO officers and constituents have spoken out about this issue and only time will tell if the necessary funding is secured.

For now, be sure to follow the official Clay Today Newspaper page on Facebook so that you don’t miss next week’s Facebook Question of the Week.