Clay County leaders reject proposed utility tax hike

Jacksonville, Fl — Welcome to the Wednesday edition of Jacksonville’s Morning News for July 9, 2025. Here is a rundown of what we’re covering:

FIRST ALERT WEATHER: Hot and humid with and isolated storm. The morning hours will be mainly dry with isolated afternoon thunderstorms moving southwest to northeast across north Florida late this afternoon. Storms developing after 4 pm and will be capable of heavy rain and lightning. Heat continues this week with highs each day into the 90s and a daily chance for some afternoon thunderstorms. Feels like temperatures will be 100+.

Some perspective on the deadly Texas floods from Chief Meteorologist Mike Buresh: The world is watching & mourning as Texas reels from catastrophic flooding over the July 4th weekend. As of Tue., July 8th, the death toll is 109 & will undoubtedly go higher as dozens are missing. To put this in some perspective, there have been 765 flooding deaths in the U.S. since 1980. So the Texas death toll from a single flash flood event is a staggering 14%(+) of all the deaths attributed to flooding in the United States since 1980.

HELPING HAND/NOSE: A Clay County Fire Rescue Engineer and his search K9 are in Texas to help search for victims from the deadly floods. Engineer John Long and K9 Officer Cable arrived in Austin yesterday. In a Facebook post, Clay County Fire and Rescue says it’s praying for their safe deployment and successful operation as they help Texas during this difficult time.

THREE BIG THINGS TO KNOW:

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters addressed the need of a new jail in the first of a series of town hall meetings. He describes the existing jail as having mold on the walls, and the elevators are so old they don’t make parts for them anymore. Waters vows to seek input from the community as the evaluation of sights continues. The next JSO town hall is next Tuesday at Trinity Baptist Church’s Hammond Campus.

Clay County leaders reject plans for a utility tax hike. The Board of County Commissioners was considering raising the Public Utility Service Tax from 4 to 10 percent - which would have generated more than $7 million. Commissioners voted 4-1 against the plan. The county had proposed the increase as a way to help address current “budget shortfalls” impacting public safety services like the Sheriff’s Office.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office say they’ve busted a drug house that contained enough deadly doses of fentanyl to kill half of Jacksonville. Detectives arrested five people after serving a search warrant at the home on West 27th Street near a church and Andrew Jackson High School. They found more than 1,200 grams of Fentanyl, crack cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, marijuana, as well as five firearms. The suspects are facing an array of charges.

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