|
"I do solemnly affirm that I will support, protect, and defend the Constitution and Government of the United States and the State of Florida; that I am duly qualified to hold office under the Constitution of the State, and that I will faithfully perform the duties of the Board of County Commissioners of St. Johns County on which I am about to enter, so help me God."
This oath, or a close semblance of it, is taken by each County Commissioner that serves our community. Similar vows are delivered and recorded by elected federal, state, and local officials as well as the men and women serving in the Armed Forces. Our founding fathers felt it was imperative for the United States Constitution to be protected from foreign and domestic foe.
They did not pledge their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor with the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, to defend a particular sect of humanity or a parcel of land. The penmen and signers of the Declaration of Independence were willing to forsake all for the establishment of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness later outlined within the Constitution. It is true that most of these enterprising forerunners gave their lives to support the efforts to establish a nation upon utopian ideas of liberty and freedom.
These men sacrificed all. They anticipated their progeny and the future leaders of our nation to do the same. This document is the precious lifeline to the success or failure of our representative republic. It possesses the guarantees of a unique government that will rightfully navigate our nation through turbulent challenges and maintain freedom for its citizens. The people and the land of the United States are not the object of the sacrifice of service and life to this nation. It is the ideology, philosophy, and directives defined within the composition of this unique creation that affords the American citizen the freedoms and liberties he or she enjoys.
As we celebrate the Fourth of July this year, I hope that you will take a moment and read the Constitution of the United States for you and your family. It takes a little time, but I promise you it is time well spent. We live in a special place. We enjoy the benefits of tremendous prudence and forethought. We are the benefactors of unique government. I believe we must understand it so we can protect it. If we are frivolous with this premise, if the foundation is eroded, the structure cannot stand or survive. It is compulsory that we be familiar with the history and establishment of our government that each of us may defend her. And thereby protect her people and the land we love.
Have a blessed Fourth of July!
Your servant,
Jeb S. Smith
St. Johns County Commission, District 2
| 
St. Johns County residents will receive a free upgrade in recycling services this summer with the introduction of new 95-gallon recycling carts with lids. The blue carts will replace the recycling bins currently utilized by residential customers.
I want to congratulate Dr. Allicock and her staff at the Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County for winning the Governor's Sterling Award. They graciously took ownership of this prestigious recognition during a ceremony on Friday, June 5 at the J. W. Marriott in Orlando.
St. Johns County's District VI 4-H Club recently hosted a mock legislative session for regional youth to enjoy the unique experience of participating in the legislative process. Participants proposed legislation, debated the merits, practiced the parliamentary process, and ultimately voted on a bill. Senator Travis Hutson participated in the event and provided first-hand knowledge of Florida's legislative process. 
NOAA Hurricane and weather experts recently visited St. Augustine's Northeast Florida Regional Airport, aboard a U.S. Air Force Reserve WC-130J Hurricane Hunter aircraft and a NOAA G-IV aircraft, both of which are used in hurricane forecasting. Students from the St. Johns County School District and the public toured the aircraft and met the pilots and meteorologists.