People in public office are seen as the voice of the people they represent, especially at the local level, and St. Johns County Commissioner Jeremiah Blocker is taking this to heart with his upcoming scheduled “office hours.”
The first “office hours” will be held Jan. 28, as well as days scheduled Feb. 28 and March 25. More dates will be released in the future.
Blocker will be at the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library, located at 101 Library Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on those days to hear from residents and get their opinions about certain things in a one-on-one environment. Residents must call 904-209-0300 to reserve an appointment.
Blocker came up with the approach before becoming a commissioner.
According to Blocker, the genesis of the idea was so that people living elsewhere in the county would not have to drive all the way to St. Augustine just to meet with their commissioner.
“I always thought if I got elected, I might be able to do something about that,” Blocker said.
It is not the first time Blocker will have held the “office hours” sessions, but he is hoping this is the start of getting back to having one each month, which has not been the case since March 2020 due to the concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic.
He is not sure if other commissioners are taking similar approaches, but he has heard interest, especially from Commissioner Christian Whitehurst.
From Blocker’s understanding, the “office hours” had not been done for a while prior to him starting it up.
“Local government is the most in tune with the county,” Blocker said. “Dialogue and talking to find a common ground is a good thing and something that we need.”
The diverse nature of the Ponte Vedra Beach and Nocatee areas, as well as that of St. Johns County, is what Blocker believes also provides unique perspectives when searching for ways to improve the current standing.
“People have lived other places and they can really bring some great ideas to the table,” Blocker said. “The vast majority of citizens are vested and very respectful of the process. There’s always a balance.”
When choosing a place to hold the “office hours,” the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library quickly came to Blocker’s mind, and seemed like the perfect fit.
“I’m a big supporter of the libraries,” Blocker said. “They serve an important function. It’s like the town square of the community.”
