St. Johns County launches first-ever strategic plan

St. Johns County has launched its 2024–29 Strategic Plan, a roadmap designed to chart the course for the county’s future. After an extensive community engagement process, the plan reflects the collective vision of a thriving community.

“The strategic plan serves as our guiding tool to prioritize residents’ needs, deliver services aligned with our community’s vision, and ensure accountability through strong performance metrics,” County Administrator Joy Andrews said. “It is our essential reference to move forward prudently, making well-informed decisions that reflect our commitment to transparency, efficiency and excellence.”

The plan centers on six core strategic priorities: community trust, community well-being, economic prosperity, enhanced conservation, infrastructure and organizational excellence. A special webpage has been created at sjcfl.us/sjc-strategic-plan, where the public can access details and a downloadable version of the 24-page planning document.

Assistant County Administrator Sarah Taylor leads the Office of Performance and Transparency, which began developing the county’s first-ever strategic plan in 2023.

“The strategic plan is a living document that will help us define our future vision for the county,” Taylor said. “It reflects our community’s priorities, enabling us to make informed budget and policy decisions while securing the resources needed to keep our county thriving. We are committed to continuously tracking our progress and improving service delivery for everyone in the county.”

The three pillars of the plan are built on:

• Mission: To serve and invest in the community through innovative leadership, high-quality services and preserving the county’s history and natural beauty while enhancing economic vitality.

• Vision: St. Johns County is a historic community with a thriving population and economy, offering world-class cultural and recreational opportunities and an exceptional quality of life.

• Values: Dedication, openness, adaptability, visionary, financial responsibility, integrity and humility.

The county will use strategic planning software to plan, monitor and publicly report progress toward its goals and objectives, as well as performance measures. An annual report and year-end presentation to the Board of County Commissioners will provide transparency, while engaging dashboards and data visualization tools will be shared as part of the plan’s ongoing public education efforts.

“The St. Johns County Strategic Plan is a celebration of community input and public engagement,” Andrews said. “We’re excited about our ongoing collaboration as we embark on this journey together to shape the community’s future.”