Abstract: Anastasia Mosquito Control District (AMCD) of St. Augustine, Florida, was established in 1948. Then, it had three elected Commissioners and seventeen square miles to treat. Now, AMCD has five elected Board Commissioners, and it provides the entirety of St. Johns County with service- 609 square miles and a growing population of ~300,000.
All Florida Special District Mosquito Commissioners operate under Florida Statute Chapter 388 and the Sunshine Law. At AMCD, a Commissioners term is four years, countywide, and nonpartisan. AMCD Commissioners receive a handbook that includes duties and responsibilities, Sunshine laws, benefits, detailed policies, and Robert's Rules for orderly meeting procedures.
The Board of Commissioners hires and evaluates the District Director, part-time lawyer, and a part-time CPA. In addition, the Board of Commissioners approves the millage rate and budgets and makes policies. The District Director implements the procedures and oversees the District's daily operations. The Board holds a monthly meeting on the second Thursday, except in November. The meetings are open to the public, and the District makes meeting announcements on its website and local newspaper in advance. In addition, each Board member chairs one of five committees, such as Planning, Financial, Education, Operations, and Applied Research.
With everything that is done throughout Mosquito Boards, transparency is a must. The Sunshine Law must be followed and applied, so Board members cannot stack votes or pre-determine policy changes.
