1st Term Accomplishments

Residents First

• Short-Term Rental property (AirBnB) enforcement 
  • Initiated Cocoa Beach’s first STR enforcement plan, by proposing a FY2025 budget amendment to add one dedicated Code Enforcement Officer for STR registration and enforcement (October 24, 2024 Commission meeting).
  • Addressed the city’s number one resident complaint after years without an actionable management plan
  • Supported and approved all subsequent STR enforcement measures brought forward by city staff (Spring 2025)
• e'Bike enforcement 
  • Approved e'bike management plan, incorporating e'bike speed limit and safe operation parameters, along Minutemen Causeway (September 2025 commission)
  • Reckless e'Bike operation is consistently top resident concern
• Nuisance Noise Management 
  • Initiated and approved Cocoa Beach’s Noise Management Ordinance following multiple commission workshops (Spring 2023)
  • Approved Ordinance 1678 (Cocoa Beach LDC Sec. 13.5-20), improving nuisance noise enforcement and resident quality of life (July 2023)
• Waste Management cost reduction 
  • Saved resident tax payers approximately 8% cost from monthly bill, thru competitive source selection with Waste Management service provider

Fiscal Responsibility

• Lower Property taxes
  • Led the FY2026 reduction of the city millage rate, making Jeremy the first commissioner since 2012 to successfully lower property tax rate
  • Reduced millage tax rate from 6.1644% to 6.000% (approved September 2025)
• Reject Deficit Spending 
  • Consistently voted AGAINST deficit-spending city budgets for FY2024, FY2025 & FY2026 budgets (approximately $9M reserves spent) 
  • City budgets have grown over 65% since 2021
  • Proposed specific budget areas for reduction each year; measures were ultimately voted down 4-1
• Balanced Budget
  • Forecasting Balanced FY2027 city budget, not requiring ANY budget reserves while maintaining all city services (August 2026)
  • Recovers city from deficit spent FY25 and FY26 budgets
• Reduce City Debt
  • Helped eliminate more than $10 million in city debt over four years, by effectively managing new city debt
    1. FY2022:  $40.2M total city debt (Budget p. G-26)
    2. FY2026:  $30.8M total city debt (Budget p. H-256)

• Increase City Reserves
  • Voted to increase city reserve balances by +1% annually, strengthening Cocoa Beach’s financial stability.  City Ordinance 1681
• Florida DOGE initiative
  • Proposed and secured approval of a Florida DOGE resolution to leverage state resources
  • Aimed at removing state-imposed restrictions on the use of Tourist Development Tax funds for public safety costs (April 2025)

Alternate Revenue Sources

• Impact Fees 
  • Approved city ordinance to implement impact fees for new development, used to offset resident burden to pay entire Capital Improvement project costs.  Forecasted to save residents $500k-$750k per year in property tax obligations.  City Ordinance 1709  (Jan/Feb 2026)
• Golf Course sprinkler pump
  • Saved residents $350k pump cost, by transferring costs from General Fund (resident taxes) to Utility Fund (all waste water users to include Port Canaveral and PSFB) - (Budget workshop, June 2026) 
• Expanded parking fees for non-residents
  • Brevard Ave, Ramp Road park (Q1 2026)
  • Shifts burden of maintenance costs from residents to Users
  • All new parking fees are completely transparent to city residents with parking stickers
• Waste Management contract
  • Proposed $65k opportunity, by separating city trash costs from resident water bill.  Costs would be paid by city General Fund (larger tax base compared to resident water bills)

Quality of Life Initiatives

• Waterway Improvements
  • Led commission efforts to renovate the Holiday Lane Boat Ramp by reallocating project under-runs.  Delivered improvements with $0 cost impact to residents (January 16, 2025 Commission meeting)
  • Approved renovations to Ramp Road park - completed June 2026
  • Approved renovations to Bi-Centennial ramp (SR520) - completed May 2026
• Recreation Improvements
  • Approved (2) ADA-compliant Beach Crossovers - (Jan 2026)
• Tennis Court renovations
  • Approved contract with United States Tennis Association for $1.2M renovations at $0 impact to resident taxes
• Downtown Beautification
  • Approved matching grants to help local businesses invest in beautification, including:
    1. Juice N’ Java
    2. The Pointe Church
    3. Catalyst Surf Shop
    4. Slow & Low Barbecue
    5. Dirty Birds
    6. Epic Boardsports
    7. Drift House

• "In God We Trust" 
  • Led Commission vote to add official motto of United States of America and State of Florida, to all marked Cocoa Beach Police vehicles (Fall 2024)
• Cocoa Beach Celebration
  • Approved events celebrating Cocoa Beach’s 100th birthday - innovative July 4 Drone Show
  • Approved events celebrating America 250 - drone show, July 4th, 2026

Strong City Leadership

• Supported key public safety leadership appointments:
  • Chief of Police:  Kris Kuehn (2026), Wes Mullins (2024)  
  • Fire Chief:  Justin Grimes (2024)

City Manager Appointments

• Approved stable and accountable city management:
  • AJ Hutson (2025)
  • Wes Mullins (2026)