St. Johns County has been without a state lobbyist since Oct. 31 and is now sifting through 25 proposals to fill the gap before the Florida Legislature convenes March 2.

The Florida Group, led by principal Marty Fiorentino, notified the county Sept. 1 that it would end its representation effective Oct. 31, according to the Jax Daily Record. The firm had represented the county for more than 15 years.

The resignation followed questions from Commissioner Krista Joseph about the firm's performance and potential conflicts of interest. Commissioner Ann Taylor supported Joseph's concerns, the Jax Daily Record reported.

Joseph said the Florida Group should have done a better job alerting commissioners to Senate Bill 686, the state's agricultural enclave law that took effect July 1. That law created a certification process allowing qualifying agricultural land largely surrounded by existing or authorized development to bypass the traditional comprehensive plan amendment and rezoning process. It limits local governments' ability to impose more burdensome requirements on those properties.

Joseph also questioned whether the firm's work for private-sector developers could conflict with county land-use and growth management goals.

Fiorentino's Jacksonville lobbyist registration lists clients including 6S Development, Eastland, Stellar, Superior Construction and the Northeast Florida Builders Association, according to the Jax Daily Record. The Florida Group's website also lists The PARC Group, the developer behind a 4,462-acre North Palm Valley agricultural enclave application that the County Commission denied 3-2 on Sept. 15. The PARC Group filed a petition Oct. 19 asking a circuit court to review that denial.

In its resignation letter, the Florida Group wrote that commissioners had "expressed the desire to go in a different direction as it relates to state government relations consulting." The firm said it disagreed but "we have decided it would be best to discontinue our representation." The firm also said in the letter it had helped secure more than $110 million in state funding for county projects.

Not all commissioners sided with Joseph. At a May meeting, Commissioner Christian Whitehurst challenged her to identify any contract provision she believed the firm had breached. In August, Chairman Clay Murphy accepted responsibility for the commission not knowing more about SB 686, saying that oversight rested with him.

County Administrator Joy Andrews said the Office of Economic Development is reviewing the 25 proposals. The deadline to respond to the county's request for proposals closed Oct. 19. The county's goal is to have a new lobbyist in place before the legislative session begins March 2.