With the Nights of Lights festival just weeks away, St. Johns County Commissioner Ann Taylor is calling for a task force to improve oversight and ensure tourism dollars are spent wisely.

The annual event draws thousands to downtown St. Augustine, but residents have long voiced concerns about traffic congestion and public safety.

“We’re less than two months out from one of the biggest tourism events in Northeast Florida,” Taylor said. “We have got to act now. Every day we wait, we lose precious time.”

This year, the city requested an additional $1 million in county funding to support the festival. Commissioners approved $850,000 — money earmarked for safety upgrades, parking improvements and public restrooms.

The funding comes from local bed taxes, which are collected from hotel and sho

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