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Q: As municipalities across the state prepare to begin a new fiscal year Oct. 1, officials are throwing around a lot of numbers about their budgets.

In particular, Jacksonville Today reader Ricardo F. wrote in to ask why it sounds like St. Johns County and Jacksonville have similar budgets despite the wide disparity in size and population.

“How is it that both St Johns and Jacksonville are discussing $2 billion budgets?”

A: When officials in each county talk about finances for the upcoming fiscal year, both Jacksonville and St. Johns County are represented as having $2 billion budgets. But those comparisons are like apples to oranges.

While officials from both counties may talk about

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