NOCATEE, Fla. — Republican Representative John Rutherford met with his constituents in Nocatee on Thursday. He and his colleagues are on break from Washington, D.C. while the Senate remains in session with impeachment front and center.
Rutherford voted against impeachment in the House.
"Because the facts haven't changed and the facts haven't changed for quite some time now," Rutherford told First Coast News.
Locally, Rutherford, who served as Jacksonville sheriff, says he'd give current Sheriff Mike Williams an A- or B+ in fighting crime. Last year, Duval County had the highest number of homicides in more than a decade and Rutherford hinted more money and manpower could help.
"It's the resources that you have and how you deploy those resources and if you don't have those resources than you can't deploy them," he said.
A rising sea level is also on his radar. Rutherford serves three coastal counties: Nassau, Duval and St. Johns.
"We are talking right now with the Army Corps," he said. "They are trying to put together a study to look at how to build some resiliency in northeast Florida."
The growth of St. Johns County caught the attention of new Nocatee resident Daniel O'Kavage. The father of two says development may be happening too quickly.
"The growth is the problem though," O'Kavage said. "They can't keep up. They are not paying the teachers enough. The average salary is $40,000. I am a mortgage broker. You can't get a mortgage making $40,000 a year."
Rutherford, who was greeted by some protesters, plans to return to Washington, D.C. next week.