THIS WEEK IN ST. JOHNS COUNTY HISTORY: St. Augustine serves as Florida capital for day in 2003

Editor’s note: This story by Ron Word of The Associated Press was published Oct. 29, 2003.

For the first time in 180 years St. Augustine became Florida’s capital even if it was only for a day.

Gov. Jeb Bush and the Florida Cabinet along with state agency heads were in the nation’s oldest city which was the capital of the territory of East Florida until 1823.

Several Florida cities have been “Capital for a Day” under a program started by Bush when he became governor.

“I want people to know what we do There’s a disconnect with state government because we are fairly far removed," Bush said “I have a servant’s heart and I want people in state government to realize it’s not our job to be the master of people but to serve them and let them know what we do.”

Cabinet meeting

Bush joined by Attorney General Charlie Crist, Treasurer Tom Gallagher and Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson conducted a Florida Cabinet meeting in what once was once the ladies parlor of the Alcazar Hotel built by Henry Flagler.

The Cabinet quickly ran through a routine agenda as 300 visitors ranging from the elderly to school children were shuttled through the meeting room as the Cabinet heard reports ranging from the Plum Creek Timber Co. granting a trails easement through its land in Union and Volusia counties to a status report on Florida’s World War II memorial.

Forty-three members of the student government at Fruit Cove Middle School were among those who watched the Cabinet. Eighth-grader Ketan Agashi said he was excited to see the governor but said he aspires to a higher office.

“I want to be president. I am a good leader, I am a good listener,” the 13-year-old said.

When asked how he thought Bush was doing running the state government he replied “It’s better than I could do it.”

Teaching tool

Patti Bums, another eighth-grader, said she thought the meeting was an excellent way to show the students how the government works. “It was exciting for me as well,” said Bums, who said she had never seen the governor in person.

Students took pictures of Bush during the meeting and he started mugging for the cameras. Education Commissioner Jim Horne announced earlier Tuesday that Florida was the first state to receive an education flexibility grant under the federal “No Child Left Behind Act.”

The program allows eight Florida school districts to spend $30 million in federal funds a year for five years to improve reading proficiency to keep parents informed of their child’s progress and to try to reduce the rate of teacher turnover by 50 percent.

The districts are Broward, Escambia, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lake, Marion, Putnam and Volusia.

The program known as State-Flex allows states flexibility to use certain federal funds for state priorities in exchange for increased accountability, Home said.

After the meeting at City Hall, Bush was escorted to a state agency fair in the downtown plaza by guards dressed in Spanish-era costumes. State agencies had booths about their services and some even gave away T-shirts and coffee mugs.

As Bush walked, children asked for his autograph. 

One little girl shouted “Say hi to your brother for me” The governor is President Bush’s younger brother.

This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: East Florida capital until 1823, St. Augustine was capital again in 2003