After town hall meetings, formations of task forces and even a public-private consortium suggested by a Florida legislator to help keep the St. Johns River ferry service afloat, one Beaches leader is now calling on coastal communities to help fund the ferry.

Neptune Beach Mayor Harriet Pruette along with Atlantic Beach Mayor Mike Borno have already drafted a resolution calling for Beaches municipalities to back “supporting continuation” of the ferry. But Pruette said this week it’s time for seaside governments to put their money where their mouths are.

“I would hope we would be able to kick in something,” Pruette said, “at least to show that we do support it and that we need it.”

Check out photos of the Mayport ferry

Pruette acknowledged most Beaches municipalities are strapped for funds in budgets that are minuscule compared with Jacksonville or other county governments. But the gesture could go a long way to bolster conceptual support for the Mayport ferry.

The Jacksonville Port Authority now operates the ferry but is considering its chief executive’s recommendation to stop after losing $3 million since 2007.

Not all the Beaches mayors agree with Pruette that their communities should help pay for the ferry. Borno said he’s not sure Atlantic Beach could afford to contribute. He made his comments during a phone interview as he was traveling to Tallahassee for a meeting with state Rep. Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach, and other government officials who agreed to try to develop a consortium to bring in funding from public and private sources.

Jacksonville Beach Mayor Fland Sharp said there’s no way his city would help fund ferry operations. He said he doesn’t see any immediate benefit from the service crossing the St. Johns River from Mayport to Fort George Island.

Pruette also suggested Nassau County contribute some funding.

But Nassau County Commission Chairwoman Stacy Johnson said she is not sure what, if any, economic boost the ferry provides to that county.