The possibility that Jacksonville may lose the Mayport Ferry is an issue hitting close to home for many families.

"It's kind of like when they tear down old houses and buildings and you regret it later, and your children and grandchildren don't get to see it," Neptune Beach resident Elaine Brown said.

Even elected officials consider it to be much more than just a ferry—rather a vital piece of A1A, allowing for much shorter commutes for many drivers.

"It's a state highway—A1A—a scenic coastal highway. What are you going to do? You're going to cut part of that out? And now you have two halves of a scenic coastal highway? Makes no sense," District 13 Councilman Bill Gulliford said.

Gulliford said he's been hearing a lot of outrage from his constituents over JAXPORT's recent announcement that they cannot keep funding the ferry. He said community meetings like one held at Flether High School Thursday night are becoming more and more important to the people and city leaders.

Councilman John Crescimbeni said the community is hoping to beat the clock and find money as the general consensus, he said, is that the state should foot the ferry bill.

"The state should operate it," Gulliford said. "The state should've never surrendered it. It's no different than a road or a bridge."

A JAXPORT representative recently told Channel 4 that to sustain the ferry during the next decade would cost about $10 million and they have other important projects they need to consider.

Many men and women at Thursday's meeting believe that kind of spending would be too big of a financial burden on the private sector. However, with no clear answer as to who will save the ferry, there is no clear answer as to what will happen next.

"If that involves some sort of partnership and we get other branches of local government or authority involved in some way or another, that might be a necessary option," Gulliford said.