Palm Coast Council Awards Jacksonville University $2.5 Million to Open Town Center Campus, But Without Unanimity

But it was a somewhat divided welcome: one of the council votes appropriating the money was 3-2, with newly-seated council members Ed Danko and Victor Barbosa voting against. The other vote was 4-1, with Danko opposed. 

When the city appropriated $1.5 million to underwrite the University of North Florida’s expansion in Town Center, the vote was 5-0. But it was a different council. Holland, Nick Klufas and Eddie Branquinho voted for the appropriation to Jacksonville University. 

The school has 68 undergraduate programs and 55 graduate programs–with 70 percent growth in programs in just the last five years. The university projects similar growth in Palm Coast. It plans to start with graduate programs in Palm Coast before expanding to undergraduate programs. Initially it will operate out of 6,000 square feet at the Chiumento building in Town Center, but scout new space as it expects to expand rapidly. (See: “Jacksonville University Plans Major Campus Expansion in Palm Coast in City’s 2nd Higher-Ed Partnership).

“I’m the 12th president of this university,” Tim Cost said, addressing the council. “Eleven predecessors before me have chosen not to ever leave Jacksonville, Florida. This is about my ninth year, and a Palm Coast opportunity is not a deal to us. It’s a partnership. We have been extremely impressed.” 




“I think this is bold, I think it is timely, I think it captures the spirit of innovation and creativity and growth that Palm Coast has been striving for, and I think that our missions match together,” Christine Sapienza, the university’s provost, or chief academic officer, said. She outlined the university’s evolution from a two-year college, its rapid expansion, its streak of eight semesters in a row with the highest pass rate in Florida for its nursing program. Today, Sapienza said, leadership and ethics are “key things industry are looking for,” along with workforce development gaps. “We know that right now inside of our own Flagler County, our hospitals are looking for hundreds of nurses to fulfill the job openings,” she said, positioning the university’s initiative in Palm Coast in that context. 

City Manager Matt Morton said the university’s investment will “match and exceed ours.” Of the pair of subsidies, he said: “These are one-time revenues available. We will not be increasing taxes, we will not be creating indebtedness through this proposal. We believe it also starts to address the concern that has been long held in the county of shifting the tax burden away from the millage and our single-family residences towards business, towards industry, towards economy and towards education. Staff believes this builds a complementary system that supports and comes alongside UNF, Daytona State College, AdventHealth, Flagler and others.” 

There were two votes at this morning’s council meeting because the money was drawn from two separate pots: $1.5 million from general fund reserves (that was the 3-2 vote), and $1 million from the Town Center Community Redevelopment Agency, or economic opportunity zone, where property taxes are locked in and reinvested in that zone to spur economic development. Only Danko voted against that. 

Barbosa explained in a brief interview this evening that he was not opposed to the university initiative or even to the funding, as his vote on the $1 million from the CRA fund indicated. “I love that the colleges are looking at Palm Coast,” he said, specifying that he was hesitant to sound antagonistic toward the university at the meeting. But he had a reason to vote against the use of general fund dollars: “Before we invest in that, I wish that the $1.5 million had went to public works because we’re in dire need to fix the public works.” The city is facing a multi-million dollar challenge to modernize its public works facility. 

“The working conditions there are not up to par. It’s kind of hard, because it’s a very good thing,” Barbosa said of the university. “If we had the building, then of course let’s do that,” but not before public works is rebuilt. 




Danko was more categorically opposed, whatever the source of money, for a different reason: “I welcome your university here. You’re more than invited to come join us. However, I do have problems with spending $2.5 million of our taxpayers’ dollars, and this is taxpayers’ money,” he said. “And sooner or later, we’re going to have to get it from our taxpayers, and that’s going to mean tax increases for us, sooner or later.” Danko did not present evidence for the claim. 

“We’re in the midst of a pandemic,” he continued, “Covid-19, a lot of our businesses have lost revenue, a lot of our taxpayers have lost their jobs or a percentage of their income, our own city employees took a 10 percent pay cut because of Covid-19. So I just think this is a great idea, but it is the wrong time for our city to reach into our pocket and do another MedNext, so I just want you to know, you’re more than  invited if this is a great deal for you to come here, you’re more than invited to spend your own money and come here, love to have you, but I’m opposed to spending the taxpayers’ money.” 

Jacksonville University’s officials were in the audience, in person. 

Branquinho was more effusive toward them. “Thank you, thank you, a hundred times thank you,” he told them. “This is a lifetime opportunity for us here in Palm Coast. I doubt that we don’t have 100, 200, 300 cities that wish to have this opportunity that you’re actually giving us.” 

Branquinho is not fond of Danko. After hearing Danko’s statement about the university, Branquinho said: “I just want to remind certain people,” the identity of “certain people” a mystery to no one, “if we don’t invest as a society, if we don’t invest in education, we’re going to be investing again in jails, rehab centers and so on and so on and so on.” 




The official press release Jacksonville University issued today on its nascent partnership was silent about the split votes. 

Holland at the meeting summed up the partnership as she spoke of the “extraordinary school district right here in our backyard” and medical pathways created at Flagler Palm Coast High School, whose students have a waiting list for those wanting to enter FPC’s medical flagship. “So this truly is a pipeline. Daytona State College is incredibly supportive of this opportunity. They as well offer a tremendous value to our community and have made investments and continue to do so over the years, and continue to grow. They see this as a continuation of that pipeline. Then you have obviously the private sector hospital systems, and not just hospitals. We’re talking health care opportunities across the board. So the variety of jobs that this will offer not only to our residents, but to the region, when you think about Ormond Beach, Volusia County, those cities that are housed within Volusia County, this is a drive to them to come up and participate [in] this university. St. Augustine. This is a very close drive. So this is a regional opportunity. Obviously we’re very proud Palm Coast will be at the center of it.”