Last Updated: 3:04 p.m. with County Administrator Craig Coffey’s reaction.
Palm Coast is considering realigning the kind of taxes and fees residents and businesses pay, eliminating a half-cent sales tax surcharge and an $8-per-household stormwater utility fee but replacing both with steep new taxes on utilities.
That Palm Coast is considering moving away from the half-cent sales tax signals a potential break with the county, as well, that would cause the county to restructure its own revenue sources if it’s to keep up with its infrastructure obligations. Those obligations include a new office for the sheriff, an expansion to the jail, and an expansion to the library–all services Palm Coast and other cities need, but that the county pays for disproportionately, according to County Administrator Craig Coffey.
“If they want to do this, they’re going to hurt the other cities,” Coffey said. “The reality at the end of the day is the county has to figure out a solution to fund its infrastructure.”
One essential difference between the sales tax surcharge and the utility taxes is this: the sales tax surcharge is generated by whoever shops in the county and the city, but it’s split with the county, disfavorably to the city. The utility tax revenue is generated on the back of Palm Coast residents, but the entirety of the revenue stays in Palm Coast’s coffers. Landon says that would ultimately cost Palm Coast residents less.
“That’s not a correct statement,” County Administrator Craig Coffey said later this afternoon. The statement is correct only in so far as the current sales tax agreement is concerned. But the county has the authority to levy six additional types of taxes , including sales tax surcharges, unilaterally.
The Palm Coast City Council discussed the switch this morning, but made no decision. Rather, it was sending a signal to the county that the last 10 years’ way of doing business may not be the next 10 years’ way. But the council is open to discussion, though Coffey said the commission is not likely to agree to an arrangement where county priorities are short-changed.
“I don’t think it’s fair for us to presume how the five county commissioners feel until we’ve asked them,” Netts said. “On the other hand if three, four or five of them want to take a greater share of the half-cent sales tax, I think our voters need to know that.”
The split in sales tax surcharge revenue has been a bone of contention between the county and the city. The county is getting too large a share, by Palm Coast’s calculations.
The city and the county have two options for splitting the money: a so-called “state default formula,” but that formula assumes a 50-50 split in population and business distribution between the county and the city. The county wouldn’t mind. But that’s obviously not the distribution in Flagler County, where Palm Coast has a much larger share of population (79 percent) or businesses (76 percent of sales tax collections). The other option is an agreement between the two governments based on a new formula. Currently, the city controls 65 percent of the half-cent sales tax revenue, for a total of $2.6 million a year in revenue. That’s not to the city’s satisfaction.
Palm Coast sees several advantages to dropping out of the sales tax surcharge formula and adopting its own utility taxes. The city would generate the same revenue it’s generating now from the sales tax, at least initially. It would generate considerably more revenue over time.
“You’re basically pushing it from your water bill to your electric bill,” Palm Coast City Council member Jason DeLorenzo said.
The city council could do the switch without asking voters’ permission: the switch would require only a vote of the council. And unlike the sales tax surcharge, which has to be renewed through voter approval periodically, the utility taxes don’t have to be renewed. They historically become a permanent part of residents’ and businesses’ bills, with the added advantage—to politicians facing voters, anyway—of keeping property taxes low even as the overall tax burden rises. The city would also have the option of increasing the utility taxes up to their allowable maximums (assuming it sets the rates lower, at first).
Finally, the city would not have to risk losing the sales tax revenue should voters turn down the half-cent renewal.
What’s beyond question is that Palm Coast will seek out one source of revenue or another, whatever the voters decide, because its deteriorating infrastructure leaves it no choice. And that the county will do likewise, whatever Palm Coast decides. Taxpayers could end up holding the heaviest bag.
“It’s just a shame that it has to go this way. I mean, it’s unfortunate,” Coffey said.
When ITT developed Palm Coast infrastructure was built in the early 1970s, with very little maintenance subsequently. When Palm Coast incorporated, its roads were in poor shape, with many stretches displaying “grassphalt”—asphalt riddled with grass growing through cracks. The city and the county floated a joint half-cent sales tax surcharge that voters approved with a 62 percent majority in 2002. By December the city’s portion will have generated $23.4 million.
“One hundred percent of that money was allocated to the road-resurfacing program,” at a rate of about 50 miles a year, Ray Tyner, the city’s planning manager, told the council. Some 550 miles were resurfaced in 10 years.
The resurfacing program is over for now. “To continue to resurface these streets isn’t necessary immediately, but there are other needs out there,” City Manager Jim Landon said.
The city has a big inventory of stormwater infrastructure, including 19 major canal structures, 72 major roadway crossing culverts and 1,555 minor ones, 1,100 miles of swales, 154 miles of drainage ditches and 26 miles of saltwater canals. Some of those are a wreck and need to be repaired or replaced. A single canal control structure (think vast drainage pipes) costs $500,000. The city has 31 such structures. Two of those structures are in critical need of repair, eight are barely less than critical. The city has 22 bridges. Five of them are rated C or D. Some of them are main arteries in and out of some neighborhoods. It costs $1 million to $2 million to repair a bridge.
Most of the city’s 550 miles are in good shape, but more than half that mileage is in the “moderate” shape category, which means those miles will be deteriorating with the years. They may not need attention now. But they will need it soon.
Maintaining the city’s paths, such as the five miles along Seminole Woods Parkway, may be another objective. “We don’t think it’s as high a priority as your stormwater and your streets,” Landon said.
Assuming the city were to take in $26 million over the next 10 years, the city administration is proposing, as one option, to spend $7.2 million repairing 9 stormwater control structures and five major crossings, $16.2 million on roads and bridges, and $2.5 million on multi-purpose paths.
The city has several options to raise the $26 million: it could raise the property tax. It could levy a new utility tax of up to 10 percent that residents will pay as part of their electricity or water bills. Bunnell and Flagler Beach, along with all the cities in St. Johns and Volusia, levy that tax. “So we are the exception out of the rule,” Mayor Jon Netts said.
“By far the exception,” Chris Quinn, the city’s finance director, said. “The majority of cities do go to the 10 percent,” he added, though they don’t have to.
Under that proposal, the typical resident would pay $106 a year, based on current rates. Florida Power & Light is requesting a substantial base-rate increase this year. If approved, that would bump residents’ costs all around, and likely put the annual public service tax above $110.
The city could also levy a “utility franchise fee,” which amounts to the same thing as a utility tax. The difference is that the tax would be levied on the totality of the electricity bill, including the bill’s fuel-supplement charge. It would typically be set at 6 percent.
Both types of utility taxes would generate $4 million a year, if set at their maximum allowable rates.
The council can approve these options without going to voters.
The council could also join the county and ask voters to approve an extension of the half-cent sales tax for 10 more years. Or it could raise property taxes to finance debt (or float bond levies), but that, too, would require voter approval.
“We look forward to meeting with our good friends,” Netts said, referring to county commissioners. The two sides will discuss the matter, along with other cities, at a scheduled meeting between all local government boards on April 11, and likely at a joint Palm Coast City Council-County Commission meeting in May.
Maureen Vidal via Facebook says
“without need for voter approval” – pretty much says it all right there.
Layla says
Believe me, it wouldn’t matter if they needed voter approval here. NOBODY votes.
Tired says
The lack of fiscal and moral responsibility in our city government is dumbfounding. According to their own documents which can be found on the city website by searching in the public information under Stormwater the city DID generate #3,947,968 annually from the Stormwater Utility Billing with an additional billing category of $2,146,316. Therefore, the current total annual revenue potential for the City of Palm Coast stormwater utility was $6,094,284. The City Manager and City Council authorized a Stormwater Ordinance Re-write that was to change how the funding was calculated but revenue was to remain neutral. After spending several hundred thousand dollars of tax payer money for a consulting firm, not to mention staff time in meetings and calculations, meetings with who the City Manager deemed as “stakeholders” with the large landowners the ordinance was re-written to reflect credits and discounts for the “stakeholders”. The City Manager failed to heed his professional staffs input and pushed for what he wanted. He got it, with a huge price-tag! Now he realizes that duh, he cut his revenue in half giving his “stakeholders” the credits so instead of owning up to what he’s created he’s going to dump the project that just cost several thousand dollars and start fresh so in addition he can screw the county over too. His greed and power hunger will eventually catch up to this man, are you willing to pay his price?
Charlie Ericksen, Jr says
It was interesting to sit in on today’s City Workshop session. The meeting started off, with the City and mostly the Mayor, attacking Flagler County “Administration”, on transportation impact fees..Basically, the City believes the County owes them a sizeable portion of the Impact fees, already collected, and has become insensed over the County pledging a portion towards the Matanzas interchange. The City never once mentioned the interchange being built to handle the large number of PC homes, that will be built ,West of the RT1 and Matanzas intersection. I find it interesting, that this one sided conversation even happened since some of the County and City elected officials talk to each other every day.. Hmmm Just what’s up with that??? Round two, then went to a discussion of the present 1/2 cent sales tax, which was approved almost 10 years ago, quickly , to a group of public service fees ( nice politically correct, words for new TAXES) ..If the service fees are implemented, the residents will pay more than they are now, but the City will get all the money. If “fees” increase, they get an automatic increase, and you are correct FLAGLERLIVE, they never disappear. If businesses in Flagler pay these additional fees, product costs, to the comsumer will increase also. Isn’t it interesting that the City has for years claimed it has had, “the lowest property taxes, for any City our size”…and now it’s claiming we haven’t kept up with repair to our sewer system…So, they have put off know repairs to a later, more expensive date. Poor planning on their part. and the voters/taxpayers will pay for their mistakes….Apparently, the City Manager believes PC is out of the depression, and residents can take on a greater share of costs. The same thinking that got us into the depression. Spend,Spend,Spend…. NO,NO,NO..
Layla says
When the residents don’t have enough money to pay our bills, we stop spending and eliminate some of the things we like to do.
There is a lesson here not being heard by government. The city was warned of these maintenance costs a long time ago and chose to ignore them. Consequently, when we had some wash outs, last minute repairs were quite costly to the city.
Residential property values are the lowest in 10 years. This will drop them like a rock and end any chance of attracting new residents and business to Palm Coast. If you want a ghost town, you will get one.
Mayor Netts, nobody on the council OR the commssion who would consider stiffing the homeowners with this tax is a good friend to ANY CITIZEN of Palm Coast.
A cut to the salary and benefits of our esteemed City Manager is LONG OVERDUE, as is new blood on that council and commission. Utilmately cost us less? Just who does this this slick, used car salesman think he’s kidding?
In case you have not noticed, we have NO JOBS here and skyrocketing gas prices. When does it end?
Kip Durocher says
Bendover Palm Coast ~ here is your city goubment.
decrease tax and increase nonsense
“Landon says that would ultimately cost Palm Coast residents less.”
hahahahahhahahahahaha
Do any of you pcers believe that?
Trudi says
Trudi:
Unlike the other taxes, the sales tax burden is shared by all of the people that visit our city, not just the residents. Why not take that help?
Ridiculous says
Now this is just absolutely ridiculous. Palm Coast has no money because they blow it on landscaping the ditches and sides of the road on Belle Terre rather than “fixing” these “problems”. Is this city really that out of touch with the needs of its residents?! If anything, they need to lower fees and taxes until residents are back on their feet – has anyone else here noticed the 1/3 of houses in foreclosure!!
Anonymous says
so true, but the so called “Leaders” that we have here in this so called “City” are not even listening to the residents!
New Jersey says
It is a new tax but don’t worry the $200,000 man, I mean the town manager says it will cost the citizens less.
Let me get this straight the city is going to levy a new tax but it won’t cost the citizens a dollar more.
Call your town councilor and protest. Don’t sit by watching the grass grown.
But that may be asking a bit too much from the majority of would not even vote in the last local election.
John Incorvaia via Facebook says
Sales tax is a “dinosaur” in tax collection, one that is being made extinct by the rising volume of business done via the internet. It’s only a matter of time until it’s failure become entirely apparent. Those who embrace the change and figure out something different before the ultimate demise of Sales tax are in a far better position, City and County alike.
Ella says
This morning the Mayor noted how important it is to address the issues of Palm Harbor Parkway and Old Kings Road so the neighborhoods in the Matanzas area can handle the increased traffic. Sounded like they are not against the interchange but want to use sound judgement. What will people say when traffic is backed up over in that area and no improvements had been made to handle it?
Layla says
Most of them are already saying, “we don’t need that interchange right now.”
slyfox says
. They added tax for the school, add tax for this & that…when will it end? NEVER. don’t forget they sold their building to Palm Coast Data, hoping to build their new TAJ MAHAL,, wonder where their going to come up with that money??? Oh, and from what I hear Palm Coast Data has moved their HR dept. back to the old building across from their customer service dept. and that big building is sitting there practically empty. Maybe PCD will just let it go? But, it sure is pretty driving up & down our roads. Oh, wait a minute! I can’t afford the gas to see all the pretty new plants!
Billybob says
“Finally, the city would not have to risk losing the sales tax revenue should voters turn down the half-cent renewal.”
That’s what this whole article boils down to. They know people aren’t going to vote for to renew the extra sales tax in the current economic climate. So they’ll either have to intimidate people into voting for it again (or else we’re going to ‘lose vital services’) and if that doesn’t work they’ll just find other methods to take our money. Enough is enough. Give us a break, not more ‘services’.
Cliff Clever says
Sales Tax…Utility Tax…..Ok, here we go….You want revenue to pay for all the sewers, ditches, canals, swalls, sidewalks, parks, politicians, city council, police, fireman..etc…etc….. Well, no one is going to like what I say, but it will work……Everyone, and I mean everyone uses the internet for trade,purchases,communications, school, security, medical,..etc..ect……How about we put a $1.00 sur- charge/ per day for everyone (Residential and Commercial ) that turns on theer computer or smart phone and feeds out to the Internet. Anyone using bandwidth to reach Facebook sur-charge them $5.00 everyday.
PalmCoasters your looking at the answeres to all our problems…Think About it !
PJ says
WHAT IS LANDON TALKING ABOUT????? Landon says that would ultimately cost Palm Coast residents less.
Let’s not forget the Waste Pro contract mess. where is the savings? A buck that’s it just $1.00 big deal.
Landon you should be ashamed of yourself. You only want what’s good for your ego. For 200k someone would think you would protecting the residents.
Let’s speak the truth here. You want Palm Coast to be the NEW FLAGLER COUNTY. You could care less about Mr. Coffey and the COB.
If you could move the County seat out of Bunnell you would move the County building and court house to your failed beloved Towne Centre. You would!!
You are mis-managing everything, you are over paid and the best part is the mayor sits on your lap lie a puppet.
Not to mention You can’t make this one up by De Lorenzo. “You’re basically pushing it from your water bill to your electric bill,” Palm Coast City Council member Jason DeLorenzo said this?
This is our leadership? I’m getting sick about the whole council everytime i listen to the news. Sorry WNZF too bad you have report this garbage!
Mr. Coffey stop being so nice to us here we simply shold not get that much respect. Were going to get slammed by the De Lorenzo tax oh I mean utility tax or is it another electric bill “whatever” What I mean is this would force the County to raise their tax and you can’t blame them. The double whammy.
Ladon you are a mis-manager not a real manager like Mr. Coffey.
Landon you have to go you should resign. I say it is cheaper to severence you out then to let you to continue run the city into the ground.
You cost the tax payer more money by hiring poorly managed consultants the the guy you used for your garbage contract. You were mislead there and now you mislead us for the greater good of the entire county.
You are a sham City manager we are sucker punch us everyday you are employed here.
Step up and support the County let the visitors pay and help support the system. Let the purchases pay for the things needed here.
If someone on a fixed income has to pay what De Lorenzo says is a shift of money this leaves that person nothing to help them manage their money. This same person can hold on to a dollar by not spending it but you can’t help them if their taxes go up. Remember they don’t have to buy anything other then provisions to live.
Let’s face it Landon as the project manager and because of your mis-leading management “YOUR FIRED”
In fact I should fire myself just for having you around!!!!!!!!!!
Layla says
Damn! That was great, PJ!
palmcoastpioneers says
‘ …Palm Coast has been designed to withstand what is termed ‘the 100 year Flood’.
From: Richard Vaughan, director of environmental affairs for the ITT Community Development Corporation
The PalmCoaster, Volume 11, Number 1, Winter/Spring, 1982, Front Cover Page, p 1., p 13.
‘…The last hurricane to afffect Palm Coast was Hurricane David, which brushed the area in early September, 1979. David’s highest wind gust recorded in Palm Coast was 59 miles per hour, and though it did drop 4.16 inches of rain over a 48 -hour period, no flood-related water damage occurred. One of the main reasons damage did not occur is because Palm Coast has been designed to withstand, what is termed, “the 100-year flood.” That, says Richard Vaughan, director of environmental affairs for ITT Community Development Corporation, ——–>means a flood that statistically could occur once in a hundred years could hit Palm Coast and no flood water would enter the houses…'<————–
***************************************************
We were unaware that the infrastructure is in that bad shape this Century. Many people moved to Palm Coast, Inc. because of Palm Coast, Inc., being able to withstand a '…100 year flood…'.
palmcoastpioneers says
@Palmcoaster –
IF that picture is of the Florida Park Drive ‘Blow Out’ …do you remember those massive rectangular blocks that were the gigantic *cisterns* for the Brigadeer Generals’ Jose Martins Hernandez’s St. Josephs Plantation Sugarmill?
Flagler Live…is that a picture of the area of Florida Park Drive? Thank you very much.
( for the newer Palm Coasters…IF it is yes, then look at those rectangular blocks …making those large Cisterns for the St. Josephs Plantation -)
@Palm Coaster – did you ever get to see the massive cisterns of the Plantation here?
Ella says
If you people think you could do such a better job, why don’t you attend meetings, vote and make a difference instead of sitting around complaining? What is a half-cent REALLY to keep things going? We live in a beautiful place with all kinds of services. I don’t think you could get the quality of life you get here for the price anywhere else. p.s. What is a $200,000 salary cover to deal with negativity?
Think first, act second says
Ella, I go to meetings, I vote and if the City leaders decide to add the utility tax, remember no voter approval required, they will add it no matter what you and I say at any meeting. The thing that bothers me the most is that the utility has no sunset provision so it goes on, and on, and on, (get the picture). The 1/2 cent tax does end and that is why they want the new flow of revenue, which also does not take voter approval to increase yearly either. I heard a new expression the other night, BOHICA and that applies here, Bend Over Here It Comes Again, courtesy of Netts and his comrades.
PJ says
Ella,
I voted and attend most meetings when i can. Look what it gets me……………… So all I can do is hope for better as it will continue to get worse with this batch of politicians and an ego-driven city manager.
If you think this is good management Ella then in reality YOU don’t have to do anything. In fact you don’t have to vote and don’t even have to go to any meetings.
YOU can enjoy Palm Coast at present and YOU don’t need change…………………………
Agnese says
Who decides what gets done?? did the small cul-de-sacs in the Z’s that only have 8 – 12 houses on them really need repaving?
Think first, act second says
There has to be something wrong with Landon’s math if he thinks that substituting the portion of a 1/2 cent tax that is paid by out of county visitors, assume 33% of it, and replacing it with 100% paid by county residents is lowering county taxes. If you take the $23.4 Million total received by December for the past 10 years, and assume that 33% is paid by out of county visitors, snowbirds, etc., that would be $780,000 per year by those visitors. Now replacing that with residents money and according to Landon that will cost Palm Coast residents less. I have seen creative math before, but he will have to explain that one to me, paying more does not decrease my obligation Jimbo.
john says
us peasants must be serving king netts and duke lanndon trying to go around the voters on the utility tax.
nene39 says
This resident of Palm Coast, who used to extol its beauty as a green city, untouched by hurricane landing, with nice and friendly residents, is just sick and tired of all these bellyaching and bickering between the County and the City, and is thinking of moving out because we can’t afford to live here anymore and can’t take this childish behavior of our so-called leadership.
Between this and that tax, and mind you, I live in a gated community, which, by the way, also just raised our HOA fees, at a time when we can hardly afford to maintain our homes and pay our property taxes, we have no place to go but out, since we can’t even get a job to help sustain all these taxes we have to pay and those they proposed we pay without asking our opinions on..
Palm Coast threatens to do away with this to get back at the county, then the county threatens to impose this and that, and in the meantime, who ends up suffering? US, that’s who! This is not a governmental situation anymore, it’s a pissing contest, and we, the people, loses. What a shame it is that our statesmen are not leaders, who can take the high road and concentrate more on matters at hand, instead of bickering in public like children. They ran for office promising to do the job, flaunting their experience, etc., yet once elected, they need to hire all kinds of consultants to help them, yet our situation is still worse than when we started.
Perhaps they should just run a contest among our high school students on what should be done to make things happens. It probably would be more cost effective and productive, it will also be an impetus for them to get involved in their community and be better leaders than what we now have…