For the first time since 2010, the Flagler County Commission is looking for ways to pull back from its commitments to the Carver Center–or Carver Gym, as it’s commonly known in Bunnell–and possibly divest itself of it altogether, if the School Board is interested in taking over.
Commission Chair Leann Pennington raised those possibilities at a workshop earlier this month and won her colleagues’ consensus to have Acting County Administrator Adam Mengel hold conversations with district officials.
The county owns the building and its grounds. The initiative was prompted by an increase in the county’s operating costs from $81,000 this year to an expected $112,300 next year, on top of the $97,500 grant the county gives the School Board to run the facility. The School Board pays the salaries of Carver Gym Manager Bonita Robinson, one full-time assistant and one part-time employee.
The operating cost increase is due to janitorial responsibilities, which increased when the county built an office-suite expansion to the Carver Center’s front end, creating a separate entrance for the Police Athletic League on one side and the administrative offices on another, and an elaborate lobby area with additional spaces that have increased the number of classrooms there.
“The School Board operates out of it daily. They have a whole office,” Pennington said. “General Services actually built an entire wing onto it. The county paid for it, resurfaced the ball courts, getting ready to do the parking lot. It’s a constant improvement, and it is one of those things that it’s 100 percent used by the School Board and PAL, and there was an agreement to let PAL in there, and PAL is primarily operating out of it now. So I feel like this is one of those areas where we need the discussion. Staff needs to kind of go back and say: how much county involvement?” (In fact, several other organizations other than PAL run their programs in the building.)
Over the decades the county has tried a few times to get rid of Carver Gym, the last time in 2010, when it considered ending its financial commitment, which was $117,000. There was an uproar from South Bunnell. The County Commission scaled back its contribution to $90,000 and said it would scale it back further in future years unless the Carver Gym community could find a way to support the building.
Commissioner Barbara Revels took on that responsibility, stood up a Carver Foundation board and a governing board, and won pledges from Bunnell, the school district and the Sheriff’s Office to make annual financial contributions in addition to the county’s, and brought it back from the dead, with ground-game assistance from Daisy Henry. The commission at the time then rode on the coattails of Revels’s achievement. Revels is still on the foundation’s board. Henry has since died, though Bunnell named the street next to the Carver Center after her.
“The governing board was intended to operate the facility and make decisions on repairs or anything the building might need,” Revels said. “The foundation was intended to be a support organization raising money. But the foundation has become very involved in monitoring the activities and programs and are always willing to help raise money or provide for items that are needed not being supplied by the government entities. It is my understanding the governance board does not meet on any regular basis, which might be the reason for Commissioner Pennington’s statements.”
The foundation board is thriving, Revels said, with its president, Taahira Lee, who brought a younger perspective into the mix, is technologically savvy, and is a good organizer. She successfully completed two Motown Madness dinners (the fund-raising dances) and two Juneteenth celebrations, and is working on a School Board candidate forum.
The Washington Carver Advisory Board may be a different story. It includes chair Marian Irving, Bunnell Police Chief Dave Brannon, and representatives from the Carver Village (the Housing and Urban Development subsidized housing area near the gym), the School Board, the county commission and the Carver Foundation.
The county hasn’t scaled back its contribution. But the contribution has barely budged since 2011. It is $97,500. In inflation-adjusted dollars, it’s as if the county had contributed $65,000 in 2011. Conversely, had the county’s 2011 contribution merely kept up with inflation, it would have had to be $139,000 today.
Either way, it may be too much for the county. “If we’re looking at true tax reform, and we’re heading there,” Pennington said, “this is one of those items that we’re going to have to have a discussion with the School Board.” Bunnell, Pennington said, is not in any position to take over the building, since it faces its own challenges with the potential amendment.
That amendment on the November ballot would raise the homestead exemption to $250,000 by 2028, sharply reducing general fund revenue for all local governments. The governments are scrambling to prepare, though they are also using the occasion to analyze what may be cut regardless.
For Robinson, a retreat on the Carver Center would devastate the South Bunnell community in particular and the larger Flagler community in general. “I’m hoping that they will reconsider, because of, you know, what the center provides to the community, the services that we provide,” Robinson said. “Our School Board, the governing board, the foundation have not sat down with the county to come up with a plan or a fix of the issue of funding.”
Carver Gym is the only community center west of Palm Coast, with effective popular programs. PAL’s big presence created some friction two years ago but the friction has waned. The Department of Juvenile Justice is at the gym three times a month, meeting with parents and students regarding students who have had school citations for vaping or other minor offenses. PAL also has the Sweat program (Sheriff’s Work Ethics and Training), a life skills program for at-risk students. Artie Gardella runs his “Synergy Senior Fitness” classes at the gym all week, Monday through Friday. “It’s huge,” Robinson said, especially the Monday-Wednesday-Friday classes, which draw 50 people each. That program pays rent. There’s also a computer lab for students for homework or games, and there’s an elaborate fitness room.
Robinson runs a senior social program on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which offers lunch and games. The funding for it comes out of the program rent revenue. The Flagler County Hurricanes, an athletic organization not connected with PAL, also runs a popular spring and fall basketball program. The Hurricanes pay to rent the building. “That’s the biggest asset right now is the basketball league,” Robinson said.
Career Source, the nonprofit that helps the unemployed, moved its offices from near the county airport to the Carver Center, though Robinson says that like PAL, it does not pay rent. The Flagler Education Foundation holds its annual celebration for the girls of the African American Mentor Program at the center. Flagler Palm Coast High School hosts a block party there annually. And several additional events are organized there.
The way things are now, Robinson says, the center is thriving. “The center itself is too important to the community, to the Flagler community, to have it just shut down.”
Endless corruption says
Hahaha but the police have helicopter money! Defascist had a billion for a concentration camp and billions more for rich kids private schools ., data centers got huge tax breaks ….never trust a rapeublican! Being this gym benefits black and minorities you can bet the GoP will cut funding for it first. Cruelty is the point. How many people have starved to death so far from the GoP cutting usaid? Projections are 14,000,000 dead humans. End GoP terror!
RH says
Follow the lead in Ormond Beach. Both their gyms host pickleball 5 mornings per week. Both gyms are crowded with players every morning until 1 pm when the kids have access for basketball. Although city residents pay nothing, outsiders pay to play. It’s too hot to play outdoors, this would give Flagler residents a chance to play indoors for a small fee.
Ralph Lightfoot says
Good suggestion!!
Jay tomm says
Comment disallowed.
Stacey says
What a dumb comment, but it shows how racist you are.
FlaglerLive says
That comment should not have been approved. Thank you for flagging it accurately.
Gina Weiss says
How disgraceful to not fund such a wonderful place like this that GIVES BACK
to the community such great dire needed services for our youth and our seniors.
BAD IDEA PENNINGTON which is only one of the many reasons you will not
be getting my vote. What a slap in the face to the Bunnell community! And we
also want our senior dementia center the only one of its kind in Flagler county.
john stove says
For every group that uses that facility, they should pay a fee adjusted for inflation every year. If there are 5 groups that use it, divide the total operational expenses by 5 and make it a “pay to play” fee.
Why is it always the taxpayer opening their wallet to pay for things.
Vote YES to amend the property taxes before we are bled dry.
Laurel says
Can each and every child pay the fee you suggest? If not, just forget them?
BIG Neighbor says
Contradiction, I’ve been in my home in Flagler for over 20 years and I pay approximately the same in property tax as I did when I first moved here. Where’s the adjustment for inflation? Tax payers pay to sustain funding to maintain quality of life….for what….say it with me….community. And that includes needs by neighbors that are not our own in the here and now, but directly impact us in the future. Why is this a topic at this point? Oh yeah….increasing homestead exemption….VOTE NO. The Carver Center is prime example of a jewel that shouldn’t come into vulnerability like seasons every time someone has to be the adult and dole out allowance money. And you want to reverse throttle by voting yes to defund general services? I find it hard to believe there’s no one capable of driving a campaign for endowment to ensure vital organs to the body we call our home doesn’t starve for blood. Thank you to all those that support, but give me lifecycle to endure.
Deborah Coffey says
Wait until you see how wide you’ll be opening your wallet if you vote YES on that amendment!
JimboXYZ says
It’s already starting, the shifting around of budget line items for property tax. Millage rates will increase & any new homestead exemptions won’t apply. Bidenomics. The last time this was up for consideration, Bush-Obama & that ruined economic bailout economy mess. The inflation economy of Biden-Harris will cost all of us more than it was ever worth, for the rest of our miserable lives.
Laurel says
Jimbo; Yours, maybe. The rest of us know that Bush, Obama and Biden are no longer in charge.
celia says
JXWZ : Stop barking at the wrong tree after your Kool-Aid. Stop the useless conspiracies! You trying to hide the facts of our current inflation cause by your POTUS by blaming the past administrations? What you’r smoking?
Larry says
The Carver Gym is an asset to this community, a definite keeper and a priority.
Pogo says
One professional sports player could endow this important entity with the seed of a fund that would rescue it from the wind that blows from Tallahassee.
Just a suggestion.
The Geode says
Why don’t you use YOUR money?
Just a suggestion.
The dude says
Of course things like gyms and recreation will have to be cut if meatball Ron’s little plan comes to fruition.
The kids will suffer first before the olds.
Only when the cuts start affecting things for the olds is when it will become a problem to the olds.
Laurel says
omg!
Palm Coast Citizen says
Well, they’ve already decided to close the Adult Day Care Center. Next might be the Senior Center, the libraries and Meels on Wheels.
Also, many long time seniors won’t saver very much on their tax bills since it only impacts as valorem non school taxes.
Capt Bill Hanagan says
Taxpayer (community) money invested supporting the youth, giving them a place to go & role model adults who care about them, a place to keep their bodies healthy and compete in contests that give them pride and confidence
is taxpayer (community) money that doesn’t have to be invested in cops to police kids with no options and nothing to do, tech to surveil those kids, and prisons to lock them up in
BUT MAYBE THAT’S THE POINT
chris conklin says
The carver gym is such an important part of the community. lets focus on how many kids have grown up playing on the fields and in the gym that have become successful law-abiding adults. not all county or city properties are designed to make $ but to provide an opportunity for young and old to better them selves. Instead of dropping the ball pick it up n score.
Lil bird says
But yet they are plotting to run a massive sports complex for the “Westward expansion”
David Sullivan says
Carver Center is a very important facility for our County’s youth and and should continue to operate as it has been.
Lets not panic yet on Budget cuts caused by the State proposed Constitutional Amendment, it has not been approved by the voters yet. The Carver Center should remain open, by whatever financial support it takes, due to its important value to our whole community.
Gina Weiss says
Pennington, how about wrapping your brain around developing and funding
MORE of these centers so that our youth has a place to showcase their talents
and keep them off the streets, the problem is that all of you ask for the wrong
funding , instead of serving our communities all of you cower down to the developers
and don’t put the interest of your citizens at the top of the list, stop the
funding for the aviation fuel pollution farm that you want to put at the donut
hole airport, stop poisoning our water, flora and fauna and us with leaded
fuel.
celia says
Again the current FCBOCC and its chair what a shameful decision while spending 3 millions buying private property in western Flagler county taking it out of our tax rolls revenue. Rebuilding a restaurant for 1.5 more million and giving out rental for peanuts because the far out location for further erosion of the county general fund and now they want to cut the Carver Gym that keeps our youth from loitering bored in the streets getting in trouble! Meanwhile we are forced paying for decorative murals while ignoring our youth needs that we pay in our taxes to be served! Maybe a mural with the image of our youth loitering in the county after their vote against the Carver Gym, mire realistic? Cut the fat instead; like too many chiefs at six figures overpaid and few workers doing the work! Ask for grants for the Carver Gym and not (over 70 millions) for the elite at an KFIN airport that does not serve the community at large as we can’t buy a tkt to fly anywhere and to the contrary became a flight schools nuisance over Palmcoasters! THINK FCBOCC what the residents taxpayers “need” out of the taxes paid and not what the elite “wants”. Can’t wait to see Anna Jones sworn to the county seat! Chair Pennington suggesting talks with school board..? so then the carver center ends like the Belle Terre Swim Club membership used pool and then shut down to 1100 Palmcoasters member in 2025? Very wicked idea Leanne! Get the FCBOCC hands off the Carver Center and stop forcing us fund luxuries like the Nexus Library ! What is more important for you, our youth center or “one additional” luxury library!
JC says
No library is a luxury, when the last time you step into one?
Jay tomm says
Nexus was funded almost entirely on grant money….
But I do agree it was a waste. Spend a little to move the Bunnell library to a county owned building, & spend a little more to renovate the PC branch.
Library mom says
Do you not realize that the local youth are using the “luxury” library? There must have been over a hundred kids at their dinosaur program this week. Sounds like you have no idea what goes on in a library.
Ralph Lightfoot says
The Carver Foundation contributed more than $50,000 to the renovation project. These funds were made possible through the generous support of donors throughout the Flagler community and the proceeds from Foundation-sponsored fundraising events. These contributions reflect the community’s ongoing commitment to preserving and strengthening this important local resource.
Laurel says
So y’all just got an inkling of what’s to come.