Tourism tax revenue in Flagler County is down 6.4 percent in the first six months of the fiscal year–October through March–as vacation rentals and leisure-room occupancy in local hotels has fallen after what Tourism Director Amy Lukasik describes as the “record-breaking years of Covid, when Florida remained an open destination as other states and countries took safer and saner protections for their residents.
Economy
For Palm Coast Council, ‘Utopian’ Goals on Roads, Parks, Arts and Jobs Clash with Fixation on Reducing Tax Rate
The Palm Coast City Council has narrowed its goals for the coming year to 12. It is an ambitious, immediately contradictory list that starts with limiting government revenue by way of a rolled back tax rate as a goal, then goes on to outline costly initiatives the administration has not been able to address in line with demand for lack of money: road repairs, swale repairs, more money for arts and culture, advancing the dredging of saltwater canals, implementing the parks master plan, and so on.
Looking Past ‘Some Real Losers Over the Years,’ Bunnell Mayor Robinson Delivers a Buoyant State of a City
“I’ve been on this board a long time. And we’ve had some real losers on this board over the years,” Bunnell Mayor Catherine Robinson said with remarkable candor Monday evening, speaking from a dais at the Government Services Building that has known its share of losers, not just from Bunnell government: the County Commission and the School Board also hold their meetings there. She had just delivered a celebratory State of the City address.
With One Exception, Palm Coast Council is Not As Eager for Repeat of Rolled Back Tax Rate This Year
Palm Coast City Council member Ed Danko is pushing for rolling back the city’s tax rate for the second year in a row, but other council members, especially Theresa Pontieri, is resisting, citing increasing demands from residents for such services as road repairs and the sheriff’s request for nine additional deputies, costs that would be harder to meet if the rate was rolled back.
Commerce Parkway Construction Images Show Leveling of Thick, Long-Undisturbed Forest
Bunnell government has released images showing the ongoing churning-like clearing through a thick forest of pines, brush and wetlands in the first stage of construction for Commerce Parkway, the two-lane road cutting a swath from State Road 100 to the north, to U.S. 1 to the south, east and south of the city.
Seesawing Gas Prices Tick Up
Gas prices continue to seesaw: after falling to a two-year low in late December, prises rose back up, then began a pattern of declining or rising almost every week within a band of 10 to 20 cents, hitting a 2024 high in mid-March before declining a bit and rising again, as they did last week, mirroring the fluctuations of the price of oil, but with some lag.
Construction Begins on $24 Million, 1.3-Mile Seawall at South End of Flagler Beach, Adding to City’s Clangs
Flagler Beach might as well be known as Construction City for the rest of the year. The second, but nowhere near last, gargantuan project to clang the city began today as the Florida Department of Transportation’s contractors started work on a $24 million, 1.3-mile seawall at the south end of Flagler Beach–what will be the longest sea wall the city has ever known, though it won’t necessarily be visible when completed.
July 4 Celebration from Flagler Beach Parade to Palm Coast Fireworks Announced
Flagler County Government and the Cities of Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, and Bunnell invite all Flagler County residents and visitors to the United Flagler 4th Community Celebration on Thursday, July 4th, 2024.
Typical House Will Cost $5,000 More in Flagler Beach as City Approves Series of New Impact Fees
It’ll cost builders $5,000 more to build the typical 1,500 to 2,000-square foot house in in Flagler Beach, a cost that will be passed down to buyers of new homes, as the city commission last week approved an increase in water and sewer impact fees and instituted new impact fees for fire, police, the library and parks and recreation.
Flagler Unemployment Holds at 4.1% as Local Home Sales Near 4-Year Low and Time to Contract Hits 8-Year High
Flagler County’s March unemployment rate held at 4.1 percent for the third straight month, remaining above 4 percent for six of the last eight months even as county residents netted 134 new jobs and the number of the unemployed remained flat. The slowing pace of new workforce residents is reflected in the slowing pace of home sales, which are near a four-year low. That is one of several local economic indicators that, should they persist, may be of concern to those in the housing industry.