The Flagler County Commission must close a $2.9 million deficit as it prepares a $150 million 2026 budget that goes in effect on Oct. 1. The county and its five constitutional officers are projecting a 10.7 percent growth in their collective budgets, from $137.2 million this year to a requested $151.9 million. Projected revenue will grow by 9.6 percent, or $11.8 million. But that is not enough to fully cover the gap.
Flagler
One for the History Books: Inaugural Bunnell History Day Explores Past of “The Crossroads of Flagler County”
The inaugural Bunnell History Day drew drew visitors, vendors, artists and activists to the county’s 108-year-old city Saturday. Co-organizers Ed Siarkowicz, the president of the Flagler County Historical Society, and Pete Johnson, a 32-year-old handyman and former Palm Coast mayoral candidate, credit Elaine Studnicki, the immediate past president of the Palm Coast Historical Society and a grant writer for the Flagler County Historical Society, with coming up with the idea to celebrate Bunnell’s history.
Pam Richardson and Kim Carney Are Killing Flagler County’s Beaches
Flagler County Commissioners Pam Richardson and Kim Carney are sacrificing our beaches to an ideological fantasy. They are opposing an increase in the half-cent sales tax that would fund beach protection, claiming there are alternatives. They have not offered a single viable proposal, preventing the enactment of a beach management plan. Their poorly informed obstructionism only ensures accelerated erosion and a shorter lifespan for the beaches–and the barrier island.
1.3-Mile Sea Wall at South End of Flagler Complete But for Turtle Nest’s Delay, Giving A1A ‘Highest Protection’
In time for hurricane season projected to spin 13 to 19 named storms, the 1.3-mile seawall at the south end of Flagler County is complete but for a 50-foot stretch–delayed because of a turtle nest. An equally long sea wall 6 miles south, in Volusia County, will be completed by early fall, with a cover of vegetation completed by year’s end. The combined $117 million Florida Department of Transportation projects were financed mostly with federal money. DOT built them after Hurricanes Ian and Nicole again severely damaged State Road A1A south of the pier.
County Kills Half-Cent Sales Tax for Beaches as It Seeks Mystery ‘Alternatives’ to Save 18 Miles of Shoreline
The half-cent sales tax increase the county administration proposed to pay for the long-term management and preservation of Flagler County’s 18 miles of beaches died today after weeks of comatose uncertainty. Commissioners Kim Carney and Pam Richardson summarily killed it. The 18-mile beach-management plan itself may not be dead. At least the sales tax’s executioners don’t think it is. Carney moved for the commission to workshop a deep dive into the management and funding plan with alternatives to the sales tax that would generate the $12 million a year necessary to pay for beach maintenance.
Flagler County Will Buy 5.2-Acre Parcel on Intracoastal North of Hammock Dune Bridge for Preservation as Parkland
The Flagler County Commission this morning approved the purchase for up to $1.9 million of 5.2 acres of scrub land fronting the west side of the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Coast, immediately north of the Hammock Dunes bridge, for perpetual preservation and possible transformation into a park. County officials say the price is worth the future preservation of a prime piece of land in an area prone to high-density development. The parcel is not isolated, but would become part of Palm Coast’s network of connected trails and parks.
Canal Capacity Expansion Project on Flagler County’s West Side Will Be Completed by July 4
What started with cleaning the box culvert at the intersection of county roads 302 and 65 – just a small piece of the project – on the last day of March and scheduled for completion of the Canal Capacity Expansion Project on September 22, is now looking like everything will be finished before the Fourth of July.
Potentially Toxic Algae Bloom at Dead Lake by the Bull Creek Boat Ramp
The Florida Department of Health in Flagler County has issued a health alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algae toxins in Dead Lake, at the Bull Creek Boat Ramp. The alert is in response to a water sample taken on May 28. The public should exercise caution in and around Dead Lake.
Flagler County’s Beach-Saving Plan All But Killed by Opposition to Sales Tax Increase Despite Last-Minute Switch
Flagler County’s long-debated $114 million beach-management plan looked all but dead at the end of a contentious two-hour meeting of the County Commission Monday, with only two commissioners willing to support an increase in the half-cent sales tax to fund the plan. The commission needs four votes to enact the higher tax. At the last minute, and after at times angrily denouncing the information the administration has provided her–and not provided her–Commissioner Kim Carney said she would support the tax. But the switch may be short-lived.
With New Cat-5 Resistant Roof, Flagler’s Emergency Management Prepares for Hurricane Season of 13 to 19 Named Storms
Aside from his annual briefing on the coming hurricane season’s 13 to 19 named storms, Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord said the county’s Emergency Operations Center now has an $830,000 roof that can resist 180 miles per hour winds, his department is just one of six certified departments ou of the state’s 67 counties, and a new, $10 million stand-alone emergency shelter is scheduled to be completed at the county fairgrounds by next summer.
At Flagler Tiger Bay, Ex-US Attorney General Gives Bullish View of ‘Unitary’ Executive Power, With Nod to Calvin Coolidge
Jesse Panuccio is the former executive director of the Florida Department of Executive Opportunity, general counsel to former Gov. Rick Scott and twice the acting U.S. Attorney General during the first Trump administration. He focused on the record spate of recent presidential executive orders and “their legal status,” drawing from headlines about the most aggressive use of executive power since the Civil War in combination with Panuccio’s interpretation of history in the founding era to endorse the current president’s conduct as legally justified.
An Ugly Town Meeting in Marineland as Questions Hang Over Legality of Mayor’s Unilateral Appointment of a Commissioner
An emergency meeting of what was left of the Marineland Town Commission on Wednesday degenerated into a 40-minute verbal brawl involving the mayor, two attorneys, and members of the public as accusations of lies, improprieties, corruption and possible charter violations marred the legally dubious appointment of a commissioner. The meeting was called following the death of Mayor Gary Inks. Acting Mayor Dewey Dew unilaterally appointed Jessica Finch commissioner, against the town attorney’s advice, even though the meeting’s quorum and Dews’s authority to make the appointment were in question.
Flagler County Clears Construction of 124 Single-Family Houses at Veranda Bay in Latest Phases of 453-Unit Development
The Flagler County Commission approved Monday the final plat for 124 single-family house lots at Veranda Bay near Flagler Beach, the last two of six phases totaling 335 houses in the development along John Anderson Highway, which was permitted for 453 housing units in 2020. Veranda Bay’s ultimate plan is for 2,400 housing units and annexation into Flagler Beach. That plan is on a hiatus.
Flagler Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord Warns of a Different Disaster Ahead: the Vanishing of FEMA Money
With or without FEMA, Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord cautioned, local governments must be prepared to assume more costs of recovery than they have in the past, especially if the federal government declares fewer disasters, as appears to be the plan. Fewer declarations will mean far less reimbursements and far fewer grants for innumerable projects and services local governments depend on in the recovery phase of what are becoming routine climate disasters.
Marineland Mayor Gary Inks Dies at 79; Had Led Career in Resort and Dolphin Attraction Marketing
Gary Paul Inks, the mayor of Marineland since last year, a member of that town’s commission since 2020, and a former marketing director for Marineland Dolphin Adventure, died over the weekend after battling illness for weeks. He was 79.
Without a Single Question, Bunnell Board Approves Rezoning of Nearly 1,900 Acres to Industrial, Outraging Residents
The Bunnell planning board on Tuesday approved the comprehensive plan change and rezoning of nearly 1,900 acres from agriculture to industrial, on land stretching from U.S. 1 to County Road 304. It is the single-largest rezoning of the kind in the city’s or county’s history and would reshape the character of both as surely as would the massive 8,000-home residential development proposed for west of the city. Yet the planning board recommended approval on a pair of 3-1 votes without a single question, inquiry or comment.
Palm Coast and Flagler County Burn Ban Issued in April Is Extended Through May 14 Despite Rain
The Flagler County burn declared on April 23 and in effect countywide has been extended through May 14, the county announced today even though some areas of Flagler County started receiving rain Wednesday.
3-Judge Panel of Fifth District Court of Appeal Hears Arguments at Flagler County Courthouse for 1st Time
For the first time in recent memory, and perhaps ever, a panel of the Fifth District Court of Appeal held oral arguments at the Flagler County courthouse this morning, hearing three cases, none local. One of the three cases centered on the meaning of theft, and whether a defendant had in fact committed a crime–grand theft–when she diverted business from her employer, even though she did not steal products.
U.S. Rep. Randy Fine Picks Ex-Palm Coast Councilman Ed Danko as District Director in Flagler, St. Johns and Volusia
U.S. Rep. Randy Fine, the unfiltered provocateur and former member of the Florida Senate who won a special election in April to claim the Flagler County-centered congressional seat vacated by Mike Waltz, has chosen the like-minded former member of the Palm Coast City Council to be his regional director in Flagler, Volusia and St Johns County: Ed Danko. Danko begins his job on the federal payroll Friday.
Sales Tax Proposal to Protect Flagler’s Beaches Takes Another Lashing as Commissioners Talk Referendum and Other Alternatives
Flagler County’s $114 million beach management plan is looking like a sand castle on the county’s critically eroded shore, and the water is rising. The Flagler County Commission today could not give its administration–or itself–anywhere near the clear direction needed to forge ahead with a plan every one of its five members agrees is critically needed. Three commissioners find the plan’s revenue formula problematic. The workshop ended with deeper uncertainty as commissioners gave their administration direction to produce yet more alternatives.
Flagler Humane Society Board Members Brazenly Reproach City and County Officials’ Push for Accountability
Palm Coast council members and county commissioners, meeting jointly earlier this week to discuss their long-frayed relationship with the society, have been dissatisfied with what they see as poor accountability and transparency at the non-profit, and not enough oversight by the governments. A pair of Humane Society board members’ language and lecturing did not help.
Mike Waltz Out as National Security Adviser, In as UN Ambassador
Mike Waltz, a former Florida congressman [who represented Flagler County] and became known for sharing U.S. plans to strike Yemen on a Signal group chat, was out as White House national security adviser on Thursday. President Donald Trump announced he will instead nominate Waltz to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a position that requires U.S. Senate confirmation.
Palm Coast Absent as Ground Breaks on $11.2 Million General Aviation Building at Flagler County Airport
Eight years after it was conceived–and at almost three times its original cost–the future 15,000 square foot general aviations building at Flagler County Executive Airport finally got its ground ceremonially broken this morning before dozens of local officials and spectators. The $11.2 million building is financed by a $5.6 million grant from the state Department of Transportation, a $5 million appropriation from the legislature, and $620,000 in local airport funds.
Flagler County Assist, the County’s Unique Emergency Management Support Organization, Marks 40th Year
Flagler County Assist (FCA) is celebrating 40 years of service to the people of Flagler County. Since 1985 Flagler County Assist has supported numerous events and provided assistance during emergencies including wildfires, hurricanes, storms small and large public events as the 4th of July in Flagler Beach and the annual Pink on Parade 5 K race.
Flagler’s Sam Greco Votes with House Majority to Eliminate Local Tourism Councils and Use Bed Tax Revenue to Cut Property Tax
A House measure passed Friday would have potentially damaging consequences for Flagler County tourism promotion, beach protection and beach management. The proposal would eliminate all local tourist development councils and use all but 25 percent of the revenue from the tourism sales surtax to offset property tax reductions.
Cowpen Fire in West Flagler Jumps to 250 Acres in Hours Before Firefighters Contain 90%
A fire that started about 3 p.m. Thursday (April 24) on the west side of Flagler County quickly grew from 7 to 250 acres in a matter of hours, reflecting the brittle conditions resulting from increasingly dry ground. The blaze, identified as the Cowpen 2 fire, is still burning but is 90 percent contained this morning.
In Somewhat of a Setback for County’s Beach Plan, Tourism Council Awards Only Half the Money Asked
The county’s own Tourist Development Council on Wednesday rejected a request for roughly $2.6 million over the next three years to help with reconstruction of the county’s beaches and the county’s ambitious $120 million beach-management plan. Instead, the council voted to award half that amount, or roughly $1.3 million, depending on what the tourism sales surtax generates. The county may still apply for TDC grants to make up the difference.
Flagler County Prepares to Rebuild 5.5 Miles of Beach for $36 Million North of Pier Even as Long-Term Plan Is In Doubt
Flagler County government revealed a plan to rebuild–or renourish–between 5.5 and 7 miles of beach north and south of the area the Army Corps of Engineers rebuilt last year, for $36 to $40 million, starting as early as October. State and federal grants are in hand to pay for the project. But a majority of county commissioners are reluctant to ensure that the renourishing is not wasted–as it will be if it is not followed by subsequent renourishments. That majority appears unwilling to support a long-term financing plan for all 18 miles of beach.
Flagler County Unemployment Dips Back to 4.1%, But Inventory of Single-Family Houses Rises to 13-Year High
Flagler County’s unemployment rate fell back to 4.1 percent, from 6.6 percent the previous month, according to figures released by the state Department of Commerce this morning. The rates are not seasonally adjusted. But the county’s housing inventory continues to rise, and is now at its highest level in 13 years, and rising.
Palm Coast Bans Homeless From Sleeping on Public Grounds and Will Seek Potential Alternatives with County
The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance aligning the city with a state law that prohibits local governments from allowing the homeless to sleep or encamp on any public grounds, including parks, public buildings and rights of way. Flagler County enacted a similar ordinance last November. The bill, signed by the governor in March 2024, allows local governments to designate certain grounds as encampments. But that process is onerous and expensive. The city will look for alternatives with the county.
Flagler County Library Director Braces for Possible Cuts After Trump Order to End Library Support Agency
Assistant Flagler County Administrator Holly Albanese is preparing the county’s public library system, its Board of Trustees and local officials for possible local consequences of an executive order that seeks to end the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, a mainstay of library and museum funding across the country. Cuts may be as little as $20,000, which the library system can easily absorb, or could be much larger if grants already awarded are called back.
Flagler Beach Gets Its First Glimpse at App-Based Paid Parking, and Guardedly Likes What It Sees
The Flagler Beach City Commission got its first glimpse at an app-based paid-parking system for the city this afternoon from Passport Parking, a company with more than 800 clients across the country. The commission was non-committal, but most Flagler Beach residents who spoke approved of the plan, some guardedly, some enthusiastically–as long as the plan exempts Flagler Beach residents from paying–and some, disbelieving in a parking problem, opposed.
County Buys Into $110 Million Speculative Sports Complex Palm Coast Voters Rejected in November
The Flagler County Commission signaled it was happily turning to an untested and financially risky public-private partnership with a company that would build a $110 million sports complex (in Palm Coast) in exchange for $6 million a year “lease payments” from the county. It is the same complex and concept that was behind Palm Coast voters’ rejection of a referendum last November.
Three County Commissioners Now Opposed to Sales Tax for Beach Management, Putting County Plan in Doubt
Just as Palm Coast and Bunnell had been increasingly coaxed to support the county, a majority of county commissioners–Leann Pennington, Kim Carney and Pam Richardson–spoke in opposition to a sales tax increase to support a comprehensive beach-management plan. Without that increase, the plan Petito devised to rebuild and manage all 18 miles of the county’s beaches would collapse, and with it any hope of continuing the beach renourishment the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started in Flagler Beach.
Fuel Farm Off U.S. 1 Appears Dead as Palm Coast Mayor Norris Pulls His Support, Joining Council Skeptics
The proposed Belvedere Terminals fuel farm off U.S. 1 in Palm Coast appears to be dead. In an email to City Manager Lauren Johnston on Friday, Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris pulled his support without equivocation, joining three council members who are extremely skeptical of the proposal. Belvedere couldn’t afford to lose Norris’s support. Until then, the mayor had been the company’s champion in the city.
Proposed Fuel Farm Off U.S. 1 Draws More Fire as Public Urges County to Reject Palm Coast Location
Already bruised by mounting opposition since it was announced almost two weeks ago, Palm Coast and Flagler County governments’ proposal to buy 78 acres for a 12.6-million gallon fuel farm off U.S. 1 took more fire today, this time at the County Commission, even though the county last week pulled the proposal from today’s agenda. Numerous residents, all opposed to the fuel farm at the U.S. 1 location, addressed the commission, but commissioners themselves raised sharp questions about the plan, adding to its uncertain future.
In Flagler, Voters Cast Half a Million Ballots in 8 years; 5 Were Non-Citizens. Where’s the ‘Fraud’?
An executive order requires that all votes be counted by the end of Election Day. It also requires proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. The order relies on a lie: that fraud is corrupting American elections. Let’s not look far and take Flagler County’s recent elections to test the claim.
County Pulls Massive US1 Fuel Depot from Consideration for Now as ‘Pause’ Gives Palm Coast Time to Study Options
The Flagler County Commission was set next Monday to approve a $10 million state grant to buy a 78-acre parcel off U.S. 1 in Palm Coast for a planned fuel depot and rail head. The county administration pulled the item from the agenda after the Palm Coast City Council opted to look for a different location in response to mounting public opposition to the plan. The pause is also a reflection of deepening skepticism among elected officials about a plan that was barely vetted before it was sprung on them just weeks ago.
‘Ritz Carlton Residences’ Will Add 128 Condo Units in Two Towers At Hammock Dunes (not Palm Coast)
Two condominium towers of 64 condos each will rise at Hammock Dunes, to be called the Ritz-Carlton residences, the belated culmination of a project initially approved by the Flagler County Commission in 2006 and still awaiting its final plat. The development will add to half a dozen existing and similar condominium towers at Hammock Dunes. But contrary to a report in the News-Journal, Palm Coast is not involved.
Democrat Josh Weil Riles GOP Panic Over Special Election: ‘We Are Going to Have Our Own Surge’
Democrat Josh Weil, the Orlando teacher, and the GOP’s Sen. Randy Fine of Melbourne, are running so close in the special election for Waltz’s 6th Congressional District seat–which includes all of Flagler County–that even if Weil doesn’t win Tuesday, the race is sending seismic waves through a magaland.
Owners Demolish Old Dixie Hotel a Few Weeks from Deadline, Ending Years of Litigation
The Old Dixie motel is coming down. What used to be the Country Hearth Inn, what rapidly became an eyesore after it closed in 2008, then a battleground between Flagler County government and two sets of owners, was being demolished today, making one legal case moot and all but ending the second. The attorney for the property owners says something will be built there, but it’s not yet clear what.
Company Will Build Massive Fuel Depot and Distribution Plant at Rail Spur Off Peavy Grade in Palm Coast
Belvedere Terminals, a start-up company developing a new gas and diesel distribution network by rail, will build a fuel depot and distribution plant on a 78-acre site on Palm Coast’s Peavy Grade, next to the city’s Water Treatment Plant 3 off U.S. 1. The company intends to start operations in late 2026 at a plant with half dozen fuel tanks with a total capacity of 300,000 barrels of gasoline and diesel storage, or 12.6 million gallons–the equivalent of 17 water towers like Palm Coast’s off I-95.
Florida Unemployment Rate Rises to 3.6%, Flagler’s to 4.6% as State Revises Labor Force Numbers Upward
The Florida Department of Commerce on Friday said the unemployment rate increased from 3.5 percent in January to 3.6 percent in February. Florida had a 3.4 percent jobless rate in December. The unemployment rate in Flagler County jumped to 4.6 percent after the Department of Commerce revised figures substantially–adding several thousand people to Flagler County’s labor force.
Bunnell Approves Grand Reserve’s Last 141 of 847 Houses, with a Pointed Caution From Its Staff
The Bunnell City Commission approved the final phase of Grand Reserve, the 847-home subdivision that will increase the city’s population by more than half and is already changing the city’s politics. The sixth phase consists of 141 houses on 100 acres. The city’s planning director cautioned the commission to review future developments more carefully than when Grand Reserve was originally approved.
To Prevent Renewed Wars Over Annexation, Flagler County Will Aim for Joint Planning Group with Cities
Flagler County government is proposing to create a Joint Planning Committee with Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Bunnell to review all developments and annexations that straddle county-city or city-city boundaries. The committee would be responsible for drafting service agreements defining who will provide law enforcement, fire, water and sewer services and road maintenance. The County Commission is all for it. But getting the cities to sign on to what amounts to more transparent coordination may be a challenge.
New $7 Million Fire Station 51 and Sheriff Substation on County Road 305 a Step Closer to Construction
Flagler County Fire Rescue’s new Fire Station 51 is one step closer to construction later this year as the county’s planning board recommended approval of its site plan to the County Commission. The commission is expected to ratify the decision within weeks, clearing the way for construction.
Clinton Huggins, 1971-2025
Clinton Huggins, loving husband and dad, passed away on March 18, 2025 at the age of 54, but his larger-than-life persona and ability to spot fish in tannin-stained water will never be forgotten. Commissioner Leann Pennington and her son, Clint, sincerely thank the many friends, family and residents who have reached out to express their condolences and offered support during this devastating time.
County Attorney Al Hadeed, Stalwart of Environmental Stewardship and Local History, Is Retiring in August
County Attorney Al Hadeed announced his retirement come August. He had been the county attorney for nearly a decade until the commission in a dubious move ended his contract in 1998. A different commission re-hired him in 2007. His retirement will remove the single-most important store of institutional memory from county government, though his signature achievements would fill volumes.
No Outright Indications of Mechanical Failures in Plane Crash That Claimed Pilot’s Life in West Flagler
A preliminary investigation of the Feb. 14 plane crash that took the life of pilot 75-year-old Thomas Harvey in western Flagler County reveals that the plane had followed a normal flight path until it suddenly began to drop rapidly, at more than 200 feet per second before impact. There was no evidence of a fire on board and “no indications of a flight control anomaly were discovered,” according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report, suggesting that Harvey may have suffered a medical episode.
County’s Kim Carney, Crucial Vote on Sales Tax Proposal, Appears to Waver, Putting Beach Plan at Risk
County Commissioner Kim Carney’s support for the county-wide beach-management plan she endorsed just weeks ago appeared to waver when she raised questions about it at last Monday’s commission meeting, potentially putting the entire plan in jeopardy, especially with an undecided Palm Coast looking on.