This morning’s meeting of the so-called ILA (or inter-local agreement) Oversight Committee, gathering elected officials from the school district and other local governments, was distinctly more relaxed as a year-long clash over what some developers must pay, and when, to ensure school capacity for new students, was over.
Backgrounders
In Latest Switch, County Will Cut Tax Rate, Fund Sheriff’s Full Request, and Take a $1.9 Million Hit on Budget
The Flagler County Commission this evening voted 3-2 to cut the tax rate by a tenth of a point and fully fund the sheriff’s budget request, closing what had been a $700,000 difference between the county’s proposal and the sheriff’s request. The result will be a $1.9 million hit on the budget the administration had submitted to the commission ahead of today’s public hearing, the first of two to adopt next year’s budget and tax rate.
Flagler Schools’ Budget Is Millions Short from 10 Years Ago as District Is Forced to Shift Tax Dollars to Private Schools
Historically lower taxes it has no control over, a state funding formula that cheats it of 5 cents of every dollar it sends the state, and a state-required $6 million transfer to pay for private education vouchers have again left the Flagler County school district scrambling to balance its budget. But it’s been an annual erosion of local dollars, entirely at the expense of public education.
Less Than Half of Flagler’s 10th Graders Pass English, Worst in 11 Years; FPC Down 9 Points, to 45%
On the heels of a year and a half of a dysfunctional school board riven by ideological battles, only 49 percent of Flagler County’s 10th graders last school year were reading English at grade level, the lowest proportion in over a decade and a decline from 53 percent in 2021. Flagler’s 10th grade reading scores have declined every year since 2018.
Florida Sets Limits on How Much Medical Pot Doctors May Order for Patients
The highly anticipated emergency rule sets a 70-day total supply limit of 24,500 mg of THC for non-smokable marijuana and establishes dosage caps for different routes of administration such as edibles, inhalation and tinctures.
In Re-Trial, Kwentel Moultrie Is Found Guilty of Raping a 16-Year-Old Girl and Faces Up to 30 Years
The trial of Kwentel Moultrie, 23, had hinged on whether he’d had consensual sex or raped a 16-year-old girl who’d invited him in when he was 20 at a P-Section house in Palm Coast. An April jury couldn’t reach a verdict. A jury today found him guilty at the end of a five-day trial, but it may have erred on its interpretation of law.
Palm Coast’s Jonathan Rockholt Arrested on 3 Federal Charges in Jan. 6 Attack on Congress
Jonathan Rockholt, a 38-year-old Palm Coast resident who described himself as a member of the Three Percenters militia, was arrested on three federal charges in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, where he confronted and attempted to overcome police.
County Resists Sheriff’s Request for Additional $700,000 in Surprise 3-2 Vote, Heralding Shift
With Joe Mullins’s surprise vote providing the majority, the Flagler County Commission this afternoon resisted Sheriff Rick Staly’s request for an additional $700,000, opting instead to hope for “savings” during the coming year, either on the sheriff’s side or on the county’s side of the ledger, that could fill that gap.
6th Grade Switch to Middle School Suddenly Makes 10 Year Old Ineligible for Bus Ride, Forcing 2-Mile Walk
When the Flagler County School Board switched 6th graders to middle school starting this month, it meant the same 6th graders who would have previously been eligible for bus rides to school no longer are, creating a dilemma–and a safety concern–for the parent of a 10-year-old child in Palm Coast’s B-Section.
Mullins Doesn’t ‘Run the County’ Anymore as Pennington Crushes Him; Hunt Beats Woolbright, Chong Beats Tucker, Hansen Wins, VandeBunte and Furry in Runoff
It was not a good night for Flagler County’s radical, white nationalist Republicans: Joe Mullins, Jill Woolbright and Janet McDonald will no longer be elected officials in the county come November as each was beaten in his her her election bid tonight. But long-time school board member Trevor Tucker also lost to newcomer Christy Chong.
Dune Reconstruction Project Is Set for Next June Even as 1 Property Owner Holds Out
Flagler County Attorney Al Hadeed and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Project Manager Jason Harrah told the Flagler Beach City Commission Thursday evening that the now two-decade-old plan to rebuild 2.6 miles of beach south of the pier is set to begin in June.
Latest Lawsuit Against Obamacare Could End Free Preventive Healthcare for 150 Million Americans
More than 150 million Americans now have access to scores of preventive health measures at no cost, sparing many from illness and catching diseases early for others. They no longer will, if the latest GOP-backed effort to undo Obamacare is successful.
Flagler Beach Commission Gives City Manager William Whitson A Mediocre Evaluation, and a Few Pointers
As an evaluation for the chief executive of a local government, that of City Manager William Whitson, his first since his arrival here in May 2021, is not a triumph. It evokes words like middling, mediocre, passable, decent, tolerable. In the exact words of the evaluations themselves, they average out to the low end of “Meets the Job Standards.”
Arming School Staffers on Flagler’s Campuses Raises Questions of Cost, Training and Numbers
The Flagler County School Board is considering whether to add armed civilians, possibly school staffers, on school campuses, but a workshop on the issue raised almost as many questions as it answered, with numerous issues still undecided–if the board were to go that way. That, too, is uncertain for now.
School Board’s Jill Woolbright Says She’s in ‘Satanic Warfare’ Against ‘Evil Spirits’ at School District
Flagler County School Board incumbent Jill Woolbright, who is in a non-partisan race against Sally Hunt to be decided in the Aug. 23 election, says God placed her on the school board, that she is involved in “satanic warfare,” and that, in a reference to others on the school board and at the district office, she has “felt the evil spirits around me.”
Sheriff and County Administrator Duel Over Policing Budget Before Commissioners Nod Staly’s Way
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly and County Administrator Heidi Petito dueled in front of a standing-room-only meeting room Monday night over the sheriff’s claim that the county was underfunding him, and the county’s counter that it has increased the sheriff’s budget by 48 percent since 2018, not including spending on facilities like the new Sheriff’s Operations center. But in the end, Petito’s bosses showed readiness to go Staly’s way.
Study: Flagler’s Beaches Are Eroding Critically, and Will Cost County Alone $5 to $13 Million a Year to Slow
The most comprehensive study to date about Flagler County’s beaches paints a stark picture of the consequences of climate change and sea level rise, accelerating erosion, potentially crushing costs to local taxpayers to slow down the erosion with beach renourishment, and few sources of funding to do so.
Denise Calderwood, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Denise Calderwood is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 2, facing incumbent Greg Hansen and Janet McDonald in the Aug. 23 primary. It is an open primary: all Flagler County voters are eligible to vote regardless of party affiliation.
Sims Jones, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Sims Jones is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 2, running against Theresa Carli Pontieri, Shauna Kanter and Alan Lowe. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Flagler’s Vote-By-Mail Total Already Far Exceeds All of 2018’s, With Primary Election 13 Days Away
The Flagler County Supervisor of Elections had tabulated almost 9,000 ballots turned in by mail or at its lone, now ostensibly “monitored” drop-box in Bunnell, exceeding by 1,150 the total number of ballots mailed in during the 2018 primary election cycle, the last off-year election.
Shauna Kanter, Palm Coast City Council Candidate: The Live Interview
Shauna Kanter is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 2, running against Sims Jones, Alan Lowe and Theresa Carli Pontieri. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Stark Numbers on Palm Coast’s Unaffordable Housing Crisis Emerge Behind a Routine Presentation
A housing report Palm Coast government is required to submit to federal authorities every five years, presented to the City Council today, opens an alarming window into the city’s most dire housing needs and stresses for middle and lower-income residents.
Appointed in 3-1 Vote, Pete Young Is a Bunnell City Commissioner Again, 14 Years Later
The Bunnell City Commission Monday evening voted 3-1 to appoint Pete Young, who had served one term on the commission between 2006 and 2008, to the seat vacated by the resignation in July of Robert Barnes. It is the sixth time in four years that a seat has turned over on the commission, the third by appointment.
In Wake of Robert Barnes’s Resignation, Bunnell Commission Grapples With What To Do Next
For the second time in 13 months, the Bunnell City Commission is grappling with a resignation and how–or whether–to fill the vacated seat before the next election, scheduled for March. The charter leaves certain parameters undefined.
An Open Letter to Flagler County Voters Against Extremism, Buffoonery and Their Disturbing Candidates
The abuse of position and process (particularly by school board members) is egregious. The wasted hours in all three elected boards’ meetings (school board, county commission, Palm Coast council) on ridiculous, petty–or worse: imagined–problems has been sickening to endure, Jake Scully argues in a plea for well-researched votes in the coming elections.
Solution in Sight in Months-Long Conflict Over School Construction as Halt to Big Developments Looms
A compromise proposal suggested by School Board member Trevor Tucker may resolve a conflict that has divided Flagler County government and the School Board, along with some of the county’s cities, over how builders and developers are billed for school construction. Absent a resolution, more than a dozen large developments could be brought to a halt.
Joe Mullins Declares Himself and His Companies ‘Insolvent,’ ‘Riddled with Debt’ and ‘Potentially Bankrupt’
County Commissioner Joe Mullins in court pleadings and testimony claims he has a net worth of negative $675,000, that his companies are juggling debt, his Ferrari and Mercedes vehicles are under water, and that he may be bankrupt. The self-portrait of relative indigence contrasts with his claims as a successful businessman and steward of the county’s finances, and appear to differ from his financial disclosure form filed filed ahead of this year’s election.
Greg Hansen, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Greg Hansen is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 2 primary on Aug. 23. He faces Janet McDonald and Denise Calderwood. All registered voters in the county, regardless of party affiliation, get to cast a vote in this race, which will decide the next commissioner.
Matanzas High School Addition Leads $165 Million in Planned School Construction Over Next 5 Years
The Flagler County school district is tentatively projecting to spend $18 million for an expansion of Matanzas High School, $70 million for a new middle school and $77 million for a new high school over the next five years, not including additional millions for ongoing maintenance.
Janet McDonald, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Janet McDonald is one of three the Republican candidates for Flagler County Commission, District 2, facing incumbent Greg Hansen and Denise Calderwood in the Aug. 23 primary.
Sally Hunt, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Sally Hunt is challenging incumbent Jill Woolbright in the District 1 race for Flagler County School Board. They are among seven candidates running for three seats on the school board.
Jill Woolbright, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Jill Woolbright is the incumbent candidate in the District 1 race for Flagler County School Board, running against Sally Hunt. Seven candidates are running for three school board seats.
Lance Alred, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Lance Alred is one of seven candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 23 primary election, one of three in the District 2 race. He faces Will Furry and Courtney VandeBunte. All Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Unexpected Death of Dr. Bulic, Medical Examiner for Flagler and 2 Other Counties, Triggers Key Process
Dr. Predrag Bulic, the chief medical examiner for Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties–a position as low profile as it is critical to the justice system and families in the determination of the cause of death of thousands of individuals each year–died unexpectedly over the weekend of a severe stroke. His replacement’s highly political appointment will involve some of the top elected law enforcement and judicial officials in Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties.
Joe Mullins, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Joe Mullins is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 4 primary on Aug. 23. He faces Leann Pennington. Mullins has declined participation in the Live Interview.
Two Boys, 15 at Time of Brutal Armed Home Invasion in Palm Coast, Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison
They were 15 years old–15, when Korie Jones and Darius Watts left their separate homes to join Carlos Dupree and a fourth man on a criminal scheme: to terrorize, brutalize and rob a Palm Coast family at gunpoint. They looked and acted every bit their age if not younger as they sat for their sentencing in court this afternoon at the Flagler County courthouse.
Christy Chong, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Christy Chong is one of seven candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 23 primary election, opposing incumbent Trevor Tucker. all Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Trevor Tucker, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Trevor Tucker is one of seven candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 23 primary election. He is opposed by Christy Chong. All Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Curtain Calls for Flagler Youth Orchestra as School Board Frets Either Encores or Coda
The Flagler County School Board this evening votes on whether to renew the Flagler Youth Orchestra for its 18th year. Renewal was not in question in previous years, as it has been this year. A former superintendent, parents, community members at large, current and former FYO student participants sent numerous letters and emails to school board members.
15 Years in Prison for Ian Davis as Child Victim of His Abuse Indicts Those Who Disbelieved or Blamed Her
Just before Ian Davis of Palm Coast was sentenced to 15 years in prison for molesting his 14-year-old niece, she described, in a remarkable impact statement, how her own grandmother disbelieved her and her own pastor turned the blame on her.
No ‘Lynching’ for Embattled Flagler Beach Manager Whitson, But a 90-Day Probation Period
Just 14 months into his tenure as Flagler Beach City Manager, William Whitson is on a 90-day probation period that could result in his firing if he doesn’t show the sort of reset in communications and management style a majority of commissioners want to see.
Drug Sweep on Flagler’s West Side Nets 13 Arrests as Sheriff Underscores Fentanyl’s Toll
The youngest offender was 18, the oldest 66, and most had trails of arrests behind them already–64 felony and 95 misdemeanor convictions between them, Sheriff Rick Staly said, including one, Twain Slater, who’s been arrested more than a dozen times since becoming an adult (he’s 31), for a combined 23 felony and misdemeanor convictions.
Palm Coast Taxes Would Rise About 14% To Pay for 7% Budget Increase, Including 5 More Deputies
In its first comprehensive recommendation to the Palm Coast City Council for the coming year’s budget, the city administration is proposing a 7 percent budget increase that includes money for five new sheriff’s deputies, two new firefighters and a fire inspector, and nine additional administrative positions. But it would require a tax increase.
‘I Don’t Belong Here,’ Eddie Branquinho Says, Storming Out of Council Meeting After Not Getting His Way
Palm Coast City Council member Eddie Branquinho walked out of a workshop meeting this morning and is considering not completing the four months left in his term after fellow-council members refused to go along with his demand that they issue a tendentious two-question survey on apartment and single-family home construction in the city. Branquinho, a staunch opponent of apartment construction, likened current trends to turning Palm Coast into Newark–coded language about race and crime.
1,200-Home Eagle Lakes/Radiance Development Clears County Commission Against Opposition, 3-1
In a victory as major for the developer of future phases of Eagle Lakes as it is a blow to existing residents of Eagle Lakes, the Flagler County Commission this evening cleared the way for a 1,200-home development on 612 acres at the south end of Old Kings Road, a development one commissioner likened to Palm Coast’s Grand Haven, at least by size.
‘I Run the County,’ Commissioner Joe Mullins Tells FHP; A Trooper Calls Him ‘Belligerent’ and ‘Disrespectful’
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins, who has made a chronic habit of speeding, getting pulled over then attempt to get out of a ticket by abusing his authority, told a Florida Highway Patrol trooper that “I run the county” in one such attempt on I-4 last month, video of the encounter shows, and another trooper called him “extremely condescending, belligerent, illogical, and disrespectful.”
Flagler Schools Get B as Florida Resumes Grading, But Rymfire-Buddy Taylor-FPC Pipeline Is a C
After two years of Covid, when the state did not grade schools and districts, Flagler County schools earned a grade of B this year, with only three of its schools earning an A and four earning a C. Two earned a B. It was a middling performance coming off the disruptions of the pandemic and a decline from the A the district had scored in 2019.
Developments Could Stall If County, Cities and District Can’t Agree on School Construction Payments
As they hurtle toward an arbitrary Aug. 31 deadline that could potentially bring some local development to a halt, the Flagler County School Board on one side and the county, Palm Coast and Bunnell on the other remain in sharp opposition over how to collect money developers owe the district to ensure there are enough schools for incoming students.
School Board at Impasse With County and Palm Coast Over Billing Developers for New Schools
The Flagler County School Board says it needs to collect a larger portion of impact fees up front to plan for $175 million in new school construction. The County Commission and Palm Coast object, proposing a plan that would let developers pay a smaller share up front, and pay as they go.
Taxable Values Surge at Highest Pace in 16 Years, Setting Up Windfall for Government
Taxable values in Flagler County rose 18 percent in 2021, higher than initially estimated two months ago. Values rose nearly 20 percent in Palm Coast, 14.5 percent in Flagler Beach and 22 percent in Bunnell. The school board’s taxable values increased by 25 percent. For local governments, the surging values can translate to surging revenue–if the governments do not hold the line on tax rates.