The Flagler Tiger Bay Club candidate forum Thursday evening for County Commission and Palm Coast City Council candidates exposed a distinct experience gap between seasoned incumbents and ten political newcomers. Candidates faced poorly structured questions regarding development, taxation, and infrastructure. The restrictive format prevented meaningful debate or follow-up questions, forcing most candidates to rely on broad platitudes instead of offering concrete ideas for impending revenue shortages.
Palm Coast City Council
Palm Coast Approves Two Commercial Developments That Could Bring More Than 200 Jobs
The Palm Coast Planning Board approved two commercial developments expected to create over 200 jobs. A 82,000-square-foot warehouse project on Commerce Boulevard will accommodate an expansion by manufacturer Alleima, and a 62,000-square-foot Palm Harbor Professional Complex will be a multi-suite medical office building, though developers have not secured any tenants for it yet.
Palm Coast Will Install Flashing Stop Signs At Exasperating Royal Palms and Old Kings Intersections with Town Center Blvd
Palm Coast public works crews will install flashing-red stop signs at two major Town Center intersections on July 2 and July 3. The intersections at Royal Palms Parkway and Old Kings Road will convert to three-way stops. The $15,000 project aims to reduce severe rush-hour backups. Drivers should expect overnight lane closures ahead of the Independence Day holiday.
Town Center Data Center Planned for 100,000 Square Feet, Triple Footprint Size Palm Coast Approved
A DC Blox executive revealed the ongoing construction of a data center in Palm Coast’s Town Center will eventually consist of two buildings totaling 100,000 square feet, not one building of 35,000 square feet, as approved by Palm Coast planners. The disclosure blindsided city officials. The expanded scope should have triggered public hearings before regulatory boards. Future construction phases will face strict city council scrutiny under impending local development code changes.
Record-Breaking Walmart Supercenter on SR 100 Clears Palm Coast Planning Board; Nearly 20,000 Car Trips Projected
The Palm Coast Planning Board Wednesday evening unanimously recommended approval for a new Walmart Supercenter and shopping center on State Road 100, what would be the largest single-new commercial development in the city’s history. The project at build-out is expected to add nearly 20,000 daily car trips to State Road 100, which currently handles between 25,000 and 36,000 car trips per day. The site will feature a temporary wastewater facility to avoid stressing the infrastructure of the city, and to avoid getting delayed for lack of city capacity.
Palm Coast Council’s Pontieri: Why I Reject Mayor Norris’s Flawed, AI-Generated Austerity Budget Proposal
Responding to a proposed “austerity resolution” Mayor Mike Norris submitted as a “shell” for the city manager and city attorney to develop, Palm Coast City Council member Theresa Pontieri rejects the proposal as flawed and reliant on artificial intelligence. It suggests redundancies, counterproductive schedule shifts, and harmful community cuts. Real governance, the vice mayor argues, requires human diligence and council deliberations.
Sheriff Staly Blasts Proposed Homestead Property Tax Amendment as ‘Politics’ That ‘Screw Around With the Cities and the County’
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly publicly criticized a proposed Florida constitutional amendment increasing homestead exemptions to $250,000. While local officials fear election-year backlash for opposing tax cuts, Staly characterized the legislation as reckless politics that defunds municipalities. Addressing the Palm Coast City Council this morning, he urged leaders to launch public education campaigns, warning that vague legislative language threatens critical local government operations despite exemptions for public safety services.
FDLE Says No ‘Quid Pro Quo’ From Raydient to Mayor Norris, Who’d Agreed to ‘Western Expansion’ in Private Meeting
Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris told state FDLE investigators that he falsely promised to support Raydient’s “western expansion” expansion plans during a 2025 meeting. He later accused the company of offering a quid pro quo for his mayoral tenure. An FDLE report concluded no crime occurred because no funds or services were exchanged.
Ray Stevens Is Reelected to His Own Council Seat Without Opposition, and Suggests Sullivan Should Resign. Sullivan Says No.
Ray Stevens today was reelected to the Palm Coast City Council seat he resigned soon after his first election in November 2024, this time without opposition. Stevens suggested that Dave Sullivan, who was appointed to the seat when Stevens resigned it, should now himself resign and let Stevens pick up the responsibility. Sullivan said he will not do so.
Flagler District Halts Plans For New Schools as Enrollment Shrinks While Private and Homeschool Numbers Surge
Flagler County has abandoned plans to build a middle school and a high school by decade’s end due to shrinking district enrollment. Total school-age children grew by 2,359 since 2018, but these students enrolled in private schools or homeschooling programs instead. Fueled by universal vouchers and lower birth rates, this shift leaves traditional schools under capacity. The district projects a 14 percent enrollment decline by 2035. But it is still collecting development impact fees to finance new schools, which may bring objections by builders.
Palm Coast Fast-Tracks Restrictions and Supermajority Requirements For Approving Future Data Centers
The Palm Coast City Council is fast-tracking strict amendments to its Land Development Code regarding data center approvals. Future facilities are prohibited by right, requiring industrial zoning, strict environmental criteria, and a council supermajority vote. The policy shift addresses growing concerns about data centers–concerns that developed before the secretive 2024 administrative approval of the DC Blox facility in Town Center.
Palm Coast Mayor’s Radical ‘Austerity’ Plan: Hiring Freeze, 4-Day Workweek, Cut Departments, Cut Street Light Hours
Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris is proposing an AI-drafted austerity resolution introducing hiring freezes, department mergers, and reduced public services to counter impending state homestead exemption tax cuts. The draft conflates self-supported enterprise funds with the city general fund, drawing skepticism from city council members and reserve from the city manager. City Attorney Marcus Duffy will format the shell proposal into an official resolution for formal council consideration later this month.
Ethics Commission Dismisses Yet One More ‘Legally Insufficient’ Complaint, This Time Against the Council’s Pontieri
In the last two years the Florida Ethics Commission has tossed out complaints against Flagler County Airport Director Roy Sieger, former Palm Coast City Manager Lauren Johnston, Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris, former Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin, former Council member Ed Danko, Bunnell Planning Board member Lynn Lafferty, and Flagler Beach City Manager Dale Martin. It added one more name today: City Council member Theresa Pontieri.
Palm Coast Council Seeks to Protect Old Matanzas Golf Course Viewshed in Perpetuity. Developer Has Other Ideas.
The Palm Coast City Council moved to tighten its Land Development Code to protect golf course viewsheds from development, specifically targeting areas around the old Matanzas Woods Golf Course for protection. There was intense resident opposition against a developer’s plan to build 39 homes on a protected tract at the old gold course when presented at a neighborhood meeting in April. The proposed code changes aim to make view protections permanent, setting up a potential legal battle over property rights.
Palm Coast Mayor Norris Calls for ‘Austerity Budget’ as Council Grapples with Downturn and Homestead Upheaval Ahead
Palm Coast City Council members will consider an austerity budget resolution to prepare for sharp revenue losses from a proposed Florida homestead exemption amendment and this year’s slight downturn in property values. Existing city property values dropped over one percent, prompting discussions of a potential hiring freeze. Residential properties generate 90 percent of local tax revenue. Construction growth is generating enough revenue to keep the budget growing slightly.
As County Throws More Cold Water on 22,000-Home ‘Western Expansion,’ Developer Defends Retreat from Previous Commitments
Raydient’s plan to develop 22,000 housing units on 22,000 acres wet of U.S. 1 in Palm Coast continues to draw criticism as it did last Monday at the County Commission, and previously from members of the Palm Coast City Council. On WNZF’s Free For All Friday this morning, Mike Hahaj, the director of commercial development and operations for Raydient, addressed some of the issues in contention.
NE Florida Regional Council Declares Data Centers Regional Issue on Andy Dance’s Motion, Empowering Local Governments
The Northeast Florida Regional Council unanimously voted to designate data center growth as an official regional issue on Flagler County Commissioner Andy Dance’s motion at a meeting in Jacksonville this morning. The move unlocks planning, legal, and economic resources for seven member counties and two dozen cities that are members of the council, including palm Coast and Flagler County, which are working toward a data center moratorium. Governments face challenges balancing heavy utility demands and environmental impacts against regional economic development.
Palm Coast Joins Flagler County in Considering 1-Year Moratorium on New Data Centers to Rewrite Rules
Driven by concerns over data centers’ electricity and water consumption and their impacts on the environment and quality of life, the Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday joined the County Commission in a planned year-long moratorium on new data centers to update land-use codes. Existing regulations lack protections against high-impact facilities. A temporary moratorium provides breathing room to study infrastructure limits.
Flagler County and City Officials Warn of Severe Cuts to Government Services if Voters Approve Measure to Cut Homestead Taxes
The Florida Legislature approved a constitutional amendment ballot measure scaling back homesteaded property taxes and capping non-homesteaded property valuations. Flagler County faces a projected first-year loss of $35 million, climbing to $60 million in year two. Local administrators and elected officials warn that this shifting tax structure will trigger severe, programmatic budget cuts for essential municipal services, including parks, libraries, and animal control, and speak with dismay at lawmakers’ silence on alternative funding sources.
Palm Coast Will Deploy Engine Company to Flagler Beach Fire Department, Bridging Staffing Shortfall For $54,000
Palm Coast and Flagler Beach plan to enact a temporary agreement sending a Palm Coast fire engine company to assist the severely understaffed Flagler Beach Fire Department. The emergency measure follows the sudden resignation of five Flagler Beach firefighters. Flagler Beach will pay Palm Coast $54,000 to fund one active shift rotation for four weeks. Both city governments are expected to ratify the agreement next week.
Property Values Fall For 1st Time In 14 Years in Palm Coast and Flagler, Excluding New Construction, Posing Tax Dilemma
Average taxable property values in Flagler County fell in 2026 for the first time in fourteen years outside of new construction. The drop signals a cooling housing market and directly impacts local government budgets. Local governments would now have to raise tax rates marginally to maintain current revenue levels. New construction remains a lifeline that prevents severe budget shortfalls and keeps total county tax collections stable overall.
Palm Coast Postpones Inaugural Beats & Eats
Due to the forecast for inclement weather, the City of Palm Coast has postponed tonight’s inaugural Beats & Eats event at The Stage in Town Center. The event is rescheduled for June 18.
‘You’re Damn Right We Remember,’ Mayor Norris Says of Long Line of Warriors’ Sacrifice at Memorial Day Ceremony
The City of Palm Coast hosted its annual Memorial Day Ceremony at Heroes Memorial Park to honor fallen American service members. Mayor Mike Norris led the solemn event, which featured an emotional White Rose Tribute and allowed attendees to speak the names of lost loved ones. Local officials, veterans, and Gold Star Families participated in wreath presentations, a 21-gun salute, and an concluding honor walk.
At New Station 26 in Seminole Woods, an Emotional Grand Opening of Palm Coast’s First New ‘Firehouse‘ in 20 Years
Palm Coast celebrated the grand opening of the $12 million Fire Station 26 in Seminole Woods, marking the city’s first new firehouse in 20 years. The facility features advanced design elements to support firefighter well-being and faster response times. The ceremony was unwittingly themed around the meaning of family and hearth in firehouses. Flagler County cannot currently spare an ambulance for the station. Palm Coast crews will provide advanced life support until county transport units arrive.
Palm Coast Council Counters Fears Over Town Center Data Center: It Is Not a Water and Power-Guzzling AI Facility
Palm Coast council members are reassuring residents that the 35,000-square-foot DC Blox data center in Town Center is an internet cable landing station rather than a resource-heavy artificial intelligence center. The project advanced through administrative approvals without public oversight. It will nevertheless become the city’s largest electricity consumer.
3-2 Council Vote Falls Short of Adding Affordable Housing Component to Sawmill Branch’s Newest 244 Houses
The Palm Coast City Council finalized a 3-2 approval shifting the Sawmill Branch development from townhouses to 244 small single-family homes. Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri failed to secure a workforce housing set-asides as a council majority argued the smaller lots offer flexible, market-rate options for buyers. Damage to the historic Hewitt Sawmill site also drew additional discussion.
Art Dycke, Co-Author of Palm Coast Charter and Dedicated City Historian, Dies at 92
Palm Coast is mourning the death of Arthur E. Dycke, a foundational figure who died Monday at age 92. Dycke co-authored the city’s original charter, co-founded the Palm Coast Historical Society, and served as an official city historian. His extensive research, columns, and books preserved the legacy of early residents. Local leaders praised his profound contributions to safeguarding the community’s heritage.
Palm Coast Mayor Norris Turns Loop Road Groundbreaking Into Lashing of Western Expansion and Developer
Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris surprised attendees at a groundbreaking ceremony this morning by lashing into the $125 million loop road project connecting Matanzas Woods Parkway with Palm Coast Parkway, and into Raydient, the developer, attacking it for not shouldering its share of infrastructure funding. Norris discarded his prepared remarks to criticize the environmental impact on wetlands and the financial burden on local taxpayers. Council members Charles Gambaro and Ty Miller rebuked the mayor for his timing.
Diagnosing Alarming Deficit in Road Repair Bill, City Director Tells Palm Coast Council: You Did This
In a remarkably gutsy moment at the end of his presentation on the city’s deteriorating road system, Carl Cote, the city’s director of stormwater and engineering, reminded the council of how it has been reducing the tax rate for successive years since 2021. “In lieu of the rollbacks that council had done since then, if that was dedicated to resurfacing, that would be an additional $8.5 million we’d have in that program today,” Cote said. The program, in other words, would have been fully funded instead of facing a gaping deficit.
Council Rejects Affordable Housing Recommendations, Saying It Doesn’t Want to Alter Palm Coast’s ‘Character’
The Palm Coast City Council reviewed a sobering housing assessment identifying significant affordability gaps for working residents but rejected several strategies and narrowed the focus toward senior housing, exposing a deep divide between itself and its Affordable Housing Committee, if not its own administration. Advocates criticized the limited approach for ignoring the needs of teachers and first responders. Future expansion plans suggest a continued reliance on single-family homes, deepening a lack of diversity.
Palm Coast Council Will Join State Program Focused on Protecting Historical and Cultural Assets Citywide
Palm Coast City Council members agreed to draft an ordinance seeking inclusion in Florida’s Certified Local Government Program, which creates a partnership between federal, state, and local governments to evaluate and protect historic properties. The designation allows the city to access grant funding for preservation efforts citywide. Though 88 Florida cities and counties are part of the program, not a single Flagler County entity is. The efoort was spurred by concerns over Palm Coast’s westward expansion.
Palm Coast Council Almost Finalizes Three Charter Amendments for November Ballot
The Palm Coast City Council today all but finalized language for three charter amendments that would appear on the November ballot. One proposal clarifies procedures for removing council members, another establishes an 18-month rule for holding special elections to fill vacancies, and a third increases the city debt limit to $30 million without requiring a referendum. The changes aim to resolve previous appointment controversies and modernize municipal financial governance.
Palm Coast City Manager McGlothlin Postpones Raydient Development Review as It Needs ‘More Work’
Two weeks before the proposed Raydient order to develop 22,000 homes west of U.S. 1 was to go before the city’s Planning Board, Palm Coast City Manager Mike McGlothlin said today that the whole process is being postponed to allow for better vetting. He did not provide a new timeline though one may be issued next week. The development’s new proposal includes industrial set-asides for animal feed lots and livestock operations, the deep well injection of waste products, dog, hog and poultry farms, and incinerator plants.
At Palm Coast Manager Mike McGlothlin’s Coffee Talk with Residents, It’s About Growth, Traffic and Westward Ho
Palm Coast City Manager Mike McGlothlin hosted his third monthly coffee chat at St. Joe’s Plaza this morning as residents raised pointed concerns regarding the expansion westward, traffic congestion, speedsters on Woodbury Drive, and infrastructure issues. McGlothlin maintains a congenial rapport with the public in a session free of acrimony even as it was rich in pointed questions and comments.
City Council Backs Mayor’s Effort to Identify Hidden History Across Land Slated For Raydient’s 22,000 Homes
Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris secured council support to negotiate unfettered land access for historical societies within a 22,000-acre development site west of U.S. 1, known as the western expansion. Raydient plans to build 22,000 homes over three decades but preservationists want to survey roughly 25 historic sites, among them the iconic Old Brick Road.
New Baseball League Coming to Palm Coast, But Council Delays Signing Off Over Sports Complex Concerns
The Palm Coast City Council tabled a contract for the newly formed Orange State League to use the Indian Trails Sports Complex this summer as concerns emerged about field availability and potential conflicts with the Palm Coast Little League regarding concession rights and maintenance responsibilities. The administration will clarify legal language and ensure local youth organizations support the new collegiate-level Big Buoys baseball team.
20 Residents are 59th Graduating Class of Palm Coast Citizens Academy
Graduates of this session include Anjanette Stuart, Ashley Katz, Cat Neis, Cathy Moon, Chris Hansen, Christine Carter, Diana Tsai, Dylana Galery, Esther Rita Page, Frank Pfeiffer, George Carofine, Greg Zarobsky, Jadzia Waloch, Jeannette Mendoza, Julia Walthall, Kathryn Summerlot, Lisa Frye Hansen, Milotka Vogt, Mimose Allen, Ron Kovac, Sheldon Keller, Stephanie Giumenta, and Victoria Pfeiffer.
Palm Coast Council ‘Retreat’ Vows Six Months of Action to Defy Lame-Duck Label
With three of its members down to their last six months on the board, the Palm Coast City Council met Monday to establish goals before the November elections and run through a few exercises setting out values and a so-called SWOT analysis–strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The half-day session was held at the Southern Recreation Center.
Fifth Year MedNexus Challenge Crowns Team ConnectHer
The next generation of healthcare innovators took the stage at the Palm Coast Community Center, presenting bold, community-focused solutions during the 2026 UNF MedNexus Innovation Challenge. Team ConnectHer, mentored by Dr. Riggs-Achorn, earned first place, with each student receiving a $1,000 scholarship.
Palm Coast Planning Board Receptive to Ending Longtime Ban On Electronic Business Signs
The Palm Coast Planning Board boosted a plan to lift a 27-year ban on electronic business signs in the city. The proposed ordinance allows digital displays on major commercial corridors under strict city regulations. Concerns remain regarding enforcement on mobile vehicle signs and residential proximity.
Proposed Charter Amendments Would Address Council Removals, Vacancy Appointments and Debt Limits
Palm Coast officials narrowed over a dozen charter proposals to three priority amendments for the November ballot. The measures establish formal procedures for removing council members, refine the process for filling vacancies, and double the city’s general fund debt limit to $30 million. Some proposals are closer to final language than others.
Flagler Beach’s 6th Street Deli Among 1st Tenants as Promenade in Palm Coast’s Town Center Recruits
The $79 million mixed-use Promenade project in Palm Coast’s Town Center secured among its initial commercial tenants Flagler Beach’s 6th Street Deli and Fleet Feet as recruiting for the complex continues before late summer openings. Palm Coast is offering significant economic incentives to attract businesses there, though an attempt to attract a craft brewery fell flat. The Promenade includes 204 apartments and 68,000 square feet of retail space.
Don’t Let Palm Coast’s Westward Invasion Sprawl Over Old Brick Road
Walden Pond serves as a grim cautionary tale for Flagler County preservationists as the colossal western expansion of Palm Coast threatens Old Brick Road. County commissioners are right to demand wide buffers and forbid at-grade crossings. Saving what remains of the historic Dixie Highway requires resisting developer logic that prioritizes proximity over true natural preservation.
Developer Reveals Master Plan For 22,000-Home Western Expansion That’ll Remake Palm Coast
Raydient, the development arm of Rayonier, presented general plans for a 22,000-home development west of U.S. 1 that will nearly double the population of Palm Coast over 30 years. The proposal replaces previous agreements and shifts costs to taxpayers. Despite the scale of the project, its consequences on the city’s future and upcoming city annexation, the reveal at the Palm Coast Community Center lacked a presentation and offered very few specific details regarding infrastructure and funding.
Palm Coast Buys Right-Of-Way For Future Whiteview Parkway Extension Through New U-Haul Storage Facility
The Palm Coast City Council approved the first phase of a multi-phase U-Haul storage facility on U.S. 1 at Whiteview Parkway. The city also bought a right-of-way through the property for $280,000 in cash and $220,000 in impact fee credits. Appraised for $700,000, the land enables the future westward extension of Whiteview Parkway.
Council Approves Shift to 244 Houses at Sawmill Development as Concerns Over Ruined Historic Site Surface
Palm Coast City Council members approved a plan converting 320 planned townhomes into 244 single-family houses within the Sawmill Branch development on US1. Council member Dave Sullivan cast the lone dissenting vote over irreparable destruction of the Revolutionary-era Hewitt Sawmill historic site due to recent construction drainage. The developer promised to investigate these preservation claims before the final vote scheduled next month.
Palm Coast Council Approves Tax Rebates of Up to 95% To Jumpstart Stalled Town Center Commercial Development
The Palm Coast City Council approved a construction and tax-incentive program to spark commercial construction in Town Center, offering property tax rebates of up to 90 percent or more for significant investments. Town Center has fallen far short of investment and revenue expectations as the special tax district expires in 2034. Leaders excluded residential projects from the deal, prioritizing vertical density and commercial growth over single-family homes.
Calling Plan ‘Garbage,’ Theresa Pontieri Vows to Block Westward Development Unless Rayonier Pays More for Infrastructure
Palm Coast Council Member Theresa Pontieri rejected Rayonier’s Palm Coast westward expansion plan, labeling the document “absolute garbage” for adding 10,000 homes but eliminating previous developer commitments for roads and parks as taxpayers pick up the $126 million cost of a “Loop Road.” Pontieri demanded the landowner fund infrastructure improvements before a new development order is submitted to the council for approval.
Palm Coast Council Member Theresa Pontieri’s Statement on Westward Expansion Development Proposal
The full text of Palm Coast City Council member Theresa Pontieri’s statement opposing a proposed Master Planned Development order submitted by Rayonier, the Wildlight, Fla.-based company that owns the majority of the 20,000 acres slated for the western expansion.
School Board Cools On YMCA Pool Partnership While Considering Building Its Own, Despite Fiascoes
The Flagler County School Board is not enthusiastic about a potential partnership with Palm Coast for a shared YMCA pool, instead showing interest in the district building its own Olympic-size facility despite past management and financial failures at its own Belle Terre Swim and Racquet Club. This discussion coincided with an unsolicited $1.9 million offer from Ryan Companies for surplus district land that could provide revenue for a district stake at the YMCA.