To say that Charlie Ericksen Jr. hasn’t run office before merely says he fits the mold of most of those who’ve run or held office on the Palm Coast City Council: older, well educated, with backgrounds richer in business or administration than government service. On Friday—the day he turned 68—Ericksen, a retired health insurance manager, announced his run against Mayor Jon Netts, who’s slightly older and says he’ll run again in the Sept. 13 election (and Nov. 8, should a runoff prove necessary).
Click On:
- Jon Netts Makes Re-Election Bid Official
- Palm Coast Races: 3 for Mayor, 4 for Council, 2 Elections, No Partridge, No Pear Tree
- Charlie Ericksen’s Website
Netts hasn’t lost an election since beating Jerome Full with 56 percent of the vote in 2001, when Netts became a city council member. Four years ago he crushed two opponents, taking 63 percent of the vote in the primary. The going may not be as easy this time around, with voter discontent with incumbents a running theme, and moderates—like Netts—seeming perhaps more vulnerable because they’re not comfortable making brash or ideological appeals to tea party types that may not have validity as prudent policy.
Opponents are lining up early. Ericksen was one of two candidates picking up their packets from the city clerk last week: Raymond Minami, a relative unknown, is the other.
But if it’s a less moderate candidate than Netts voters are looking for, they won’t find him in Ericksen, who’s a more Midwestern version of the Jersey Netts: unassuming, pragmatic, non-confrontational, but certainly more questioning—or willing to question—than Netts has been in Ericksen’s eyes.
Candidates always find it easier to question. The difference is whether their questions resonate with a real as opposed to imagined discontent.
The Council’s Sixth Member
Ericksen has been one of the more frequently visible audience members—and speakers—at city council and county commission meetings in the last few years. Announcing his candidacy last week, he sat for a wide-ranging interview and outlined what his mayorship would be like: a “new direction,” rather than mere change, toward a more business-friendly city, an ear more closely trained to local business’ needs (which explains why he has the county chamber of commerce’s ear), more austere and transparent government budgeting (no new city hall in Ericksen’s immediate plans), no annexation showdowns with the county that risk losing, say, the National Guard Reserve Center at the county airport, and less of what Ericksen calls “rubber-stamping” of managerial decisions by the council.
When Ericksen wants the city to be less of a “big bully” toward other governments and local business, he usually has in mind City Manager Jim Landon, who he says too easily controls the council.
“The city council and mayor need to be accountable for their decisions,” Ericksen says. “They’re rubber-stamping just about all expenditures. There’s hundreds of thousands of dollars that come up on the consent agenda every city council meeting, and they’re rubber-stamped. And of their discussions—and in most cases is due to someone in the audience coming forth and asking that it’d be pulled for discussion. Then we also have to remember that the only items that make it to the city council agenda are normally by direction of the city manager.” He adds: “I would want the city council to be more direct with a city manager, spelling out specific projects and the manner in which they would like results achieved. Measurable objectives.” It’s also true, however, that of the five members of the council, Netts is the least malleable, and the most likely to question or debate issues before falling in line with the manager’s recommendations.
On City Manager Jim Landon
Ericksen doesn’t dispute Landon’s effectiveness as a manager. But effectiveness on whose behalf? “I realize that by charter the city manager works for the city council, and you would expect that a person making close to a quarter million dollars in a salary package would be qualified and professional enough to run an organization a small as the city of Palm Coast. My question is, just how much are we paying not only for the management at the city manager level, but for the next tier down? Is that appropriate for the size of operations and the span of responsibility we have in the city—and I don’t know and I don’t have a position on it, but that would be my first place to look.”
He is, however, categorical about the manager’s base salary of $169,000 (about $5,000 less than Orlando’s city administrator) and his total compensation package of $218,00, which became an issue at budgeting last year: “No, too high. But that’s a contract that the prior council established with Mr. Landon, and the city needs to decide if that’s the price they have top pay to get the talent in for the job they think has to be done.” Netts has said exactly that: it is the price the city has to pay for that talent.
Smoke and Utility Mirrors
Budgeting is another main concern for Ericksen. While the county commission held upwards of nine public workshops on its budget last summer, going through it virtually line by line, department by department, and leading the questioning commissioner by commissioner, the process at the city was more cursory: one workshop devoted to the general fund, one to other funds, with both workshops led by the city manager and few questions posed by council members. Budget documents were handed out literally at each meeting, as the manager was broaching each category, thus preventing either council members or the public from studying the documents ahead of time and, for council members, be better prepared to address it from an informed perspective. Ericksen was severely critical of the process at the time—and of the budgeting methods used year after year, particularly the budget transfers from one fund to another, which he says mask clarity at the expense of accountability. “I challenge any resident to be able to read the budget as it’s presently presented to the residents,” Ericksen says, though there’s nothing improper about transfers. “In my estimation, there’s far too much of that going on.
More specifically, he singles out the utility fund, whose revenue is generated by the city’s water utility, which it acquired several years ago from Florida Water with assurances to residents that they would save money, because the profit motive would be removed from the books. That’s not so, Ericksen says. “The fact that they’ve made a profit is evidence by the amount of money they’ve taken out of the utility fund to pay for other expenses,” Ericksen says, “namely the realignment of Old Kings Road south for the future Walmart store, and the million-plus dollars that the city proposes to use to meet the financial cost of a new city hall. I wouldn’t call it a cash cow, but it’s as close to it as it can be.”
He’s also critical of the utility billing customers for water usage and sewage usage in equal amounts, even though, Ericksen says, 30 percent less effluent flows into the city’s sewer system than the volume of water that makes it to customers. That’s a 30 percent profit the city should not be charging, he says. “With the juggling of transferring of fund from one fund to the other, it’s hard to say how much profit is made and where it’s going to.”
No to a New City Hall
Ericksen is opposed to a new city hall for the moment, though he recognizes the city’s needs. Every organization must provide a proper working environment for its employees. But employees aren’t necessarily lacking that for now. Ericksen cites voters’ overwhelming rejection of a proposed city hall five years ago (the proposal would have levied a higher tax) as one reason the timing is not yet proper, even though the city this time proposes to pay for the building with ready cash. “If we’ve got $10 million to pay for a city hall that we can pay cash, I think we ought to retain it,” he says. The reason: Palm Coast’s reserves are lower than they’ve been than at most times in its 11-year history. Ericksen applies the same reasoning to Palm Coast’s continuing and costly plans to develop a desalination plant, which will eventually cost several hundred million dollars: this isn’t the time, and current, redrawn development trends don’t call for it.
Ericksen isn’t interested in talking taxes as much as he is cuts: “I’ve not seen a budget that could not be reduced,” he says, though the city has reduced staffing by some 15 positions last year, and held property taxes flat. Ericksen many vacant positions were eliminated rather than employees laid off. And workers in some divisions—such as building inspectors—have been shifted to other jobs, particularly in the expansion of code enforcement and public works. Building inspectors could have been reduced three years ago, he says. That wasn’t done. Converting them to code enforcement officers has only rendered the city more heavy handed with code enforcement, when it should operate with a lighter hand—toward businesses or the public. Ericksen is opposed to the city’s crackdown on occupational vehicles that have their business name on it parking in residential areas.
Economic Development
On economic development, Ericksen doesn’t have a particular agenda so much as a method he’d rather see applied from the outset: “For some reason it seems as if we avoid talking first about the areas that we agree on when we work with another municipality. We go directly to what we don’t agree on and beat that to death,” he says. That can have dire consequences. Example: the breakdown between Palm Coast and the county over the city’s attempt to annex the parcel where a National Guard Reserve Center is proposed for county land adjacent to the county airport. Palm Coast’s approach risks alienating the National Guard, Ericksen says, and losing the area steady, long-term jobs.
Ericksen isn’t wedded to a single plan. He finds advantages in virtually every plan presented, and is less prone to take an oppositional view to any of them than seek out what details might find common support and “maybe get going even with the smallest effort,” though as mayor he’d makes a direct pitch to a particular constituency: “I want to be a leader up front for the business community because they haven’t been getting a fair shake in what goes on in the city as it affects them. There’s too much of a maze for existing and future businesses to go through to get up and running.”
Ericksen, who’s married and has, as he says, “five children who call me ‘Dad’” (three of his own, two from his second wife), begins every day before dawn biking about 20 miles, an old habit. He’s lived in Palm Coast five years. He volunteers at the Sheltering Tree, Bunnell’s cold-wearther shelter, he’s a member of the Republican Club and sat through enough meetings to earn himself a certificate of appreciation from Palm Coast for civic responsibility—a certificate he received from Bill Lewis, one of the council members.
He has nothing against the mayor, with whom he maintains cordial relations. But Netts has had his time, Ericksen says. “Jon has had his chance to influence the city of Palm Coast, and has, but now it’s time for the city to go in a new direction.”
Cyd says
I just want to say you have the most user friendly site I’ve ever visited. Thank you for the print option..my husband isn’t a computer person and I often times print out your articles for him to read. Thank you!
Silence Dogood says
So Mr. Edwards believes that cutting jobs for 15 city employees to appease the Medicare crowd really helped economic development? I guess more cuts are to come if Mr. Erikson wins the election. Nothing like adding to the unemployment numbers to boost economic development. Then again I guess all government is evil and government employees are as well. How sad.
Robert says
Silence Dogood who is Mr. Edwards?
This gentleman is definitely hitting on issues of contention. The Town Manager, Utility Company, Town Hall, Economic Development and basic accountability. I believe he is correct with the go along to get along mentality of the town council. It seems that the council works for the town manager and not the other way around. The town manager salary is way out of proportion to the size of the city and its budget. The management of this city is mediocre. So the argument that the city has to over pay to attract talent is an old, tired and weak argument. That is the same argument Wall Street banks uses to pay its top managers. And the financial system almost totally collapsed had it not been for the Federal Government.
This candidate has identified valid issues and I would like to hear how he proposes to implement the changes. More of the same is not the answer. News faces and new ideas is not a bad thing.
palmcoaster says
Glad to hear that Charlie Ericksen opposes the wasteful unaffordable proposal on the works for the Coquina Desalinization plant for this County. Also a cleaver opposition to a City Hall that we yet don’t need. Good point on our utility overcharge of at least 30% in our waste water bills. Our utility company is a cash cow that generates wealth for our city that so far has gone to the benefit of few only. Mainly to Town Center with a 5 million to star their CRA not refunded yet and the other not itemized funds utilized as the sign calls for, the improving of Old Kings Road South to benefit also Town Center and the future Walmart. Now Landon and council want to further benefit Town Center Developer by building the “10 million to start with” (lets see the real sticker shock when finished plus maintenance cost) the intended City Hall there.
There are 10 million for a city hall but no money to repair our drainage system decaying in the city to the point of being a danger to humans and animals?
I do not favor Mr. Ericksen’s idea about commercial sygnage vehicles to be approved to park in private residences as that will further devaluate our already undermined homes prices. That will be a very catastrophic proposal.
Also I do not favor either cutting government budget expenses by firing any current employees as our infrastructure needs to be served when instead the real fat to be cut should be in frivolous expenditures that only benefit the elite few and do not create jobs. We can’t afford to have more unemployed now, as these workers are doing their jobs.
Also Mr. Ericksen should not really rely in the local chamber of commerce to hear the local suppliers and businesses clamor for more support by just stop outsourcing, as this entity does not really set up any good example. Mr. Ericksen will get a better idea of what the struggling local business need to survive and expand and employ more in Flagler by start visiting some of those…and please do not restrict those visits to banks and developers for a reality check as the first one’s can’t complain after the stimulus and the developers are the shinning starts benefiting from our hard earned taxes all the time with the uncontested favors from local officials. Stop outsourcing at government level to start with and hundreds of jobs will be created. Example; hope the new vehicles purchased by the City of Palm Coast were in Flagler County and not in Deland Volusia County as has been in the past. Any other list of cities and counties and schools purchases or contracts assigned should be properly evaluated by Mr. Ericksen as well. Lets do not go by reason of the invented excuses. Sure he will be impressed by his findings. Something to start him on the proper path.
Jack says
Pitting two Republicans against each other, it’s going to be a circus of who can pander to the teabagger community using keywords like smaller ‘gubmint’, less taxes, fiscal conservative, Obamacare, evil socialists, etc. Blah blah blah! Yada fucking yada! And throw in another nugget like ‘internets’ for good measure.
Jim says
Another senior (68) that knows what is best for all ? lol. Where is the story on the 18 year old candidate that is in the race? Why is there no interview with him? Everything I have read in this article is nothing more than the same old pandering to the seniors. Your right it is time for a change. Younger representation on the council would be a refreshing start.
Jack Howell says
Oh yeah, that’s what we need the 18 year old to be the mayor. While it is true that 18 year olds have all the answers they just don’t have the book of questions. What about leadership experiences. Guess if you were captain of the football team your leadership credits have been earned. The really sad thing here is that most of the 20-40 year old somethings have very little, if any, work ethics.
There is a theory in economics called the ” rationally ignorant voter”. From reading the comments above, the this theory is confirmed.
On a parting shot, Charlie Ericksen is the only one with the guts to stand up to Jim Landon and put him in his place….a moving van headed out of the county. The rest of the city council are sheepeoples when dealing with Landon.
elaygee says
Two old farts whose time has come and gone are the only two viable candidates Palm Coast can muster?
Inna Hardison says
Jack Howell – do you have a source for the 20 – 40 year old’s lack of work ethic statistic, or are you just pulling it out of your butt for the sake of expedience? Love it when someone loses a potentially viable argument by a lame attempt at insulting one group of people or another. Weird.
Bill Butler says
And Ronald Regan was how old? Ben Franklin? Statesmen are developed over time. Experience is never respected by the young until they are seniors and no one then listens to them anymore over the age of thirty. 18 year old for Mayor? I don’t know about that. Cannot wait for the forums! Since this is the great state of Florida, would a Democrat candidate for Mayor stand a Chance? Two republican’s running for the same office each with their own opinion of how the city should be run. Talk about conflicts in the party! Mayor Netts has been a good Mayor. I mean on those broadcasts late at night on TV he always says we need to keep businesses in the city first when we consider having government work done by the city. There are no out side business people doing work for the city is there that otherwise qualified businesses in the city could do? Practice what one preaches is what my father always taught me.
Charles Ericksen Jr says
My comments in the interview are based upon, my contacts with residents and businesses over the past 5 years. Today I sat in on a Code Enforcement Board, where a business and home owner were being charged with an infraction, after, they were told, that if they corrected the problem in 1 hour, that they could continue. They complied with the request, and still found themselves in a hearing. Bad way to treat a local business. I don’t have all the answers, because I don’t know all the questions. But I do believe, that proper budgetting, along with firing no one..is a start. Treating local resdients and business like people, instead of the enemy, would be another start. I don’t just represent “the grey hairs”, as we need to grow a community that has opportunity for our youth. If adults don’t have jobs, neither will our children..In addition to my 5 sons, I have 9 going on 10 grandchildren, who will need jobs, over the next 10+ years.. But what I do have is facts…like The City’s surplus has gone from $60 million in 9/2009 , to projected $28 million in Sept of this year. We are bleeding money, and spending away our buffer. What we need is the people of Palm Coast to become familar with the candidates, and get out and VOTE ( only 4,000 decided the last Mayor election ,out of 70,000 population. Pathetic. Get up an get familar with the facts, and thanks to all of you making me, think more..Let’s get the issues out front, as that is the only way to address them.. Not after the election.. There is a new day coming for Palm Coast….in Sept…
Cat Lady says
We need to stop the bleeding that the City of Palm Coast is going through. I am glad to see that two people have picked up packages to consider running against Netts. Once Netts is out then Landon can start packing his bag and get out of town. Then and only then will the City of Palm Coast be able to start healing, from the financial devastation that Netts and Landon have put us in.
Jim says
The good old old old boy network of seniors need to be unseated Bill. Fresh thinking candidates are needed. Not the same old garbage repackaged. Dont dismiss the candidate just because of his age, I have met many young people that have far more sense than many seniors I have met. Lets hear from the young candidate. I think his views and insight might suprise you. The days of the Jack Howells and the other seniors, that think their opinion is so much more important that everyone elses will hopefully soon be over. These people stand up at one city council meeting after another and spew their nonsense. They have an opinion on everything. They are truly amazing.
I do agree with with Mr Ericksen that it is pathetic that in a city of 70+ thousand only 4000 voters (mostly seniors) control its destiny. Its time for a big change. Young forward thinking ideas and ideals would be a good start.
Justice for All says
Hmm….The City’s holding events to attract a wider range of participation, web site is good, so what other young, forward thinking ideas and ideals should be considered? Just an honest question.
Right or Wrong says
There are many town council meetings that are scheduled during the day
This meeting schedule would eliminate many working class people who would consider running for the town council. A fully employed person would either have to be self employed or have very flexible employment to attend meetings that are held during the day.
I believe that Mr. Meeker holds full time employment.
Is this meeting schedule by design in order to eliminate a group of potential candidates?
jimmythebull says
we need more choices. i dont want a comercial dump truck parked next door to me.
val jaffee says
more austere government is not a practical solution in these times. The gov’t needs to create jobs to keep the economy going yet gov’t is the one slashing more jobs than the private sector ( the private sector is adding jobs overseas not here) and the backlash is higher unemployment resulting in less tax revenue, less consumer spending – the evil necessity, increase foreclosure, and a despondent and simmering population. I agree that we definitely do not need a 10 million dollar city hall especially if PC Data will be giving up/back their building soon?
On the issue of salary, salaries need to be restructured to fit with the city’s finances. If we can get 4 new employees for the price of 1, then that’s 3 new jobs created. For example – $218,000 = $100,000, $46,000, $36,000, $36,000. The same needs to be done all around. If people feel they are worth more then by all means feel free to pursue those options.
PC MAN says
Why not just let the Chamber of Commerce take over running of the city and skip the middle man. Less code enforcement ? Are you kidding ? This geezer may sound good to the Rush Limburger crowd but to me he sounds dangerous. Why does everyone that age want everything for nothing. You don’t have much time left, why not spend it making the world nicer and stop trying to save pennies.
time for change says
John Netts, your time is up…
Rob says
John Netts is not the only one who needs to be replaced.
Lin says
Age is so besides the point. There are so many issues here to be solved — don’t dismiss a candidate because he has a few extra years on him. I was shocked to read the paper the other day & see someone referred to as elderly (the story wasn’t concerned with age at all) — and oh no, I’m elderly now? OK, so I’ve reached the number. Look at Ericksen’s resume, hear his opinions, ideas. Look at the 18 year old too. Yes, we need new blood on the council, town manager, mayor but NOT because they are old, because they don’t represent the citizens of PC, all ages.
Raul Troche says
I don’t know the man personally yet but I know others in office who speak highly of him. I do like his ideas and that he has business experience. We need good people in office who care for the public and not just their constituants. I think he will do this county good. I’ll be praying for you.