It’s messaging in a bit of a shamble, the Flagler County Commission on Monday beat a retreat on two fronts: it will not seek cities’ support in an attempt to raise the sales tax an additional half penny. And it will not raise the special tax Daytona North residents pay for road maintenance. Both issues had been controversial.
The retreats underscore a combination of lacking, poor and conflicting messaging from the County Commission on one side and a rueful public reaction to both proposals on the other.
“We just have to do a better job of pulling in stakeholders on those big items,” Commissioner Andy Dance said.
On raising the sales tax, one of the county commissioners–Donald O’Brien, who’s running for a state House seat–perplexed his colleagues when he said there hadn’t even been a consensus to seek other cities’ opinions about the proposal. “That really never rose past the level of staff making lots of recommendations about possible future revenue sources,” he said. “It was never agendad. There was never, it never went past just just the generic discussion in my mind.”
“Apparently there was a consensus given by this board to have Ms. Petito send those letters out,” Dance, who chaired the meeting on Monday, said.
“Not from me,” O’Brien said.
But the July 17 commission workshop where County Administrator Heidi Petito was given that direction had gone past a generic discussion, even to the point of involving O’Brien himself. Petito had discussed the sales tax increase as one option to raise revenue for needed road improvements.
“I would like to see, if we’re going to go forward with this kind of an idea,” Commissioner Dave Sullivan, who was supportive of the idea, said, “that we have some support from Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and Bunnell, since they’re all getting advantages of the tax.”
“You make a good point politically,” O’Brien told him. “They don’t have any risk. We have the risk.”
When Commission Chairman Greg Hansen asked if there was consensus for sending out the letters moments later, he got no disagreement. Sullivan said explicitly he was on board, as did Hansen. Dance happened to have walked away for a brief time (he would have only supported an increase in the sales tax had the proposal been presented to voters as a referendum). But Leann Pennington and O’Brien did not object–neither verbally nor non-verbally. O’Brien fiddled with his mic could have spoken up. He did not. His claim, at Monday’s meeting, that there was no consensus seemed disingenuous, and more along the lines of an after-the-fact slink-back in light of the way the proposal had been received.
“It was absolutely a consensus to send the letter out,” Sullivan said today. He called O’Brien’s re-interpretation of that meeting “strange,” and referred to O’Brien’s part in the discussion that led to the decision. Petito sent out the letter the next day. The fact that it contained inaccuracies was a different matter: she clearly stated that she was doing so, following on the commission’s consensus, which commissioners, including O’Brien, never disputed at subsequent meetings–until Monday.
By then the fallout may have been too much to bear, so a little rewriting of history looked in order. (Hansen was ill on Monday and did not attend the meeting.) For all that, Sullivan today said the sales ta proposal may be dead this year–it won;t anymore be part of the budget discussions–and it’s not likely to come up in an election year in 2024, but that the idea remains viable. He said the county needs the revenue, and the structure of the property tax is such, with homestead exemptions skewing revenue downward, that the county will need to seek out alternative revenue sources.
“No matter how we market a half-cent sales tax, there’s always going ton be a big group of people who say, no way,” Sullivan said, “and my point is, we’re the elected officials, we’re in a republic, not a full democracy, and it’s on our shoulders to make tough decisions. If the people don’t like the decisions, they can vote us out of office.” Sullivan has opted not to run for re-election in 2024.
As for the road tax in Daytona North, the commission had voted 4-1 on July 10 to move in that direction. Petito had proposed doubling the tax. It would have equated to going from $80 to $160 a year for typical property owners there, based on the front footage of a property onto a road. The tax is levied even though those property owners already pay normal county taxes. They don’t receive normal county services, though they do receive some services over and above the special tax raises. In essence, Mondex residents subsidize other county residents–and are assessed an extra tax to boot. (See: “Flagler County Approves 1st Step to Doubling Levy in the Mondex, Angering Residents“).
Pennington opposed the move. So did a steady stream of Daytona North (or Mondex) residents, before and since. “We really need to rethink this plan,” a Cottownwood Street resident told commissioners on Monday, reminding them how the tax came to be: the original developer of the Mondex had neglected to follow county rules and a judge ruled that the county was not obligated to provide services there as a consequences. The developer left residents holding the bags. “Don’t start penalizing us because Mondex didn’t do the job and they didn’t get the inspections. All the things that weren’t supposed to be done weren’t. That’s not our fault. We’re paying all that tax, double and again, over and what we should be paying and not really receiving what we need.”
A little over an hour later, Petito addressed the commission: “I’m asking to forego the request to increase that front-foot assessment in Daytona North and just keep it flat, continue it at the rate that it currently is,” Petito said: 58 cents per foot. The doubling of the rate would have brought in an additional $250,000. But Petito said there would have to be a decrease in maintenance in the Mondex.
Commissioners agreed. Dance wants to rethink the assessment itself next year, while giving residents more transparency on where their money is going.
Tim says
I have owned a home since I was 18 years old, now 70 years old and on a fixed income 2/3 Ed’s of my tax bill is going to the schools, I never had children and at this age never will, I’m sure that I’m not the only one here in that position. In my opinion that 2/3rd’s could be re-distributed toward roads and improvements here in Palm Coast OR just plain eliminate that 2/3rd’s for those of us in this position.
Respectfully
shark says
And in the meantime there are hundreds of thundering dump trucks going up and down Palm Harbor Parkway carrying sand that will be washed away during the next storm !! I’m sure it is having an effect on the roadways.
Thomas Hutson says
Retreat in Sales Tax
Now, I wonder why this FLAGLER County Commission finds itself in a feeling of AMNESIA on raising SALES TAX and Increasing Road Levy in Daytona North? Could it be that its an ELECTION YEAR!! To quote Alan Greenspan “ I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant…” Commissioner Sullivan stated it best:
“No matter how we market a half-cent sales tax, there’s always going to be a big group of people who say, no way,” Sullivan said, “and my point is, we’re the elected officials, we’re in a republic, not a full democracy, and it’s on our shoulders to make tough decisions. If the people don’t like the decisions, they can vote us out of office.” FlaglerLive 8-22-23
Remember this statement when electing your commissioners in 2024.
Fernando Melendez says
Retreat!
This is what happens when the never ending wasteful spending of our County Government catches up to you. You now have Commissioners backtracking, others denying they knew nothing about the tax increases and flat out lying and another saying if taxpayers don’t like it too bad boot us out. Wow. Time for a clean sweep come elections 2024.
BUH BYE! says
If it wasn’t for the taxpayers and residents who showed up at these meetings, with the
exception of Leann Pennington, you bet these commissioners would have their way
with this county and do whatever they want, just listen to Sullivan, I heard those
words before from his mouth, “we are in a republic not a full democracy, if the people
don’t like our decision they can vote us out”, how brazen and nervy, Sullivan you are a
official who has lost touch with the reason why you ran for a county commission seat
to serve “we the people” , yourself and Petito passed on false information pertaining
to the percent of taxes Flagler County gets from tourism and you are on the tourism
board! You and others like yourself depend on the ignorance of residents and
citizens not to be in the know of the truth or to look up the facts of your rhetoric
we cannot get rid of you soon enough, time for you to go. And remember folks don’t
vote for incumbents for reelections or you will get the same old same old as you
can read inbetween the lines above of another who is running for reelection in 2024.
palmcoaster says
Mrs; Pettito you need to cut the county’s bureaucracy fat first!
Greg says
Hard to believe that either the city or county is short on funds! About 100 homes a month are build on palm coast, and with the added taxes and user fees, both should be awash in funds. But both are crying they need money. Where the hell is all this added money going? Maybe buying more “white elephants” or more benefits for part time city leaders? All must be voted out next election.
Duane says
It appears the Party got a hold of Don to remind him that it is not in his best interest to support a “new” tax while running for a state office.
ROOKIE MISTAKE DONNIE!
The only thing worse than that is not knowing how to swim backwards. Did you forget the meetings are recorded?
Gina Weiss says
Look at the big shot Sullivan, the big shot who is not running and is leaving, what an
elitist attitude and remark, what’s the matter David your sorry you are not able to
take another dump on us before you leave, Buh Bye is right, we can’t wait for you
to go, Adios as they say!
Randy S. says
Word on the street and through the grapevine says you’re planning to run against Andy Dance for county commission.
If this is the case, you might want to re-think that.
James says
Once again the County Commissioners and the City of PC Officials continue to show the taxpayers they are clueless on what they are doing.
Please it is time to replace these characters that add nothing to improve our county or city.
McGiver says
the sheriff. ask staly to bring a line item budget to the next meeting and then we can talk waste.
Gina Weiss says
David Sullivan unwittingly revealed his true attitude towards his constituents
when he said, ” we’re elected officials, we’re in a republic not a full democracy,
and it’s on our shoulders to make tough decisions. If the people don’t like the
decisions, they can vote us out of office”. In a constitional republic the first
3 words of our constitution “We The People” affirms the belief that the
government of the United States exist to serve the people through their
representatives who do the people’s will. David Sullivan seems to feel that
his small clique of representatives can make decisions to raise taxes although
the majority of the people are against such a raise. His decision was based on
false information he and Heidi Petito disseminated. He thinks a small cabal
of representatives can impose their will on the people based on untruths.
Mr. Sullivan FYI your constituents deserve the truth and expect their
government representatives to provide them with the truth.
Lawrence F. Le’Toure says
After reading this and other past articles regarding the incompetence of the county staff, it’s clear to me that Ms. Petito and her cronies should be shown the door.
You screw up once shame on you, you do it twice, three times shame on the COMMISSION.
It seems to me that Jane Youd, was right all along.