Dana Mark Stancel, Palm Coast City Council District 3 Candidate: The Live Interview

Dana Mark Stancel is one of three candidates in the Aug. 20 primary election for Palm Coast City Council, District 3.  It’s an open seat, as Council member Nick Klufas is term-limited. He is running for a County Commission seat. The candidates who qualified are Stancel, Ray Stevens and Andrew Werner.

This is a non-partisan, at-large election. That means all registered voters in Palm Coast–and only Palm Coast–regardless of party or non-party affiliation–Democrats, Republicans, independents and others–may cast a ballot for Palm Coast mayor. If a candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, that candidate is elected (or re-elected) mayor. If none of the candidates garner more than a 50 percent majority, the leading two vote-getters move on to a runoff to be decided in the Nov. 5 general election.

A city council member is paid $24,097 a year plus a $1,200 car allowance and a $910 communication allowance each year, plus full health care benefits.




FlaglerLive submitted identical questions to all candidates, with the understanding that additional questions might be tailored to candidates individually and some follow-up questions may be asked, with all exchanges conducted by email and on the record.

The Live Interview’s aim is to elicit as much candor and transparency as possible. We have asked candidates to refrain from making campaign speeches or make lists of accomplishments. We have also asked candidates to reasonably document their claims. It’s ultimately up to the reader to judge the quality and sincerity of a candidate’s answers.

The Questions in Summary: Quick Links

• Basics
• Preparation, character and champions
• Council’s performance
• Goals
• Taxes
• Development
• Arts and culture
• Westward expansion
• Saltwater canals
• City manager
• Policing
• Rap sheet

The Basics: Dana Mark Stancel

Place and Date of Birth: Portland, Maine,, Aug. 10, 1950.
Current job: Retired. Palm Coast Code Enforcement Board member.
Party Affiliation: Democratic.
Financial Disclosures: Not turned in.
Resume: Not turned in.

1. How have you specifically prepared yourself to be ready to succeed from day one? If you’re an incumbent, what have you learned from your time on the council that has changed your governing method, and in what way? Tell us about the character flaws and unique perspectives you bring to the council. Who do you admire most in office today among elected officials in Flagler County—the person you’d consider a model of leadership? Who in the world at large (beyond Flagler), and among the living, do you consider a role model of political or intellectual leadership?

My preparation for service as a City Council member is more than 40 years of leadership experience and public service. I have served in the United States Army as a non-commissioned officer, trained to lead, and have developed a multitude of experiences ranging from finance, logistics, administration, supply, security and training of people.

Of all the current City Council members, I admire Councilwoman Theresa Pontieri because of her dedication to her job and her passion for the people of Palm Coast. Her honesty is unparalleled and, I can only attempt to measure up to how she looks out for the residents of Palm Coast, even outside of her district. Another elected official I hold in high regard is Flagler County’s Sheriff Rick Staly. His efforts to make Palm Coast, and all of Flagler County, one of the safest in Florida sets him far and above others.




Since you did not turn in a resume, can you tell us what your public service career consists of outside of the military, and through what means have you prepared yourself for the council job–attending meetings, meeting with city staff, with community stakeholders, studying budgets and strategic action plans? 

Dana Mark Stancel did not answer the question.

 

 

2. Give the council a letter grade on its performance in the last two years. Explain with specific examples where it has been lacking and where it has excelled, and what specific experience and qualities you will bring to improve its effectiveness.

I would give Palm Coast’s City Council a grade of C- because of their zeal to continue to over-develop our city, without regards to the other more pressing issues we all face as residents.

The flooding issues where the Council failed to set a height standard for new home builds. Their lack of attention to this matter, despite almost 200 residents being affected, shows their lack of regard for the well-being of Palm Coast.

Their lack of seeking industry to offset the real estate taxes being crammed down Palm Coast residents’ throats, has caused people (especially seniors on a fixed income) to leave our city because of overly high taxes. Our young people are being exported to cities like Jacksonville, Orlando, St. Augustine, and Daytona Beach just to be able to get good-paying jobs. There is no path for these young people to get a foothold in Palm Coast and to build futures here.

As mentioned before, I have a lifetime of experience in many aspects of management that can be used to help lead our city out of our current problem areas, including seeking to build more jobs in our city, and I have a vision to grow our tax base without adding to the residents’ burdens.

There comes a point when one must take a position that is neither safe, polite, nor popular, but one must take it because one’s conscious tells one that it is right. I am dedicated to the people of Palm Coast. I want to maintain the expected lifestyle that is our community’s dream. I believe in actions … not just words.

Might there be one or two council initiatives of the last two years you’d applaud?

Dana Mark Stancel did not answer the question.
 

 

3. What are two goals where you are most aligned with the current council’s “Strategic Action Plan,” two with which you differ, and two you would seek to add, and explain how you intend to convince the council to follow your lead.

In the 2024 to 2028 Strategic Action Plan, which was just approved at the end of June, I would say my platform aligns with these objectives: prioritizing infrastructure to address current needs and enhancing current economic development efforts to result in better paying jobs; and attracting major manufacturing and industry. At this time, the one thing I differ with is spending millions of dollars to annex the west of US 1. That money could be better put to use taking care of the problems Palm Coast faces now.

The area west of U.S. 1 was annexed in the earlier part of the last decade, so the city has not spent money annexing that area, while most of the road money has been state appropriations. The area also include acreage already approved as two Developments of Regional Impacts (Neoga Lakes and Old Brick Township), entitling those developers to build but for infrastructure improvements. As a council member, would you put a halt to those infrastructure plans, even though a large portion is funded–and seek to stop developers from developing the two DRIs? Would that not trigger legal challenges?

Dana Mark Stancel did not answer the question.

 

 

4. Taxes and revenue: Where do you stand on property tax increases, including adopting tax rates that are not at rollback (which amounts to a tax increase under Florida law)? Where do you stand on supporting a countywide increase in the sales tax, on adopting a public service tax, or adopting a utility franchise fee? Short of new sources of revenue, and if you intend to stick to a rolled back tax rate, which nearly limits any growth in the budget, what city programs would you eliminate and what service levels would you reduce to achieve that?

I’m a conservative and I never want mine or anyone else’s taxes to ever increase. In fact, we need to reduce real estate taxes for residents. However, to do that, we go back to the fact that we need to bring industry and jobs that create new revenue for our City. This will enable Palm Coast to roll back the millage rate on residential real estate and keep people from leaving Palm Coast to escape that burden that is ever-increasing today. This is no longer a “bedroom community.” Palm Coast is a full-fledge CITY now and needs to start acting like it.

Are you saying that you would not approve any budget that sets the property tax above the rolled-back rate? That aside, would you oppose supporting the county’s plan to increase the sales tax, understanding that the county would have a difficult time doing so, politically, without the support of the largest city in the county? Given your seemingly strict stance on finances–despite a remarkably low property tax rate for a city Palm Coast’s size–can you cite two examples of city initiatives you would eliminate, aside from West Side road-building? 

Dana Mark Stancel did not answer the question.

 

 

5. Palm Coast’s population continues to grow rapidly, absorbing most of the net increase of 16,000 people between 2020 and 2022. Evaluate the quality and quantity of development in the last few years. What sort of land use or development would you oppose, if it were to come before the council for approval, and why? What percentage of our housing stock should be single-family houses on traditional lots as opposed to apartments or other multi-family complexes? Would you approve raising the density and height of multi-family, or apartment, structures in select areas of the city zoned for the purpose?

I oppose any additional multi-family dwellings for two reasons: 1) we currently only have 80 percent occupancy of the units that exist now, with even more under way; 2) young couples that are forced to live in apartments can never get enough money ahead to buy a home in Palm Coast because housing costs are too high and way out of reach for them.

In terms of future land use, because homeowners who currently live in high-valued homes would object to having lower-cost homes built near them, their perspective is that affordable housing would reduce their home values. We need to designate new communities consisting of ONLY affordable housing ($200K or lower). These new communities would put like housing all together and provide places for young people to start families and get a financial foothold. Likewise, people of similar income levels and growing families will have these communities to form relationships within their community for the future.

The 80 percent occupancy figure you cite is startling, considering that apartment complexes such as those in Town Center have waiting lists. Can you cite where you got the 80 percent figure? Aside from requiring some affordable housing component, which would be an uphill battle even then, under what  legal authority could the city council mandate housing prices on a developer, and how would that apply to Palm Coast’s 9,000-odd vacant lots that are getting built up gradually? Alternately, do you support the Live Local Act, which is designed to facilitate affordability?

Dana Mark Stancel did not answer the question.

 

 

6. The City Council created an arts district in Town center in 2020, but the district has been moribund, and more recently may be further elbowed by a planned YMCA on land previously dedicated for an arts center. What role should the city have in facilitating (not creating, to be sure) arts and culture? Is the city doing enough? Would you favor dedicating a permanent source of revenue from the Town Center CRA to the arts, as had been the original intention in 2020?

With the recent line-item vetoes of cultural funding by the state (millions of dollars), the money that was originally intended to develop a performing arts and cultural center in our Town Center area, the future of cultural development in Palm Coast is much more limited. Private investors should be sought out to help grow our cultural community in Palm Coast.

 Would you support dedicating a portion of CRA revenue to the arts district?

Dana Mark Stancel did not answer the question.

 

 

7. The West Side, west of U.S. 1, is poised to potentially double Palm Coast’s size, or close to it, with the development of the acreage through which the city secured substantial funding for the connector road from Matanzas Parkway to Palm Coast Parkway. Is the city capable of handling that expansion even as its existing infrastructure—stormwater, roads (think congestion), parks—east of U.S. 1 experiences shortfalls and draws residents’ complaints? How would you balance that expansion with the needs in east Palm Coast—or change infrastructure management?

Our infrastructure is already strained. Between stormwater and road congestion issues, we are already challenged financially. Our City Council is already looking at financial shortfalls because of this potential annexation. That development is happening with or without our city spending over $40 million to annex this area. We need to finish our new wastewater plant, perform the needed upgrades to our existing plants (the cost of which our City Council voted against), and live within our means.

Can you document that $40 million figure, and define what you mean by annexing that area?

Dana Mark Stancel did not answer the question.

 

 

8. Palm Coast’s saltwater canals may need dredging. It’s never been done in the 50-year existence of the city and its ITT antecedent. But the canals—like those recreational amenities mentioned above–are limited to a few neighborhoods. If and when it comes to that, who should pay for the dredging, and through what taxing mechanism?

Our canals desperately need dredging. The current City Council’s focus has been to avoid this topic. Because our canals are connected to the Intercoastal Waterway and are affected by the tides, we need to seek state and federal funding to help solve this problem.

 The city’s consultant and recent legislative history have made clear that the city will almost certainly be on its own to pay for dredging. Give that reality–or assuming it is so–how would you go about raising the needed revenue, and would you tax residents across the city equally, or proportionately, depending on who is close to the canals?

Dana Mark Stancel did not answer the question.

 

 

9. Describe in one paragraph the principal qualities you will seek in the new city manager you will be responsible for hiring, and what expectations you will have from that manager from day one.

I agree with candidate for Mayor, Mike Norris, who said: I am looking for an external hire with a minimum graduate level education and job-related experience, who can manage a growing city. Specifically, someone that is not beholden to special interests and politicians here in our county.

 

 

10. Palm Coast relies on the sheriff for policing. Evaluate that relationship as it stands today. What is your analysis of the latest method of hiring what would amount to five additional deputies a year for the next three years, based primarily on call volume, and how would you pay for it? Do you favor an independent police department for the city, now or in the near future? 

I believe that Sheriff Staly and his force have done a wonderful job of keeping Palm Coast safe. Palm Coast needs to “stay in our lane” of running our city and let the professionals manage our police force.
 

 

11. Have you ever been charged with a felony or a misdemeanor anywhere in Flagler, Florida or the United States (other than a speeding ticket), or faced a civil action other than a divorce, but including bankruptcies, or faced any investigative or disciplinary action through a professional board such as the bar or a medical board? Have you ever been demoted? If so, please explain, including cases where charges or claims did not lead to conviction or disciplinary action.

I have never been charges with a felony or misdemeanor in my life. I have lived all over the world. I served In the Army for over 20 years. During this time, I served four tours in Germany and one tour in South Korea.