The Flagler County Commission today voted 4-1 to potentially double the special assessment rate residents of Daytona North pay for some road maintenance and other infrastructure improvements. Residents attending the meeting were not happy. Nor was County Commissioner Leann Pennington.
It didn’t help them that the meeting took place in early afternoon, as one resident noted: “All the people that are involved are not here to listen and to give input,” one resident said. Another said: “The Mondex area is a low income area. People can’t afford that kind of money. Maybe some people can, but not everybody can afford that and now you’re hurting everybody.”
“A lot of the stuff you’ve got on there doesn’t make us a bit of difference whatsoever. And it’s being added to us,” Judy Long said of her tax bill.
Daytona North, or the Mondex, is a breed-apart subdivision in the west of the county that likes its uniqueness and independence, and where services and infrastructure are a notch below the rest of the county–for a reason. But it’s that way also for a reason.
County Attorney Al Hadeed reminded the commission that the county is not obligated to provide any infrastructure improvements to the subdivision–none whatsoever–since its original developer snubbed county regulations. But in the 1980s the county, with residents’ agreement, created a special taxing district, overlayed on top of existing taxes, to ensure that some infrastructure improvements could be carried out in the subdivision.
The current tax rate hasn’t been increased since 1993. The county charges 58 cents per foot of property fronting the road. The revenue is covering “only about a third of the cost right now,” County Administrator Heidi Petito said, “so this area is being subsidized by other funds.”
But it is more correct to say that Daytona North is subsidizing the rest of the county, because all Daytona North property owners pay the same rate in county taxes as do residents in the unincorporated area, but don’t get nearly the same level of services. It’s not their fault, but that of the original developer, whose actions–circumventing county development and zoning regulations–led to a court ruling that absolved the county of responsibilities toward the subdivision. But the ruling did not absolve subdivision property owners from having to pay their county (and other) taxes. Put simply, Daytona North residents send a lot more money to county coffers than they get back.
Nevertheless, in accordance with that legal ruling, the county was not at fault, either, for the subdivision’s poor roads and infrastructure. The special taxing district was its way of bringing improvements. Now, the levy is not bringing in the sort of revenue the county needs to pay for the services it is providing there.
To eliminate the subsidy, the levy on residents should be tripled, Petito said. The county isn’t proposing to go that far, but it is proposing doubling the rate from 58 cents to $1.16, which would raise residents’ assessment roughly from $80 to $160 annually. “It’s about maintaining the roads in a safe condition,” Petito said.
To Commissioner Pennington, Daytona North is an area of workforce, or affordable, housing. “This is one of the last areas of that,” Pennington said. “So we should in theory be lessening the burdens of affordable housing and actually incentivizing those areas so they remain affordable.” She questioned some of the charges the county levies for road maintenance, as when county equipment, signs, labor and so on are used ($3,000 for a dump truck for a day, for example). She said the county levies the Federal Emergency Management Administration rate for all those uses.
Petito said it’s the standard rate. “We’re not trying to make a profit we’re trying to break even,” she said. “So yeah, they are being charged for travel time, they are being charged their labor rate, their equipment, charges and all of those things because that is a full cost of providing that level of service to that project or that entity.”
Still, to Pennington, the residents of the subdivision are on limited incomes. “I know that we’re not obligated to do what we do out there. But I would hope that we could come up with a solution that would be more equitable,” Pennington said. “I just don’t think we should be balancing the backs of this budget on Daytona North.”
Commissioner Andy Dance was interested in a more scientific approach to setting the rate: issuing a request for proposals to private-sector companies to find out the market rate of what it would cost to maintain the subdivision–and setting the rate based on those findings. He did not see the matter resolved immediately without damaging residents’ trust in the county.
“We’re going to have to come to some rational market rate of reimbursements for the time that’s going on out there,” he said, “because everybody is going to have to come to an agreement on what those rates are going to be–as much as we can.”
But when it came time to vote for the proposed new levy at Daytona North, Dance voted for it, in a vote that also raised similar assessments for Espanola, Bimini Gardens, Rima Ridge and other places. As with the tentative tax rate the county also approved today, all those rates remain “proposed,” as residents will have the chance to voice their opinions and concerns in coming weeks before the commission votes on final rates.
Residents gave commissioners an idea of the opposition ahead. “Today is the first day I’ve actually found out that this is all over a tit for tat because the developer and the county got into an argument,” Bonnie Turner, a Mondex resident for the last 18 years, told commissioners. “You all could go to your special meeting and you could put on this tax. You could also as a council, you could also abolish this so that one little section of your county is not being done this way.”
She added, with wry justice, given the tens of millions of dollars the county has been sinking (in state and federal tax dollars, secured through the county) to rebuild dunes and protect shoreside homes: “Well, they don’t ask me when they need their beaches with their million dollar homes on them fixed. Do they hear me coming out of the woods arguing? No, they don’t. Because we are a people, we the people, we take care of each other. We don’t fight about it. We don’t need to argue about it. But we can take care of the less fortunate when the less fortunate don’t mind taking care of the wealthy.”
Gina Weiss says
Shameful for those homeowners who are on a fixed income and those who are
poor just working to put food on the table for their families. As I mentioned
in another article Ms. Pennington is the lone wolf on this commission and
does not have the support she needs to accomplish changes that are needed
in our county, the rest are only concerned of what goes on in their own
communities, the proof lies in the way the rest of them had voted. Remember
this at election time ,who is leaving and who you vote in, we don’t want
the same results which has resulted in past and current messes our county is in
and county along with city officials who residents complaints fall on deaf ears.
Laura A Fritz says
I disagree with ball of those pointing out the low incine aspect. We in the Mondex pay the same tax rate as everybody else in the county, rich or poor. Its about fair taxation, equal taxation, and equal distribution of tax dollars.
Celia Pugliese says
Shame on the FCBOC and their manager raising the taxes to mostly disadvantaged residents of the Mondex… Applause to commissioner Leanne Pennington’s compassion, we need to elect some help! We have here a county manager making 180,000 a year without a masters in Public Administration that I am aware off,, (if wrong please correct me) a real bargain afforded by the good old boys aka stake holders, that decides to lobby this tax levy to the Mondex residents…easy to do from a million high fees gated community house paid by the residents of this county in all these years all along.
Also looks like Commissioner Dance have lost his trail , his other 2 voting buddies not surprise…
They talk about a 5.4 million helicopter and an over 30 million library to satisfy someone’s pennant! Then raise the taxes on the most vulnerable and also the homesteaded exempted that already pay 4 times what we pay in ad valorem taxes…when they use county services just part of the year, if any, and create jobs paying for contractors for pool, lawn and home maintenance as absentees!. Nice way to discourage investment where is Mr. Blasoe here?. 2024 hopefully will bring change. Too many high paid chiefs and few real workers sustained by our hard earned taxes!
The truth says
“Mostly disadvantaged” that’s comical.. I know plenty of people out there that do just fine, have multiple boats, 4 wheelers, side by sides, swamp buggy’s… are there some people who are poor, absolutely but there are poor people in the b section, the r section, the p section, downtown bunnell, just because you live in “disadvantaged area” doesn’t mean you get to skirt paying into the system for proper upkeep and better services.
Dennis C Rathsam says
When will all you people wake up? There is no affordable housing, & there never will be! The cats out of the bag, complain all you want its a pipe dream.
Doug says
That’s a pretty pathetic approach to not allowing the resident’s voices of Mondex to be heard by having a public hearing in the early afternoon when most are working to pay for what they have now. Good job Flagler County…NOT.
Point of Information says
Daytona North is not a Special Taxing District. It is instead a municipal service taxing unit. If it was a Community Development District it would be able to elect its own board that could levy a fee or tax for services instead of the County Commission.
This is an important distinction when considering who decides costs and who pays, people in your community or an afterthought for the County.
Instead of wailing to the Board of County Commissioners about rates and costs, petition to establish a CDD.
protonbeam says
These a specious complaints – we all (those not living in the Mondex) pay more to serve them – its costs more to run school busses out that far than someone in town. It costs more to push electricity out there, so we pay more through FPL. We all pay more in terms of environmental damage from all the septics. Call logs for police service also show a disproportionate number of calls i would bet…so they don’t want to pay for the costs of their dirt road maintenance…I am not impressed.
Reality Check says
No PC is 80% of the calls. That’s published facts. Also, their children account for less than 5% of the schools enrollment. Geez get a grip. How much does it cost to match grants for all of the rest of the county’s projects? Beach erosion?
Laurel says
“It’s about maintaining the roads in a safe condition,” Petito said.
Ppppffffffttttttt!
Let’s see. Maybe the county can collect more taxes from the working force, upgrade the roads, push out the locals, and bring in the developers. Take the money and run.
Whatdayathink?
Gina Weiss says
Laurel: Yup there’s always an agenda, you left out Alfin’s GREAT western frontier venture. His developer buddy’s should pay to fix the roads they have plenty of money!
Michele Washburn says
We are unincorporated Flagler County for a reason. Please stop trying to inflict your city rules on us we are the country
Sick of the BS says
Rest assured taxes will go up but the level of services will not. Be prepared.
The Mondex area is not looked upon as an important area, when storms hit it is the first electric to go out and the last to come back on. A total afterthought until they want more revenue!
“Safe roads”? Really!! Have you ever driven out there Petito?!
I understand the disillusion people have of the Mondex, however; it is completely inaccurate to think they are all just a bunch of uneducated people living in some sort of wild wild west. They are hard working people just looking for an area they can call home and live their American dream of owning a home they can afford. It is unrealistic and unfair to think you can convert this area to another Palm Coast!
Knowing the demographics of the area, perhaps having a meeting these people can attend would be the fair way to handle this, not that you are going to listen to them anyway but at least they can have their voices heard even when it will fall on deaf ears.
Objective Observer says
So the rate hasn’t increased since 1993 and there should never be an increase? That’s 30 years with no increase for an area which, technically, the County isn’t even responsible for maintaining the roads. And as far as not being an important area…if you were to restore power to 50,000 or 5,000 people, where would you start?
Sick of the BS says
So because they were negligent in assessing taxes in that area it should now be doubled? I don’t disagree that the taxes need to be increased but to double them is really unfair and harsh.
Regarding the power restoration, it should be restored according to when you lost it not who pays more taxes or the number of residents.
Hammock Bear says
Holding a public meeting in the afternoon knowing that many residents of the Mondex are working is a ploy to gain control and avoid less opposition to the subject matter by large and wealthy Developers who want that land and all that surrounds it to create million dollar custom home communities. Sickening to say the least.
palmcoaster says
I hear from residents in Daytona North that they been paying an assessment for over 40 years…with no services provided to them mostly on dirt roads that they started paving lately at the highest cost when could have been done years ago for so much less.
What about some forensic audit of those Daytona North paid funds to show were they were used to the residents that were forced to pay for them? I also hear that those funds were deposited in interest bearing accounts…Then if so, what they were used for? Can the FCBOCC answer that question to the Daytona North taxpayers before levying them more assessments? By the way a big Thank You to commissioner Leanne Pennington for voting NO! You have your work cut out for you Leanne and no support, but have to wear your commissioner girl boots with pride and show the other four you are fighting hard for the residents that sat you in that commission. Between the incoming assessments to the Daytona North /Mondex residents and the flight schools nuisance endured by Palmcoasters specially in the Quail Hollow, Seminole Woods areas adjacent to the airport and still 8 miles north of it we have enough reason to elect for change in 2024.
Fernando Melendez says
The voters have a job to do, come election day get rid of all these career politicians who tend to forget how to serve in the best interest of the community. Elect new faces with new bold ideas and who know how to think outside the box instead of going into our pockets for more tax increases every time they feel like it.