For the second time in two months, the Florida Commission on Ethics has dismissed a complaint against Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin, this one alleging that he had voted on land use items that benefited him and Don “Toby” Tobin, a friend and Realtor colleague of Alfin’s at Grand Living Realty.
Melody Hadley, the Ethics Commission’s advocate, found no probable cause that Alfin had voted in any way to benefit himself or Tobin, and recommended following an investigation that the Commission find likewise. The Commission at its closed-door meeting Friday agreed, and disclosed its decision this afternoon.
Two months ago the commission found that another complaint against Alfin making a similar allegation, involving a different colleague, was legally insufficient to warrant so much as an investigation.
“It’s a shame that some people are willing to lie, quite frankly, and hurt others in an attempt to control our wonderful city,” Alfin said this afternoon, wearied by the successive complaints. He said he preferred residents and the council worked together to improve the city and its quality of life. “When anyone ever accuses you of something I always take that very seriously, and obviously there’s a financial burden you’re well aware of, which is my cross to bear.”
Alfin is a real estate broker associate at the firm. Tobin is a sales associate, and hosts a weekly infomercial on WNZF on which Alfin has made appearances. The complaint was filed by Candace Stevens, a resident of Point Pleasant Drive in Palm Coast who has appeared before the Palm Coast City Council to complain about flooding on the property, which she attributed to new construction nearby. She has been critical of the council’s response to the flooding issue, which is not part of her ethics complaint.
The complaint centers on an August 2022 City Council vote establishing the Landings Community Development District, on whose board Tobin then served. Alfin and Tobin had co-listed properties on five occasions before that, and before Alfin was mayor, but not since. Neither are shareholders at Grand Living, where Alfin has been “mostly inactive since becoming mayor,” according to Lindsay Dolamore, manager of Grand Living. Hadley found no connection between Alfin’s votes and any benefits to himself or to Tobin.
Stevens filed the complaint on Jan. 23–the same day that Darlene Shelley of Palm Coast’s Hidden Lakes subdivision had filed the earlier complaint that the commission found legally insufficient, and the same day that Jeremy Davis of Palm Coast’s P-Section filed a complaint against Council member Ed Danko that was also found legally insufficient.
The filings’ identical dates suggest that the complaints were a concerted effort by residents who have been critical of Alfin and Danko, both of whom are in the middle of election campaigns–Alfin for re-election, Danko for a County Commission seat.
It does not cost anything to file an ethics complaint. It can cost a lot to defend against one. Those who have complaints filed against them may seek to have their fees reimbursed. But it requires filing an action of their own through the Commission and meeting a high bar.
That’s just what Flagler County officials did several years ago after Kimberley Weeks, the former supervisor of elections (and now a felon) and Dennis McDonald had filed a series of frivolous complaints against them. But the county officials had to prove that the complaints were filed with malicious intent to defame the officials, and with reckless disregard for the truth. The county did so, and the Ethics Commission agreed. Even then, the fines incurred by Weeks and McDonalds went unpaid.
Alfin, who was represented by Mark Herron, the Tallahassee attorney, said he had no intention of taking that route even though “I knew from the beginning there was no merit. But there’s no satisfaction in that,” given the “waste of energy” battling the complaints entails. “I think that these kind of issues are best dealt with and looked at in the rearview mirror as we move forward and build the city together. I see no benefit in keeling this in front of the community, because I see no value in it for the community.”
The mayor commended the commission for its work. “They handled it well and were very thorough and I applaud them for their efforts,” he said. “There’s certainly a place for them to be a monitor of things that can happen in the political world.”
JimboXYZ says
There’s really only 1 way to end any speculations of who the winners & losers have been & will be in the short term & longer term future for the “Grow Palm Coast/Flagler County” push of inflated unaffordable real estate as an industry. One simply has to vote out the Real Estate broker of a Mayor and put a more competent Mayor in place.
All one has to really look at are all the unfunded projects the City & County has to see that an overwhelming majority of existing taxpayers are going to be the one’s who pay for what obviously is a lower quality of life by anyone’s metric. Whether that metric is deforestation, pollution, gridlock traffic, additional roads & lanes to pave & maintain. We all get one vote, accumulated will put an end to the overpopulate & overgrow the infrastructure of the community.
Anyone that doesn’t list or show properties obviously won’t make a dime off the growth. I follow Zillow new listings for where I relocated from years ago. Most of what is hitting the market at even higher prices from growth in Nassau County FL are 2021 and later builds that were sold initially as homesteaded properties bought with the intent that would be a primary home & not a rental situation. I get that some folks thru some attrition will sell off as unhappy new residents, but there are those that are also looking to get past a 2 year requirement to escape flipping penalties for those properties. 24 months of living somewhere, to raise the price even higher and you can see any real estate brokerage is going to profit quite nicely in addition to a property flipper. The banks are going to float mortgages with costs associated with financing. It’s really back to the same nonsense that happened under Bush with 2-3 year flips instead of the immediate flips of weeks & months that created a housing & banking crisis from 2001-2008. In that regard Biden prosperity looks an awful lot like Bush prosperity. As bad as housing unaffordability was under Bush, those are bargain prices under the Biden.At some point the economic sector collapses as it did under Bush as unsustainable. Is it going to collapse under Biden should he get 4 more years ? Or does the next POTUS eat that collapse ?
Loudmouth minority rejector says
Candace Stevens aka “Candy” Stevens is a close associate of Alan Lowe’s. She’s part of the “Loudmouth Minority” which Alan Lowe started a couple of years ago. He even had special T-Shirts made with “Loudmouth Minority” printed on them. Of course she would have filed an ethics complaint about Alfin (and I’m not a fan of Alfin’s).
The Loudmouth Minority is the extremely disruptive group of Lowe / Danko followers who’ve been disrupting city council meetings for years.
The same Loudmouth Minority that mayoral candidate, Mike Norris, posted that he was very proud to belong to.
Candace “Candy” Stevens , original leader of Flooded in Flagler aka Loudmouth Minority, is just a mouthpiece for Alan Lowe / Danko.
When are people going to wake up? Yet, I see a few Danko signs in front of people’s houses. What are these people thinking?
John says
I am not buying her decision, he needs to be voted out and it can’t come soon enough.
Sparks says
Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing. Alfin needs to go. Please Vote to get him out. He is doing nothing for the people. He is very selfish & greedy.
Celia Pugliese says
I am wondering too. Danko and Klufas please NO! No to Dance as well! Carney, Richardson and Melendez for change! Also Ray Stevens and Jeffery Seib for the city council and Ramirez for School Board so far.