Last Updated: 8:09 p.m.
In the setting sun of an unusually hot day, about an hour before the polls closed this evening, Flagler Beach City Commission Chairman Ken Bryan walked across the street from fellow-Commissioner Debbie Phillips’s campaign buggy and shook hands with Scott Spradley. It was as close to a passing of the torch as there could be: election results placed Spradley at the top of a five-candidate field, by far.
Incumbent Deborah Phillips and former Commissioner Rick Belhumeur battled for the second seat as Election Day ballots were still being counted, but in the end Belhumeur, a former two-term commissioner until last year, pulled away rather decisively, beating Phillips by about 75 votes.
“Re-commissioned,” Belhumeur, an Everyman with a wry sense of humor, texted, flip-siding his famous recurring comment after his loss last year, when he’d say he’d been “de-commissioned.”
Belhumeur had decided to wait for the results at home with his wife, and was to drive over to Tortugas later to congratulate Spradley, who was there with his daughter, her boyfriend and his ex-wife, all of whom had converged from different parts of the state, along with many friends.
Spradley’s victory was not a surprise. A Flagler Beach attorney for the past 16 years, Spradley had been involved on city committees and advisory boards and increasingly had been making his mark in city politics for about a year, becoming both oracle to and sounding board of commissioners–and managing to do it across the board, without creating adversaries.
His analytical, cool-headed approach in a year of messy issues, including the decline and fall of a city manager, appealed to an electorate looking for more stability.
“It feels good to have the support of the residents because I have a clear vision of having leadership that will guide the city through at least four major issues coming up,” Spradley said by phone after the victory. The four issues are the building of a new hotel downtown, the building of a new pier, the rebuilding of dunes at the south half of the city’s shoreline, and drainage matters. “Because of my profession I’m analytical, I review facts, I apply the law and I come up with a solution. That’s how I have marketed myself that I would be a good choice, because all of these large projects are going to need analytical solutions.”
Spradley added: “The fact I had such a wide margin tonight showed we have people who believe that’s the course we need to follow, so I’m really excited about that.”
“I look forward to making a difference with people up there that won’t be so against me all the time,” Belhumeur said. “I just bring a different perspective to the group, working class, mechanical mind, take things apart, try to figure out what makes things tic.”
Commissioner James Sherman, about to begin his second year, had also gone to Tortugas to congratulate Spradley. “I’m thrilled to have Commissioner Spradley on the dais with us,” he said.
Spradley and Belhumeur will be sworn-in at Thursday’s city commission meeting, when a new chair will also be elected. The new commission’s first order of business: hire a new city manager. Interim Mike Abels has given the commission six months to fill the seat. He is not staying longer.
It is unusual for a newly elected commissioner to have the gavel first time out, but Thursday’s dynamics present a curious confluence of possibilities. Belhumeur had been due the chairmanship, at least by turns, just before he was “de-commissioned.” But Spradley isn’t foreign to chairing panels, and his centrism and lack of history–if not lack of baggage–on the commission may be just what his fellow-commissioners may seek at this juncture.
Asked this evening before polls closed if he would be surprised if he lost, he said he would be, “simply because I’ve had a lot of interaction with a lot of people and the response to my campaign has been very positive. So I think I’m in a good spot. I would be surprised. I’m looking forward to what I believe will happen, which is that I’ll be one of the two candidates. I’m looking forward to getting started.”
Just as Spradley’s victory was expected, so was a battle for second place: Phillips knew it and was nervous about the results, with each of the four candidates outside the Spradley victory bubble feeling they had a strong shot. Phillips this afternoon conceded that she had been second-guessing herself after the last few weeks, with a decision to vote for the retention of former City Manager William Whitson only to almost immediately vote to fire him moments later damaging her credibility and lifting Belhumeur’s chances.
Spradley had diagnosed that race, too, when he discussed it this afternoon. “It appears that Rick Belhumeur has gained some strength, that’s what it looks like, as have the other two,” Spradley said, referring to candidates Doug O’Connor and Bob Cunningham. Belhumeur last year lost to James Sherman, with Jane Mealy getting re-elected with her usual bigger margin.
With about 752 ballots counted and as many more still uncounted, Phillips was leading Belhumeur by 18 votes. But when Election Day votes were counted, the winning margin went to Belhumeur.
The switch was not a mystery: many people had voted by mail before Phillips’s switch on Whitson. By the time Election Day rolled around, voters were punishing Phillips, and Belhumeur had that vote locked up.
Turnout was above 31 percent, with at least 1,450 voters casting ballots–almost 100 more votes cast than a year ago, when three candidates ran for two seats, but less than the 1,568 ballots cast two years ago. In 2019, the city election drew only a 21 percent turnout.
FB is my Home says
I’m excited to have Mr. Spradley in and feel confident he will do well, however, I am disgusted on the other hand that Flagler Beach put an absolute do nothing back into office. What an absolute joke.
Get these old farts out that want nothing more than a title and a supplementary paycheck. There’s another old nut on that board that needs the boot too.
Gina Weiss says
Congratulations to Scott Spradley and to Rick Belhumuer 2 good guys.
Disgusted says
Congrats to Scott Spradley. I hope he does the right thing and listens to his own voice when it comes to making important decisions for Flagler Beach.
Unfortunately, Flagler Beach got it wrong with bringing “Do Nothing Rick”back. Flagler Beach will suffer greatly for this one.
denise calderwood says
Congrats to the newly elected Spradley. I hope his relationship with Flagler county attorney Al Hadeed doesn’t cloud his judgement..it needs to be watched…congrats to Rock Belhuemer and to those who lost keep watching and stay involved.
The Villa Beach Walker says
That’s what I love about Flaglerlive! Reading half handed disparaging comments signed with anonymous pseudonyms like “FB is my Home”. It may be your home but obviously you don’t care enough about it to run for office yourself! Congrats and thanks for all you’ve done to date to Mr Spradley! Commissioner Belhumeur always listened to and well represented the citizens of the City of Flagler Beach when he was on the City Commission. I look forward to seeing him driving around town in his pickup truck to actually meet and listen to residents and look at what needs to be fixed. And he’s always been a fiscal conservative; always watching the spending, the budget and thinking about taxes. I predict that fiscal conservatism isgoing to be needed over the next years in FB. Thanks to Commisioner Phillips for your service (and the amazing clean up you helped organize at Silver Lake Park).
The Villa Beach Walker says
Congrats to Mr Belhmeur and Mr Spradley. I hope that as you commute from your homes down to the Commission meeting room you’ll notice all of the cars, trucks and campers parked on the dunes all up and down A1A. Those are our dunes. We need to defend them from those that will park their vehicles on top of the dunes. Expecting that the FB Police will be able ticket all the vehicles that are destroying those dunes is nonsense. We need Commisioners that are going to work with the FB City Police, the Flagler County Sherriff, and State Police to enforce the all traffic and parking laws and make sure that commercial vehicles, trucks with trailers, and campers do not park dune side. We need zero tolerance. We need the City Commission to work with Flager County and State officials to install and manintain barriers all along A1A to protect the dunes from Roger Gamble State Park all the way to the north end of town. Our beach is perhaps this City’s most valuable asset. We need the Commission to lead the efforts to protect it.
Jameson says
So sad cause Phillips had so much more to do but she will rebound! Our parks and so much more will suffer. Belheumer did NOTHING when he was on the board for six years. Citizens got it wrong. Disgusted. Won’t raise taxes . Lol
Patriarch says
Listen to this clown… Belhumeur, and his family (to include his father who served as a commissioner), have done more for this city than any keyboard warrior on FlaglerLive. And to claim that the experienced commissioners just want a steady paycheck? Oh, yeah. They need that measley $600 a month!!
If anyone’s a “do-nothing” it’s the cowards, such as yourself, who are afraid to run for office! Keep complaining though. That seems to be working well for you!
erobot says
Couldn’t agree more.
erobot says
Yep.
FlaglerBeach Tim says
You do realize that comissioners live in and pay taxes in flagler beach. Thinking that thwu want to raise taxes is ignorant, because thats coming out of their pockets as well. Please think before you speak.
Leila says
Everyone is a critic, but NOBODY wants to pitch in and get it done. Are you certain that you wanted this job, Mr. Spradley? Congratulations.
Please don’t trip over Mr. Belheumer while he is wandering around and wondering how things tick.
Pogo says
@Flagler Beach
Must be something in the water that makes loudmouths numb to irony, e.g., anonymous complaints about anonymous complaints.
Still, something to be said for the good sense to not self dox. Especially in occupied Florida.
Save the dunes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyLwboxmqmQ
The real problem: bait fish, running puddles, and ignoring the truth about what a puddle is.
Fresh water: puddles, only use it — not make it.
The wealthy make puddles disappear with their limousine and never know it happened.
And then there are entire counties oblivious to the fact that they are an economic fly speck in the big picture…
Pogo says
@Flagler Beach, FL
Must be something in the water that makes loudmouths numb to irony, e.g., anonymous complaints about anonymous complaints.
Still, something to be said for the good sense to not self dox. Especially in occupied Florida.
Save the dunes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyLwboxmqmQ
The real problem: bait fish, running puddles, and ignoring the truth about what a puddle is.
Fresh water: puddles, only use it — not make it.
The wealthy make puddles disappear with their limousine and never know it happened.
And then there are entire counties oblivious to the fact that they are an economic fly speck in the big picture…
Richard Ricardi says
I am looking forward to the coming March election when we can get rid of the current commissioners who betrayed our citzens and ‘stabbed in the back’ existing business people by allowing outside interests to come into town and take business from City
restaurants, motels and other tourist overnight business. The new hotel they approved will “block out” other businesses and 1s going to be the CITIES’ BIGGEST EYE SORE, and in doing so theses commissioners have wiped out our town park.
Again, they have allowed outsiders to come in and dominate the city center while neglecting town businesses such as the disaster for all to see “on A1A , formerly the old remains of Johny D’s , which looks like a bomb hit it. All city officials who participated in this disaster must be voted out.
Fortunately it looks like a new City Manager is in the works who understands Flagler Beach and cares about the needs of the city and its citizens. Also, it looks like we will have good candidates running for city commission which may correct the problem there.
Sincerely, Richard Ricardi