In 2012 and 2018 the Palm Coast City Council considered adding new taxes on residents’ and businesses’ utility bills: the Electric Franchise Fee, which would add between 3 and 6 perdent to costs, and the Public Service tax, which could add up to 10 percent to bills. In 2012, the council even voted to approve those taxes, calling them fees, if only as a replacement for the stormwater fee.
Residents rebelled. The council within two weeks reversed its vote in 2012 as 100 people jammed its chamber to cry foul. In 2018 it never got as far as a vote before opposition killed the proposal.
The franchise fee and public service tax proposals are back yet again, this time as one way to pay for a $52 million road resurfacing program over the next five years. Now as then, the council members are discussing the possibility as if the taxes were not taxes, but mere “fees,” and as if they would somehow be less of a burden on residents than if the property tax were raised. Council members are also suggesting that the county could raise the sales surtax from 7 to 7.5 percent–just two years after Palm Coast Councilman Ed Danko, and a stunning lack of transparency and public involvement on the county’s part, were instrumental in defeating just such a possibility.
The new tax proposals (not including the sales tax: that was a council proposal) were part of a presentation by the city’s stormwater and engineering director, Carl Cote, who provided a sobering assessment of the city’s slowly deteriorating road network. There’s no question that the city’s road system is in dire need of attention. None of the council members disagree. The question is how to pay for it all.
“The city roadway network health is on a steep decline. Without significant additional funding the roadway network is going to deteriorate quickly,” Cote said. “It’s hard for people to visualize and understand the forecast. If we don’t do something now we’re going to have a big problem in five years. So that’s what we’re really trying to make a statement on today.”
The city has 542 miles of roads, or 1,200 lane miles, valued at $850 million based on 2021 estimates. Local roads account for 78 percent of those totals.
In 2017, it cost about $50,000 per lane mile, or $100,000 per mile, for a typical two-lane Palm Coast street–what would have cost $60 million to pave the city. There are other ways to extend street life, such as “microsurfacing,” which applies a protective coating to the road surface for a quarter of the cost. The council was big on that approach at the time.
On Tuesday, Cote spoke negatively of it, saying there’s not enough analysis of its value, and ” based on the current information that we’ve collected from those other agencies, it becomes a wash. So you can do something on the roadway with one of those types of treatments. And yeah it may get you a three-year delay. It extends for three years. So say you need to resurface it in 15 years, well now you get to resurface it in 18, but in the middle, you’re spending some dollars. So those three years you’re getting is is a wash in the long run.” The approach might work on fully built out neighborhoods, but not in neighborhoods with a lot of construction, with trucks quickly damaging microsurfacing.
In 2017, the council approved a $210,000 contract with Transmap Corp., a Columbus, Ohio-based consultant that analyzed the city’s streets by sending vehicles that have 4,000-point lasers sweeping pavement and picking out every crack, even those invisible to the human eye. The analysis determined whether the problem was at the surface or at the base of the road, mapping out what to do next.
Street quality is rated on a 0-100 Pavement Condition Index scale (PCI), with 86 to 100 being good, 71 to 85 being satisfactory, 56 to 70 being fair, and so on, and with 0 to 25 being either seriously damaged or failed.
The average index in Florida is 75. In Palm Coast in 2017 it was 79. That put the council at ease, at the time. The average index was down to 75 by 2021. “The average PCI drop we saw from the last four years was 4.2, a significant drop,” Cote said. “The PCI drop we can expect for the next four years if we just maintain our current revenue and budget will be a nine point drop.”
In Palm Coast, two-third of the road system is good or satisfactory. No roads are in serious or failed conditions. But 32 percent of the roads are in the 56-70 range, or in fair condition, with 3 percent of roads in poor or very poor condition. Matanzas Woods Parkway, for example, is at 47: it’s in poor condition. Cote flashed a picture: the pavement looked more like stretches of Ohio roads in late winter, when ice has cracked its ravages, than the smooth black-cat-like coating of, say, recently repaved Belle Terre Parkway.
“Matanzas is basically falling apart, that’s going to require a half a mile of rebuilding,” Cote said, preparing the council for a contract about to be presented to them to do that job, regardless of other long-term issues. Council member Nick Klufas asked Cote whether relatively recent construction along Matanzas Woods Parkway, such as the completion of an interchange there and more recent construction contributed to the deterioration., Cote was inconclusive on that score.
Royal Palms Parkway is at a 53, its creviced stretches crisscrossing the yellow center lines and looking like invitations to potholes. Drivers along the easternmost stretch of Royal Palms, along Town center, have experienced those pot holes full bore. The city filled them in in recent weeks, but not always effectively. Cote made no mention of the culprit behind the Royal Palms Parkway potholes: the city’s ongoing, $1.5 million heavy re-construction of a weir there.
The city’s pothole work orders have zoomed up from one in 2019 to 64 in 2020 to 175 in 2021, and 122 so far this year.
Residential roadways are doing better, but in few places–not many–not by much. “As a roadway condition declined we have seen an increase in citizen complaints as well, and that takes time from city staff to then going out and having to respond to those complaints,” Cote said, “more staff time from Public Works having to make repairs takes them away from performing other maintenance and Public Works tasks. This will just continue to increase over time as a road values go down.”
The city is spending $2.2 million this year on road resurfacing. Cote said it needs $12.2 million a year to maintain the current level of service. “This budget need today is at a critical point,” Cote said. “If we push this funding down the road, that roadway deterioration accelerates and a milling resurfacing project today will become potentially a full depth repair down the road.” In other words, if the $2.2 million-a-year level were maintained, it would create a $52 million backlog of necessary work over the next five years. “So spending money and maintenance now is a good investment to avoid even more expensive repairs in the future,” Cote said.
“That number is so big that we can’t leave any stone unturned and we have to make sure that we have looked at every possible opportunity there,” Mayor David Alfin said. “I don’t think City Council has the expertise to do that. So we’re going to lean on staff to help us come up with that menu of possibilities if we can on on how to you know help us through this.”
But city staff had done just that: it laid out the three options. It was now up to the council to decide which of the three, or what blend of the three–or what cuts in other areas of the budget–to put in effect.
How did the city maintain its streets previously? The county had a half-cent sales surtax in effect from 2003 to 2012. A portion of that revenue went to Palm Coast. The city used the revenue to resurface 65 miles of road a year, for 10 years. Then the sales tax as structured at the time expired. The city has resurfaced only 20 lane miles of road on average per year since.
There is more to the story about that sales tax revenue than Cote told the council.
The half-penny sales tax revenue had been secured for 10 years through a voter referendum in 2003. The money was split by population: cities got 72 percent of the revenue. The county got 28 percent. In 2012, the county, led by Administrator Craig Coffey at the time, wanted to change that split to 55-45, with the county getting 45 percent of the revenue. The reason: he wanted more money to build a new jail, which in any case serviced mostly city residents. That significantly lowered Palm Coast’s share (at the time, Palm Coast lost $500,000 a year. The annual loss has accrued higher since.)
The cities made clear that they would not support that split in a referendum. So the county unilaterally voted to adopt it anyway, by vote of the commission instead of going to a referendum, which they thought would fail. (See: “Snubbing Voters, Lame-Duck County Enacts 20-Year Sales Tax While Slashing Cities’ Shares.”) That tax structure is in effect through 2033. (Only one commissioner voted against the unilateral measure: Milissa Holland, who foresaw exactly what did happen–less revenue for cities, poorer relations with them, and an unnecessarily larger jail.)
That created another problem: local governments could bond the revenue only if the tax was approved by referendum. If the tax was approved by commission majority only, governments could not borrow against it. They could only pay as they went. So Palm Coast lost both a chunk of revenue and bonding capacity.
That was the original impetus for the Palm Coast City Council to explore utility taxes as a new source of revenue.
Currently the city funds its street-paving program through the local option sales tax of 6 cents per gallon sold in Flagler County, split between the county and the cities. The city also gets a share of state sales tax revenue. It isn’t clear why the city is not using revenue from the county sales surtax, which it still receives. Nor is the city dedicating any property tax revenue to resurfacing, as it once did. The city had previously dedicated property tax revenue to capital improvements. But Cote said “revenue for resurfacing is only going to go down in the future.”
Now the utility tax options are back: an electrical franchise fee can be added to electricity bills, ranging from 3 to 6 percent. A public service utility tax of up to 10 percent can be imposed on water and power bills. Or else the council could raise the property tax.
“I know that chief is in the back of the room and can respond to me at the dais within seven minutes if my heart starts to palpitate after I try to digest these numbers,” Alfin said, reflecting the size of the ask.
“This is not the time in our economy for us to be putting fees on electrical bills or utilities, but we do need to step forward and take some more action on this,” Danko said. “We need to look at our must-haves and our wants. Roads are a must have, just like police and fire, water. But there’s things that are not must-haves, and I think we’re going to have to make some difficult, hard choices this year, because we have to come up with the money that you need to keep our roads good. I don’t think we have a choice.”
Council member Theresa Pontieri was more amenable to the franchise fee or the public service tax by way of diversifying the revenue base–and keeping property taxes from rising. “If we’re able to impose a franchise fee or a public service–or I’m sorry, the utility tax, that could help with the ad-valorem monies that we’re having to charge our homeowners, is that accurate?” Pontieri said. “So if we bring in monies from other sources, we have the option of not of perhaps being able to help with the ad valorem.”
Cote cautioned: “It’s not a true offset because these franchise fees and utility tax are going to have a much smaller year-to-year increase and your property tax is going to have a larger year-to-year increase.” He also cautioned against shifting existing property tax revenue to resurfacing, as opposed to raising property tax revenue to account for it: “If you tried to use existing millage, you’re taking it away from some other program or level of service. So it’s not like there’s money sitting out there.”
“What we really need to do is make sure that we’re bringing in revenues that are going to be consistent, being that we have to consistently repair roads,” Pontieri said. “That’s why we don’t use loans to do things like this long term, because this is going to be a long term requirement. That’s going to require a long term funding source.” She urged the administration to look at the franchise fee, the public service tax and the county’s sales surtax as options.
In June 2021 the county attempted to raise the sales surtax by half a cent, rather than restore the old split in revenue. Danko said “the county didn’t have the nerve to go forward.” That wasn’t quite it: the county sought the cities’ support, with little input from the public. (See: “How Flagler County’s Drunken-Sailor, All-Republican Commissioners Tried to Con You Into a Higher Tax.”) It was Danko at the time who railed loudest against the county’s attempt, which derailed.
Now, Alfin spoke more favorably of a half-cent option, with no mention of restoring the old split. “There are many different pieces here that will need to come together for a program that would encompass a couple of years going forward,” Alfin said. “It’s not all going to happen in this one budget cycle, that’s just unrealistic and not practical.” He put a priority on keeping the burden off the “backs of our taxpayers as we possibly can.”
But one way or the other, no matter how the council members were couching it–by way of fees or sales taxes–taxpayers will pay, and likely will do so more regressively, if the city adopts fee or sales tax structures, than they would if the revenue were drawn from property taxes..
The council’s decision was to direct its administration–its finance director especially–to return on May 23 with an outline of how each tax or fee proposal would affect residents, what sort of revenue it would generate, and what off-setting options the council may have.
Chris says
Why not approve and use the sales surtax…its a win win….cannot it not be structured to be used strictly for road improvements over the long term. This way its not only the residents footing the bill its also the people who are visiting who use these roads every day
Dennis C Rathsam says
All this council, & mayor want to do is stick it to the good people of P/C! Money, Money, Money. You folks spend more money on stupit shit nobody wants. Ive been complaining about Matanzas Woods Pkw, when Ms Holland was mayor. The street was never adressed, and now its a mess. But we have a splash pad….or had a splash pad. Raise the fees on all these new houses! How can all you experts, expect seniors to keep comming up with more & more money? We are all on fixed income, with the current state of America, high gas prices, high food prices, no wonder why the food pantry,s cant keep up. Now you council members, & Mayor are the real problem you want to spend more than you take in. You have too many wants, too many! Have you ever heared of FISCAL RESPONCEABILITY? Its time you all hit the road….,.
MITCH says
My Opinion: If the city government would spend more time supporting/protecting residents that already live here the city would grow and take care of itself. Since city conception the mayors have their focus on more growth than supporting/protecting residents that have been burdened with their “growth/growth/growth” tax dump on us, the existing residents. Our residential roads are deteriorating at an alarming rate and their plans are to load the roads down with more traffic (growth). Sad part is residents are silent about how our government is operating. Should a disaster hit Palm Coast and an evacuation was needed to swiftly get the people out; how many would die? That is not a question the City Council wants to address; rezoning/spending/growth (more cars)/etc. is where their focus is; IT IS NOT ABOUT PROTECTING RESIDENTS. A rapidly deteriorating infrastructure since 2000 and we want to praise the work of prior and current administrations. Many residential streets are experiencing a large volume of cut-thru traffic, speeding, constant traffic noise and when trying to get the city to address this they have excuses why they will not do like other Florida cities that are protecting their residential neighborhoods with various Traffic Calming Methods. All these other cities are stupid for protecting their residential neighborhoods – why, because Palm Coast residential neighborhoods are needed to lessen the burden of a failed infrastructure that cannot move the traffic safely and keep residential streets safe. Until the residents demand infrastructure goals that protect residential neighborhoods over growth goals the city government will continue to “dig our (residential neighborhood’s) graves”; demanding more tax increases to fund their goals of growth. Think this over; how many projects the city has funded to attract more people and what “percentage of residents” actually have approved/attended? ARE ATTRACTING MORE PEOPLE THE ANSWER TO OUR WOES or A GOVERNMENT FOCUSED ON THE PROTECTING THE RESIDENTS ALREADY HERE? You decide when you vote!
Ron Haggerty says
Correct. When you have realtors and realtor friendly council members it’s all about fitting as many houses in the smallest spots. Infrastructure is always on the back burner.
Ed says
The reason that the road are failing is because of the heavy traffic caused by the new growth that they keep promoting and the new housing and builders should be paying for it, plus we’re having to pay for the infrastructure for water and sewage for all of this growth and the city can’t even take care of the sales and keep raising the costs of utilities to pay for all of this. WAKE UP PEOPLE OF PALMCOAST AND DO NOT EVER VOTE FOR ANYONE THAT HAS REALESTATE OR BUILDERS THAT CAN PROFIT FROM THEIR BEING IN POLITICS IN THIS CITY OR COUNTY GOVERNMENT 🤔 THINK ABOUT IT, ARE WE JUST STUPID!!!
Denali says
And here were are once again, haunted by the memories of Craig Coffee, but I digress.
While it may seem to be a minor point, the fact that property taxes may be deducted on ones federal income taxes; taxes disguised as “fees” cannot. In all honesty I have lost track of all the new “fees” and increases to existing ones we have been subjected to in the past few years. For some reason I am thinking it could be as high as $1200 – $1500 depending on ones assessed value. Regardless, if they are going to place these added “fees” around the neck of the taxpayer at least call them what they are and let us take advantage of the federal deduction.
Fernando Melendez says
This is such an important juncture in time and in our city where any increases to our residential homeowners would be simply a real burden at a very difficult time. We must exhaust all other options before implementing so call fees/taxes on our rooftops. I get it, roads are deteriorating and continue to do so thanks to all the development and trucks destroying them. So, maybe that’s an option right there, let’s charge builders the fee’s that are needed to maintain our roads.
Lets keep Palm Coast Strong 🌴
pete says
Nothing like planning ahead don’t these bone heads look into the future. Spend Spend Spend well YOU CAN’T FIX STUPID and that’s what they all are is STUPID. Well folks hang on because all it’s going to do now is get worse. next the sewer and then the water and on and on.
Paul T says
Water, Sewage and Solid Waste should be the only items billed as Utilities,
Storm Water shouldn’t even be on that bill. both Storm Water and Highway Maintenance ought to be paid out of property taxes, if they have to increase so be it.
Arguably some of the accellerated highway and residential street deterioratin is directly caused by everpresent, ever increasing and heavily loaded construction vehicles, dump trucks et. al..
Increasjng and better aportioning of new construction impact fees should be implemented and used to help pay for road repairs. They have nothing to do with utilities.
Rich O. says
So, let me get this straight, we want to add tens of thousands of cars to our roadways over the next few years, yet there was no foresight to set money aside to maintain the roads as required? What happens in another 20 years when the dream of creating another Fort Lauderdale comes to fruition and the roads need to be fixed again? I’m not against fixing roads, but the continued increase in fees and taxes, and now proposed fees, insurance, utilities, etc., really has me thinking twice about living and working here in Palm Coast. Where I lived prior, they bonded the road projects based on a ten-year plan that went to vote and was overwhelmingly approved. Good luck on passing on more fee’s.
The dude says
Where is the state of Florida getting all the money to fly immigrants from other states to other states, and start huge legal battles with its largest employer?
The state seems to have an endless supply of money somewhere. Why can’t the state help us with roads and junk? Isn’t that a core function of the state to begin with?
Aline says
Again another lie about disney. Disney is not the largest employer of florida. How many freaking Walmarts and Hilton and Target and I could go on and on and on all over the state of florida. They’re not even the biggest employer in orlando. And quit trying to bring up your politics and lies no one cares.
DaleL says
Aline, although Disney is not the largest employer in all of Florida, it is the largest employer in central Florida (Orlando). Also, besides the Walt Disney World Resort, Disney operates cruise ships. Disney also owns ABC and thus all the ABC stations in Florida (and their employees) are associated financially with Disney. Disney owns Touchstone Pictures, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. Florida movie theaters are thus associated financially with Disney. Disney owns 80% of ESPN. Disney is not just a theme park.
Finally, in central Florida, according to the Orlando Business Journal, the largest top 5 employers in 2021 were:
1. Walt Disney World Resort
2. Orange County Public Schools
3. Universal Orlando Resort
4. AdventHealth System
5. Publix Super Markets Inc.
Shark says
Millions of dollars are wasted on unnecessary plants and trees and it still looks pathetic. Divert some of this money for infrastructure;
Pappy says
Roads are being destroyed by dump trucks, concrete trucks and construction vehicles. Increase fees on all the new homes and developments that realtor (mayor) Alfin keeps pushing for.
Jimbo99 says
All this money from impact fees, tennis center pickle ball expansion. the growth for traffic that is destroying the city & county roads was supposed to pay for this. Along with Biden’s, “Build Back Better” that has evaporated. Where did that money go, obviously not to repave roads. Appreciated is FEMA disaster relief for storm damages, but that’s always been done as an expectation for hurricanes and any money is applied directly for that. Why has Palm Coast frivolously failed to budget for the road repairs for roads that have existed long before the last 3+ years that the growth for increased traffic was going require RPP to be repaved ? I’m on record for warning in comments easily as far back as 2020. Can’t tell the self proclaimed experts to take ensure the existing infrastructure is maintained before growing and adding what is financially short of funding for maintenance.
The dude says
Back to blaming Biden for Flagler County/Palm Coast problems?
Problems 1000% caused by MAGA since they run the entire city, county, and state.
Maybe meatball Ron should spread some of that sweet sweet federal money around instead of hoarding it to fly immigrants from other states to other states, and start huge legal battles with the state’s largest employer?
Aline says
There you go again spelling politics. Spouting wise. Oh yeah it’s all the magas fault yet we were all making money and doing great until Biden got in office. What I really find funny is the way people like you say maga like it’s a bad word when all it means is make America great again.
Denali says
You really do not have a clue as to how the world works if you think Biden created the inflationary problems facing the world today. The US President can no more control inflation than he can gasoline prices. It is a world wide issue. The president cannot flip a switch and create a change in the economy – he inherits the successes or failures of the previous administration. Just like Trump inherited the growth promoted by Obama’s administration. It is only in the later years of an administration that we start to see the results of the current administration’s efforts. If you will recall, the economy started to tank in late 2019 with no ability to improve due to the Trump tax credits to the super rich and corporations and is now improving, Thanks Biden! Biden was handicapped from day one by these Trump failures and his intentional knee-capping of the economy.
As for MAGA – yes, we know what the words are. And we know exactly what you mean by “again”. You long for that simpler time to satisfy the desires of a few old, fat, senile, white men. I am sure you remember those days; when women were barefoot and pregnant with no right to free thought. When any person whose skin was other than white was forced to the back of the bus and had to guess the number of beans in a jar in order to vote. When Blacks “knew their place”. When a 22 year old gay man can be beaten, tortured and crucified on a Wyoming fence. When a 14 year old black boy could be beaten and lynched in a Mississippi swamp for ‘supposedly’ whistling at a white woman. When women died from back alley abortions. When we could worship only “their” God. You believe that Scopes should have been hung for blasphemy and that the earth is flat. Yes, we know exactly what you mean when you say “Make America Great Again”.
I lived through those days and never want to see them again!
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN says
Denali: If I may add morons still talking s**t against Jews thus perpetuating hate crimes , Nazi atrocities that took place during WWII, same morons talk shit about different ethnic groups and religions perpetuating hate against those groups too.
Shark says
Because republicans are running the show in this town !!!!
Vincent A. Liguori says
City of Palm Coast Citizens: The city council is once again discussing installing fees on your electric and public service bills as one way to pay for a $52 million road resurfacing program. Our city’s roads are important and must be diligently maintained. However, installing fees on electric usage or public services, is in my opinion, is not the way to proceed. Although city council discussions on this matter are preliminary, we the citizens must present a United front in order to reject the creation of fees or taxes on to electric or public service bills. There are serious implications with this approach if enacted. For example, citizen inability to pay the electric or public service bill will result in loss of services. The city should retain bill integrity and concentrate on other funding methods to cover the resurfacing deficit. I believe the best approach would be to establish a capital fee which would be included on the annual property tax bill as a defined non-ad valorem item. This fee would be charged to any and all homes, apartments, vacant lots, businesses and exempt units within city limits. Other options options to reduce the annual road resurfacing cost of $12.2 million: local optiongas tax, impact fee on new homes, funds from sales tax and appropriation of dollars from other funds. I am certain the annual capital fee is far superior than electric and public service fees commingled on our bills. If you agree,your participation in this matter is vital
Deborah Coffey says
Dear people of Palm Coast. If you continue to vote for Republicans, these are just some of the problems you will continue to have. The Planning Board has approved thousands and thousands of new residences just over the past year with no added infrastructure (except a pedestrian bridge over State Rd. 100 as part of a walking trail supposedly funded by the State Dept. of Transporation and millions of dollars in walking trails). This is how Republicans spend your money. Stop voting for them! There are other ways to pay for our roads and the things we need without punishing those of us already living here!
The dude says
I’d start with reasonable impact fees on builders, due the second ground is broken on a lot.
c says
Actually, I’d start with UNreasonable impact fees as a way of slowing the rate of new construction, getting some breathing space, and attempt to recoup some (no matter how little) of the many, many years with little or no impact fees.
Fernando Melendez says
This is neither a Republicans or Democrats doings, this is about a city council doing the right thing for our residents and our pockets. Your comment is really about politicizing this issue. And I am a registered Republican against any kind of increase implementation in our taxes or fees.
TR says
Why do the Democrats always have to blame things that they don’t like on Republicans? Oh I know because they have no real comment of substance to hold a debate on an issue. They also don’t like the truth even when it’s standing right in front of them. The issue at hand has absolutely nothing to do with any political affiliation. It has to do with human beings that like to was our money or they don’t know how to manage what we already are paying. Plan and simple they are idiots with power. JMHO
Down south says
Deb, Seems like you and the dems have all the answers to come up with $52m. Please share because I’m still waiting on inflation to subside!
How about a modest increase in the current impact fees?
Increase the county gas tax and negotiate a good split.
Increase the sales tax and negotiate back to the original split.
How about a hotel tax of a few %.
See what that Increase of taxes reaps and then look at property tax.
Unless you know otherwise $52m is not going to drop from the sky. On a side note if you decide to call the WH they have their hand full with current monetary issues. And they are spending $ they just don’t have.
All Jacked Up says
Well, the county full of scared old white fogies that funnelled tens of millions of dollars over the past few years to the police, when crime has been dramatically decreasing anyways, because the old white fogie sheriff was in a pissing contest with actual sheriffs from surrounding counties that surely have tougher jobs with ten times the population, and you’re wondering why the county is so broke?
Everyone, EVERYONE, should walk the old ops center on E. Moody, and then justify how you think its worth spending $25,000,000 more to replace it. The Great Mold Scam of Flagler County. Should be a Frontline expose. And you people bit on that nonsense hook line and sinker.
Atwp says
More taxes more fees. When will this stop? I thought the city government got a big raise last year. Tax and fee their greedy behinds. Look like every two months more taxes. Do the government know the wages are low down here. They don’t care. Let me be real, the roads need fixing and maintained, this government waste too much money, we the tax payers have to foot the bill. O that’s right the city has a Republican government.
David Schaefer says
First Biden has nothing to do with this. The stupid realtor mayor and the city council are the primary problem. They have wasted millions on useless shit. We as citizens need to stand up and say HELL NO to any tax increase take it out of the mayor’s pocket.
TR says
I’m with you but we can say NO all day to anything that we the citizens don’t want, but these council members and Mayor will do whatever they want to line their realtor pockets or their friends pockets.
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN says
Raise the developer impact fees, it only makes sense, if people have the money to buy these cookie cutter homes and they want to move down here they should also be paying towards our roads and the maintaning of our infrastructure since they will be using these roads. Why are these officials afraid to go after the developers who have already destroyed most of them with irresponsible building? Utilities and electric builds have already gone up. The officials are not stupid, they know just what they are doing when they pass agendas approving more and more development. What is going to happen to our roads when Alfin finalizes his great frontier ideas to the west? And now we learn that Hutson and Renner cheered a bill that local government will has less control over our city and Flagler which will bring in more people and we have no control. Do you see how all of these plans of theirs all fit their agendas. I guess it sucks to be us they must think, they have no sense of communities, neighborhoods the working class, the taxpayers. VOTE THEM ALL OUT!
pete says
YEP and all the people are standing back and letting them do their thing.
Good Way To Empty A Town says
First of all, none of these people needed the raises they gave themselves recently. Gee I wonder where the money is going. Themselves. And their beatification projects and future tourism center. Maybe they put the extra money into DeSantis’ trip overseas or his illegal human trafficking. They are Republicans after all. Nothing they’ve done lately here or in any state has shown they have integrity and values and are instead ethically challenged.
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN says
How about asking for some funding from the DOT.
Becca says
How much are the builders being charged for their destruction of our paved roads? They should be on the hook for road maintenance fees too.
TR says
Let the city council members pay for it with that large raise they gave themselves. I agree that some of the roads are in need of resurfacing. But it seems that the side streets do not, unless they haven’t been done in a long time. For example. I live on a corner lot in the R section. my house was built in 1986, The front street has never been resurfaced and has double the traffic as the side street and is in no need for repair. However the side street was also not in repair and it has been resurfaced twice since 1997. Wasted money where they could have resurfaced a street that really needed it.
With the raise of impact fees the council passed and the talk of getting undeveloped lot owners to pay for cutting of the swales, and all the other BS raised cost this council keeps pushing on the residence. It seems to me the council doesn’t know how to manage the money they are forcing everyone to pay. Oh and lets not forget that in the beginning of June we will have a larger garbage bill because the idiots on the council gave a new sanitation company based out of china a 7 yr contract right from the jump. As a business owner I would have given them a 2 yr contract to see how things go and then extent it if all works out. The new company will do good in the beginning (maybe) but we are locked in for 7 yrs and have to pay more.
Time to vote these idiots out at the next election and elect people that have the interest of ALL the residence of PC at their best interest and not their realtor friends and families.
Pb says
I don’t climb the stairs to walk across a pedestrian bridge to nowhere. I don’t launch a canoe or kayak.
I do as many live on a FIXED income.
Politicians can you understand that?
Celia Pugliese says
First of all NO to our utilities additional tax! Second Flagler county is ripping off Palmcoaster’s has to restore the original split of the half cent tax as we already pay too high to the county (double of what we pay the city) in our yearly ad valorem taxes, when city has to pave all our roads and give us most of our services!
Thank you Pierre to remind us all, what the county did by taking down from 75% to 55% the split of our
half cent gas tax…This county never stops depleting city residents pockets…and they did it for a new jail that could have waited. Same thing done by the state gradually reducing their split of what we pay them to cities, counties and schools.
Also we need to demand a “detail revenue of collected amounts and current account totals of impact fees to the city” and also the new collection amount of all the thousands of new homes sold paying yearly ad valorem which are supposed too, to contribute to road surface. That ad valorem tax is split very unfairly after deduced the school tax what left goes 95% to 45% benefitting the county on our Palmcoster’s backs at least in my yearly house tax bill paid to Susan Johnston tax collector. So besides the city transparency needed on revenues from impact fees and were they are and new homesteaded ad valorem collected we need to start our demands if even if legally to stop the county financial abuse of the city with the split of the half cent gas tax and the yearly ad valorem tax…even if necessary in court and the quoted 52 millions needed for road resurfacing is a good reason to take it to court if necessary. Or maybe the county will agree to stop building Taj Mahals to themselves in our pockets and instead fund our roads resurfaces desperately needed. Solutions: 1) Revenue collected from ad valorem on the thousands of new homes invading us and paying ad valorem, 2) How much impact fees we have collected from thousands of homes built and in what were spent, 22 million sewer plant N PC? , 3) fair split of the half cent tax and the ad valorem tax by the county if necessary in court as we have a strong 52 millions reason. No wonder county approving millionaire libraries, welcome tourist centers, jails and sheriff complexes, etc. etc. and what about our city and county deteriorated roads? Enough is enough of Palmcoasters subsidizing the county and city frivolous spending and improper use of impact fees and additional ad valorem taxes collected by our city administrations. No to utility tax raise look to other options.
Duane says
Deborah,
Please tell me how a democrat would make the roads not deteriorate.
Use your head! It has nothing to due with political party and more to do with road conditions.
The answer is a .05 sales tax so visitors to the county can help pay for the roads they travel upon.
Dave says
How about, they get this tax and I would bet, the project is going to be over budget before it even starts which is typical for Palm Coast and they need more of your money which we just don’t have anymore thanks to high cost of everything. OR Palm Coast somehow mysteriously uses the money for something else you know, planting trees, painting a building etc..etc.. Fix the drainage systems as it backups after each heavy rain. PS this has zip to do with political parties this has been going on since I’ve lived in sleepy little Palm Coast for 36 years, al parities have pushed to increase taxes, someway some how. Palm Coast has gotten to big for its britches.
James says
Once again the City of PC is showing the taxpayers they have no clue how to run a city government. They all need to be replaced and lets start at the top with Alfin.
James says
“… they have no clue how to run a city government… ”
Nope, they know exactly what they’re doing.
Just my opinion.
Dianne says
This is not about republicans or democrats..it’s about a board of people making all the decisions for the residents of Palm Coast….stop all the building..
This city doesn’t need to become Miami… people have moved here to retire not become broke ….we all need to ban together and fight this Council NOW
James says
“… In 2017, the council approved a $210,000 contract with Transmap Corp., a Columbus, Ohio-based consultant that analyzed the city’s streets by sending vehicles that have 4,000-point lasers sweeping pavement and picking out every crack, even those invisible to the human eye. The analysis determined whether the problem was at the surface or at the base of the road, mapping out what to do next. … Matanzas Woods… Matanzas is basically falling apart,… ”
Aren’t six hundred new homes going to be built somewhere? Thanks for using my tax dollars to study this… for the developers.
“… The city’s pothole work orders have zoomed up from one in 2019 to 64 in 2020 to 175 in 2021, and 122 so far this year. …
“This budget need today is at a critical point,” Cote said. “If we push this funding down the road, that roadway deterioration accelerates and a milling resurfacing project today will become potentially a full depth repair down the road.” In other words, if the $2.2 million-a-year level were maintained, it would create a $52 million backlog of necessary work over the next five years. “So spending money and maintenance now is a good investment to avoid even more expensive repairs in the future,” Cote said. … Royal Palms, along Town center … heavy re-construction…”
Thanks for using my tax dollars to study this… for the developers.
Impact fees… anyone???
Palm Coast… the former “Mount Airy Lodge” of Floriduh, that is now a “city” (for the developers, by the developers)… to borrow a phrase that one Republican was once report to have said to another city long ago. To the City (management, not the people) of Palm Coast…
“Drop Dead.”
Just my opinion.
Mark says
First off they should get that $70+ Million “arts center” they dream about in Town Center way off the table, that would free up $52+ Million that they supposedly need. Second I’m not sure why they don’t seal the cracks in the roadways now and as they appear, to slow down the deterioration like northern states do. Then while they’re planning, or redoing roads that need a rebuilt, rebuild them using concrete which lasts longer than asphalt. Concrete can have expansion joints and if a crack appears can be filled with either epoxy fill or quality asphalt, along with it’s reflective ability (compared to asphalt) of the sun which would help in reducing the “heat island” effect.
James says
“… First off they should get that $70+ Million “arts center” they dream about in Town Center way off the table… ”
And what about that Town Center? I remember the “Town Center” of a few years ago, and it was more a “Ghost Center.” Yet they had no problem paving all those “streets to nowhere” did they? For whom?
Palm Coast… for the developers by the developers.
Just my opinion.
Skibum says
I am extremely disappointed to read about the irresponsibility of Palm Coast’s city leaders allowing our city roadways to deteriorate to the appalling condition that many of them are in today. The city spent more than $200,000 for a comprehensive roadway analysis in 2017 which gave our roadways a barely average rating and followed it up with another analysis four years later that showed further degradation of the city’s roadways at that time. But fast forward to 2023, and despite a report that shows the city needs to spend more than 12 million dollars a year just to maintain the city’s existing roadways, the city has underbudgeted roadway repairs and resurfacing by 90%, with only a 2-million-dollar expenditure on roads this year! And this small amount for roadway repairs is with full awareness and approval of the city for a huge amount of residential and commercial construction projects that have been putting increased stress on many main arterial roadways from all of the dump trucks and other construction related truck traffic. I fail to comprehend the complete and total disregard for proper and timely maintenance of this city’s existing roadways. One would think that would be a very high quality of life priority for any city government – astronomically more important than discussion about the possibility of building a pickle ball complex or further expansion of the city’s boundaries to the west. City staff, please get your priorities straight and do what is necessary to take care of our deteriorating roads!
pete says
Put all the screwups together from the last 12 years and what do you have? one big mess and just getting bigger. And the answer is new fees raise fees ask DOT for help, what a DAM group of leaders. Tomorrow they will want to build a park or more trails or a welcome center on both ends of the city. All its going to do is get worse if people don’t stand up and fight
Land of no turn signals says says
Isn’t all the money collected from impact fee’s for this reason? With 300 houses here and 1200 there 600 down this way,storage units on every other corner what the hell.The mayor is far too concerned on renaming building.
Deez Nutz says
Let’s keep building more apartments that residents don’t pay any property taxes on but still clog up and affect our roads. As for all the single family homes going up around here, make the builders pay more impact fees because all these dump trucks are the main reason for the deterioration of our roads. Don’t even get me started on how much trash and litter is all over the city from all this over building. Palm Coast used to be beautiful, not anymore. I know we are definitely moving out of here as soon as we find the right area.
Denali says
Apartment dwellers certainly do pay property taxes. While they may not pay them directly to the county, they pay the landlord who in turn pays property taxes to the county. That complex near the Epic Theater paid $145K last year. Please do not generate false statements.
blerbfamilyfive says
I believe the constitutional gas tax can only be used for fixing roads. You can’t take money from one pot to solve another pot’s issues. Parks impact fees can’t be used to fix roads etc. And in prior years , the builders were responsible for fixing any road damage on the street in front of the house they built, otherwise they could not get a certificate of occupancy. Not sure how it works now. And I know in prior years, before the incorporation of Palm Coast ;when it was a service district each year the county engineer and assistant engineer would tour the roads and identify which roads were in need of repaving and/or striping. Again not sure how it works now and let’s not forget these roads are from the days of ITT so it is now wonder why they are falling apart. But the heavy construction trucks do not help the problem but the council still approves all of these housing developments.
jeffery c. seib says
Before Palm Coast was incorporated into a city, it was designated a ‘service district’ by the county commission. The county, at the request of Palm Coast residents, established the ‘Palm Coast Service District Advisory Council’, who acted as a DeFacto Palm Coast government. I served as a member of that group, and we were in almost constant contact with county road and stormwater managers to insure our and roads and drainage were at a higher level than they are today. The roads and stormwater work was done and at a very reasonable cost to Palm Coast residents. Sure, we are bigger now, but they can’t bleed us with new taxes and/or fees.
jeffery c. seib says
This is another very sobering example of how the wheels of government run in Palm Coast, flat tires caused by potholes. Stormwater and garbage are items that we all pay the same for. They do not belong in the Utility bill. We already had a 14% tax increase. These new ‘fees’ could increase homeowners’ financial burden to the city by an additional 25 to 30%. Because of the dire need for funding as presented by city engineer Cote, the mayor and the city council should immediately cancel all new road and other infrastructure on the west side of Palm Coast and cut the cities operating and personnel budget expenditures for at least two years to shore up this mess. Did they really have no idea the extent of the stormwater and road repair needs or was it just a ploy to hit us over the head?
Atwp says
Do the city of Palm Coast know anything about looking at tomorrow and planing wisely? More people, new homes, more traffic. Did they think about the crumbling infrastructure? It cost money to maintain but at what expense? We are taxed so much until many people that moved here will leave for other states. Proper budget planning and implication is very important. What other reason to raise taxes will be presented very soon, the way this city is going.
pete says
Answer to all your ??? NO NO NO Bigger trouble is coming, they’re going to bury the city if this continues. They don’t care because when they get what they want $$$$ will move on to the next place and do the same thing , that’s how these people work.
James says
“… In 2017, the council approved a $210,000 contract with Transmap Corp. … Matanzas Woods… ”
Nope, they know what they’re doing.
“… First off they should get that $70+ Million “arts center” they dream about in Town Center way off the table… ” – Mark
Nope, they’ve been planning ahead.
Palm Coast… for the developers, by the developers.
Just my opinion.
TJ Melton says
Toll roads!! Palm Coast Blvd! Belle Terre! 100! Put EZ pass in while you’re at it. And be sure to toll the roads around City Hall! God, you could even toll the sidewalks!