A radical change in the direction of the Palm Coast City Council and the city it represents may be afoot.
For 16 years, the Palm Coast City Council has seen its membership change only incrementally, with at most two seats changing hands in any given election, and always with an anchor providing continuity and institutional history. Mayor Jon Netts, first elected as a council member in a special election in 2001, has been that anchor for more than a decade.
But Netts is term-limited. He will not be on the council past November. On Friday, Jason DeLorenzo, the youngest candidate elected to the Palm Coast City Council in the city’s history, on Friday made official what had been expected for months: After nearly five years on the council, he will run for the Flagler County Commission seat currently held by Charlie Ericksen, who filed his re-election bid papers earlier this month.
And this evening, Bill McGuire, elected with DeLorenzo in 2011, confirmed in a brief interview what he had told a few friends in the past few days: “I’m not going to run for re-election.”
McGuire’s decision will be a shock to most. Even Netts was under the impression his colleague was running again. McGuire has been the council’s most outspoken member and a near-daily presence at city hall. He brooks no non-sense and immediately added to the council a voice for more transparent accountability it had lacked. (The city’s golf course and tennis center woes would not have been aired so persistently without his insistence.) But his wife has been seriously ailing, and McGuire said it would not be the honorable thing to do to run again and serve a portion of his term only to then move back to St. Louis, as he intends to do, to be closer to his sons.
That electoral reality also means that the turn-over on the council and the battle between change agents and advocates of continuity will become the central issue of the campaign. The outcome may radically alter Palm Coast’s direction and mirror on a much larger scale what unfolded on the Bunnell City Commission in the last few years: there, Commissioner Elbert Tucker had been a perennial insurgent for years, finding himself at the losing end of 4-1 votes, until the last two elections transformed him into the commission’s leader. In short order he got rid of the city manager, changed the financial direction of the city, and just led the process in the appointment of yet another city manager. Palm Coast has never experienced such a shift.
The election will result in a complete turn-over of all five Palm Coast council seats in two years, a rarity in local government.
“What’s the expression, a sea change?” Netts said in an interview this evening. “I think it’s beneficial for the city as a whole, for the people as a whole, to know this early on. This will give an opportunity for the residents to take a deeper look at the candidates, what they stand for, what they propose to do, what their vision for the city is. I’ve been a very, very strong proponent of vision. I think it’s very important for people now to start asking the probing question–what is your vision, what do you stand for, because obviously this could be a very significant turning point in the city’s history.”
One person–Pam Richardson, the Realtor–has filed to run in DeLorenzo’s seat. Others are expected to file. Four have filed to run for mayor: Milissa Holland, John Brady, Armando Gomez, and Ron Radford. McGuire’s decision is almost certain to draw a much larger number of candidates.
“My hope is that whoever runs for these seats will not deal in the old cliches, ‘I promise to lower your taxes, I’m going to do more with less, I’m going to cut the budget,'” Netts–who’s endorsed Holland, long his protegee–said. “If you hear more of this stuff, that’s warning sign that you need to ask the more probing questions.” He added: “The important thing for you, for the Observer, for the News-Journal–we need the press, the media needs to make people aware that this is a time of potential change, and if you want change, then you’d better speak up and tell the world what it is you want and encourage people to do that, and if you like what Palm Coast has become, you similarly need to find candidates who support that. It’s still relatively early in the silly season, so this is a wake-up call. Here you have McGuire, DeLorenzo, Netts, you have three seats open, you could change the direction of the city literally overnight. Do you want to change? Is that what you want to do?”
“I served the community for seven years between my time on the Soil and Water Conservation District board,” DeLorenzo said, referring to the now-disbanded conservation board. “And now entering my fifth year on the Palm Coast City Council, I’m looking to be a part of a larger community, take on a larger role.”
On the council, DeLorenzo–who is the legislative affairs director for the Flagler County Home Builders Association–has advocated for builders by pushing for less burdensome impact fees and a more streamlined permitting process. But he’s also advocated for small business and the arts and from the start of his tenure on the council was largely opposed to the city’s eventually ill-fated red-lights camera program. Late last year, he took the lead, with school board member Andy Dance, in creating a joint city-school committee to explore safety initiatives in the wake of a series of wrecks involving district students, one of them fatal.
“I’m glad he’s in, he’s a friend of mine and I’m looking forward to debating him on the issues on Flagler County and what we can both offer to the position,” Ericksen said Tuesday evening. But Ericksen did not hesitate to contrast himself with DeLorenzo. “I guess I still go back to the fact that he’s well-entrenched in the home builders, and according to the information I have every time something comes up for them before the city council, he approves that item even though other people on the council have turned it down. So there needs to be some reasonable decisions made if you’re with a current employer, and that would be my second one: If he’s going to continue to work full time for the home builders, I question whether he can do a super job for the county, because I’m finding I’m having to spend 30, 40 hours a week working for them.”
DeLorenzo, 45, too, sharpened his differences with Ericksen–who’s 73–without hesitation: “I think I have a different vision for Flagler County,” DeLorenzo said. “Charlie is a great man and he served the county very well, but I’m experiencing Flagler County differently than him I believe, I have a young family, both my wife and I are working professionals in the county, and those types of residents are who I can represent best.”
DeLorenzo is married to Rebecca DeLorenzo, president of the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce. They have a 7-year-old daughter. He currently lives in the P Section. They’ll be moving to the W Section, where they bought a house, at the end of the campaign. He is required to stay in his current district as he fulfills his responsibilities as a council member.
DeLorenzo does not yet have a specific program outlining what he would want to accomplish on the commission. “The election is not until November,” he said. “There’s going to be plenty of time to talk about specific issues, I’m sure we’ll get to that as the campaign continues.”
Veteran says
Good!
PeachesMcGee says
Welcome to the Jungle!
Fredrick says
awww… new blood will be good. I am hoping Ms. Weeks runs for one of the open seats. Assuming she does not end up in jail.
groot says
That is a lot of valuable experience to lose. I hope we get some qualified local candidates who are motivated to serve the community. I heard a rumor about a local realtor running for council. The person mentioned is probably not a good choice, but who am I to say? The voters will decide! Just please research these people and ask questions this time around. We have an opportunity to improve Palm Coast.
Wshful Thinking says
So Jason DeLorenzo has a ‘difference vision’ for Flagler County but he has no idea yet what his platform s… Is he for real? He can represent the ‘younger generation’ – what does that mean? County issues already cover the youth and tons of the tourist tax is spent on sports that old folks are not involved in.. And if he is working so close with Andy Dance he should that probably a huge chunk of the school board funding comes from those who don’t have any children at home attending public schools.
Besides, he’ll have to recuse himself every time the chamber asks for something – which is more often than not…
Real nervy in my opinion.. Ericksen is a gentleman, not a game player and certainly doesn’t purport to be a part of any good ole boy network. He’s got my vote.. De Lorenzo stay where you are – we have enough to deal with at the county level without a newcomer with what appears to be not much more than personal ambition.
Gladfly says
Nett’s has finally been neutered. No more gravy train. Good riddance and take Gold brick Landon with you. Hopefully Weeks ends up in prison and can do no more damage to Mayberry or Flagler County. While they’re going out the door they can take Manfre,the credit card abuser and county car abuser with them. We don’t need this ilk in Flagler County which was a nice place before Palm Coast came to town.
Algernon says
Ms. Weeks doesn’t live in the city. Check your map.
Root says
Melissa Holland for mayor would just be more of the same old. Holland and Netts are connected at the hip. Holland is endorsed by Netts because he is her puppet master.
Delorenzo or Ericksen on the county the commission would be more of the same old…vote for anyone other than these two. Delorenzo states he has a vision, and ends the story without having one…hahaha.
New people means Reishman could lose his $500,000+ annual paycheck and Landon his quarter of a million dollar benefit package. This wohill perhaps lower our taxes, make PC a more pleasant place to live and work and is a win win for all of us.
Now is our chance to get change for our city, get ready to Vote August 30th. Oh, happy day!’!’!
confidential says
I am for Holland by now. She is for preserving our golf course and our parks probably also as she grew up here. She sure knows that Palm Coast was built on around and needs its amenities:, boating, tennis, fishing, walks, jogging, cycling, golf, swimming, skateboarding, forgive me if I forget something. All those things are healthy activities and is about all Palm Coast has to offer and ideal for families, their kids and their elderly walking their pouches. No need to be wealthy to enjoy it. We just need the services for the taxes we pay and we pay plenty.
Palm Coast is beautiful and we want to preserve it! I believe Holland will support it.
Tax Payer says
Algernon-If Ms. Weeks doesn’t live in the city she could rent or buy in the city just like DeLerenzo is relocating to run for the county commission. According to county records she does own property here in Palm Coast.
Robjr says
@ Root
Amen. You are singing to the choir. Too bad McQuire is not running again at least he does not believe in throwing good taxpayer money after bad on that golf course.
Didn’t Reishman get a boost in his contract because Landon said he gives good service. BTW that is what he is supposed to do, give good service. And we all know the town manager is very much overpaid.
tulip says
If Ms Holland is elected, I hope it doesn’t become a Holland/Landon pact like it became with Netts and Landon. I also hope she doesn’t get into a time warp and try to do things like they were done in the 90’s.
This is 2016 and many things have changed over the years or should be changed.
I do think that she has absolutely the most knowledge and governmental experience over her opponents and she could adjust relatively easy to the job
I’m glad Ericksen has some competition. A commissioner should be knowledgable, and be verbally active in opinions and discussions and vote the way he or she feels is best , not by what would increase his or her popularity.
I’m also glad Hanns has some competition, as new ideas and opinions needs to be introduced and cronyism needs to go..
Lin says
Doesn’t look like new blood to me, just a reshuffling of the same deck with alot of the same players, Holland, Delorenzo etc.
Hope some really new faces pop up!!!
Delorenzo’s comment about having a young family and representing those people ” BEST” is really putting it out there that he doesn’t care about the not-so-young voters. And Ericksen’s comment about his rubber-stamping builder requests — aren’t the voters tired of this stuff? I am.
I just hope the largest block of voters which is the senior citizens in Flsgler get out to vote for those that will really represent their interests.
Lin says
What makes these younger politicians think that the older folks don’t want a healthy economy in their county?
What makes Delorenzo think we don’t want jobs and opportunity for our children and grandchildren so that they don’t leave the area?
What makes him think that an older candidate wouldn’t make sane, logical, fiscally responsible decisions?
Why divide the constituency by age?
What makes him think that the older folks have not been employees, business owners, business creators?
Vote for someone who has lived less long? Age is irrelevant except when used to exclude — namely seniors.
We need candidates who are NOT lobbyists, not builders, not realtors .
Linda H. says
I just read this morning that Councilman McGuire’s wife Sandy just passed away. I am so sorry to hear this. I will miss her, and Bill, too. Thank you for your service, Bill. Our prayers go with you.
Anonymous says
We need people who are for the city as a whole not themselves or their buddies in the building and other sectors here in PC.
Commom sense says
Get ready folks, the crazies from the RRR are going to be running for office in full force. I wonder what office our own Donald Trump, aka, Dennis McDonald will be running for?
Layla says
Common sense: Why don’t you run? Those crazies you constantly refer to seem to be the only ones interested in doing anything here. Much easier to criticize and complain than step up to the plate, isn’t it?
Let’s see you and others put yourselves out there and do something positive for the community, for once.
Dee K Griggs says
This would be a wonderful time to print the storey of the “First Appointed County Commisioner of Flagler County ” as he was appointed The position by the Governor of Fl..A very honorable respected man of the community.( My oldest son Troy Kieffer great great grandfather.)