Palm Coast government has never seen numbers like this in the 10 to 20 years an independent company has surveyed residents’ evaluation of the City Council.
Only 41 percent of respondents see the city’s overall direction in positive terms, the lowest proportion in 20 years, and an 11-point decline from 2019, when the survey was last conducted.
Only 37 percent of respondents have confidence in Palm Coast government, down nine points from two years ago. It is the lowest confidence level since the survey started including that category in 2013. Same story with government–meaning the Palm Coast City Council–“acting in the best interest of the community”: the proportion of residents who see government positively in that regard has plummeted to 39 percent, down 11 points in two years and the lowest rating yet recorded.
Honesty, too, has taken a hit: only 39 percent of residents put the city’s honesty in positive terms, down from 50 percent two years ago, though the response has been in the 30s twice before in the history of the survey. Only 40 percent of residents feel the city welcomes involvement, the second-lowest rating in 20 years of surveying, and a dismal 35 percent think the city is open and transparent to the public (a category just added to the survey this year).
There is a sharp dichotomy between Palm Coast government, whose most visible face is the Palm Coast City Council through its meetings and members’ public appearances, and government services, carried out largely by faceless employees and administrators. In those regards, the city is still getting mostly strong and in some respects excellent marks, including “overall customer service by Palm Coast employees,” whose positive rating matches a 20-year high, at 79 percent.
The numbers suggest that some of the council members could take lessons from their lowest-paid employees (customer service employees are at or near the bottom of the city’s salary scale.) Residents rate the city’s overall quality of services 64 percent positive, down 11 points from last year, but still well above their satisfaction level about the federal government (43 percent).
Since 2001 Palm Coast government has contracted with the non-profit, non-partisan National Research Center to conduct what used to be annual community surveys, and what became biannual surveys after 2013 (the city conducts its own surveys in alternate years). The research center conducts similar surveys for 600 local governments across the country. Its Palm Coast surveys are conducted through a scientific methodology, though the sample is not particularly high: the 2022 survey totaled 497 respondents, a 19 percent response rate after the organization queries residents to participate. The margin of error is plus or minus 4 percent. But the survey offers unique advantages: there is no other that has measured residents’ perceptions of the city for so long, and there is no other that provides what it calls “benchmarks,” enabling palm Coast to measure its residents’ response rates to the average of those 600 other governments.
Most of those negative reactions to Palm Coast government cited earlier are in fact lower than the national average, which suggests that Covid was not a factor, in addition to being significantly lower than what the council is used to.
The city continues to garner very positive responses as a place to live, with 83 percent of respondents in the positive range, and even higher, 87 percent, when residents rate their own neighborhood. The city has never drawn good marks as a place to work, though surprisingly, the 35 percent rating is its best since 2005, up from 28 percent last year. Seventy-seven percent respond positively to Palm Coast’s overall quality of life, with 82 percent happy with the city’s parks and recreation opportunities.
Connections with community and “sense of place” have always been a struggle in Palm Coats, and continue to be through residents’ eyes, with half or a little over half happy with what they see. The city gets even lower marks, as it always has, regarding business activity, opportunities, “vibrancy” and the like. Even shopping opportunities get only a 44 percent positive rating.
Some council members will likely take note: year after year, residents have given lower and lower marks to the city’s overall quality of development, to the variety of housing options, and to the availability of affordable housing. This year brought the lowest-ever marks in two of those categories (variety of options and affordable housing), including a dismal 34 percent approval on affordable housing, and one of the lowest ratings in overall quality of development. The availability of affordable child care doesn;t get brighter marks, either.
But as has been the case year after year, the city garners some of its best marks regarding safety, policing and the fire services. Overall, 94 percent of respondents feel safe in their neighborhood “during the day” (there is no equivalent question for nighttime), though only 81 percent feel safe from property crimes, which corelates with one of the city’s most common crimes: breaking and entering into cars or garages or homes left unlocked. Policing services, which are provided by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, get an 84 percent positive response, fire services get 92 percent. Few specific services garner marks as high.
The survey does not ask why residents feel as they do about their government, only how. But the survey was conducted in December and early January, with residents’ memories of a year of turmoil at the council–with the resignation of former Mayor Milissa Holland, that of former City Manager Matt Morton, and before and since many an embarrassing display by City Council members still fresh in mind. Council member Ed Danko was on video lying both to the council and to constituents about the former mayor, and denigrating the former mayor’s daughter’s illness. He was in repeated, live altercations, from the dais, with fellow-Council members Eddie Branquinho and Nick Klufas (endlessly ridiculing the latter’s youth and sharp intelligence), and has been in a feud with fellow-Council member Victor Barbosa, if mostly off the dais, his political statements often mingling with statements from the dais. He was internally investigated at the city following allegations of boorish behavior toward staffers, but found not to have broken any laws. But for an outburst of false allegations against the Green Lion restaurant in February, when he implied the restaurant at Palm Harbor Golf Club was profiting from “sweetheart” deals with the city, and worse, he’s been calmer for a few months.
Before his resignation last week, Barbosa had drawn his own share of controversies and was still ostensibly under state and federal investigation for alleged crimes committed in Costa Rica. He had become more focused and serious-minded in his last months, and was readying a run for re-election when an incident at Walmart two weeks ago derailed his self-reinvention. There appears to be little question, however, that 2021 was an unusually grim year in the annals of Palm Coast government decorum.
The council is expected to get a briefing on the survey at its meeting on Tuesday. The full results and the expected presentation are below.
The Full Survey Documentation:
Click to access palm-coast-survey-2021-22.pdf
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Michael Cocchiola says
We know just who dragged down the public’s perception of the city council — Ed Danko and Victor Barbosa. One down and one to go.
Support Sims Jones in the coming election to fill Barbosa’s seat on the council. Bring comity and consensus back to the council.
David Schaefer says
Amen…..
Deborah Coffey says
Yes!
Timothy says
Correct
Dennis C Rathsam says
Any candidate indorsed by you will never get my vote!
The dude says
“Endorsed”
MITCH says
What has made the City Council disconnected from the public is their refusal to answer citizen’s complaints at the Council Meetings. Citizens go away discouraged. Another issue is when a complaint is answered it does not answer what was presented to the Council; very disconnected. The city moves forward to spend taxpayer’s money on a solution that is guaranteed not to solve the problem. Deception that it would fix the issue. Florida Park Drive has complained over 10 years how 8,400 cars/per day is harming resident’s health – the city has not / will not discuss the health issue. The city moves forward with a traffic calming method that’s major design is to reduce speeding not volume of traffic (reduction in speed & volume is needed). Of all the traffic calming methods it was rated least in volume reduction. Well, there is an example of the City Council ignoring the real complaint, moving forward to speed $$$ and leaving residents to suffer. The scientific studies of traffic fumes/dust/noise Harm to Residents from Traffic Close Proximity to Homes and The Harm to residents from Prolonged Exposure to traffic fumes/dust/noise. SEE: http://flpkdr.com/
Mark1 says
Florida Park Drive is a non issue that home owners like to complain about because they made a horrible investment on a busy road. Tests have been done proving sound and air quality are normal.
Mary Kay Hayward says
Mark1, apparently you did not attend the meeting where the sound study was read and explained. Nor did you bother to look it up. I won’t get into the redacted air quality study at this time. Sound IS recognized as an issue and mitigation was approved. If you really want to see what it is like, please let me know. I would be glad to have you stand in my front yard with me and observe. Until then, your opinion is moot and unsubstantiated.
Mischa Gee says
When they bought those properties and the road and pocket development s off Florida Park Drive were undeveloped that street was adequate.
Not building in additional through roads for all that housing, before those houses became a reality shows how poorly the infrastructure planning has been here since inception.
Why isn’t this town using eminent domain to reclaim undeveloped land,before they have to condemn homes to build more roads to carry traffic too and from developments.
Pritchard Drive has experienced the same problem, a narrow two lane road, without sidewalks, which is now the only road in and out of the development loops off of it, making it crowded, overused and unsafe for pedestrians and drivers. Trying to make a left turn out onto Belle Terre Parkway is a nightmare.
Celia M Pugliese says
Mark 1 FPD is a non issue to you because you do notb reside on it. The speeders without mufflers, the noise, the danger and contamination is a reality. They studies results are as skewed as your words. I had to move out of the proximity of FPD 22 years ago as was getting bad, now is unbearable and the lack of enforcement by traffic units is obvious does not help. Is supposed to be now a No Truck Road and its enforcement is awol.
When we bought there in the early nineties was fine with normal traffic for a residential road, but after Netts became a mayor they decided to direct the traffic from the new Matanzas Parkway, out of the school intersection and redirected it to FPD among other errors. The widening of OKR north never materialized yet but they are planning to spend millions in an East West expansion beyond Rte 1 into vacant lands owned by developers and we should be wondering who is greasing the wheels maybe the resucitated Chamber of Commerce vehemently opposing a suggested new housing moratorium by councilman Branquinho?. Meanwhile FPD residents still enduring the nuisance as much as the ones in Cimarron endure now. So if you are not one of the FPD affected residents have the kidness and do not undermine their pleas for solutions. Someone I know did the same as you, few years ago and now she endures the ditto nuisance in Cimarron.
Hmmm says
Are we still talking about florida park dr? Its a main road and always has been, since pc was first developed. Nobody forced you to move there.
Concerned Citizen says
I worked in a hostile work environment once. It wasn’t very much fun.
Finally my boss and I were able to hire and we walked in one morning and let everyone go. This was after numerous counseling sessions and at least 3 write ups. Moving forward we set a strict policy against that type of behavior. And what a difference it made in the work place.
In the private sector there are ramifications for the behavior our council members city/county exhibit. Sadly there are none once they are elected. Sure folks get on Flagler Live and Facebook. And vent and often get angry with their neighbors. It seems we can barely have civil discourse when it comes to politics/religion these days. But do you take it further? Do you light up those emails and phones? I know this county sure doesn’t show it at the polls.
Every election year this county demands change. But every year people continue to vote the same people back into office. Expecting different I mght add. But why? Is change that scary? These folks are allowed to stay in office for decades and get away with the same shenannigans over and over again. And I go back to Why?
If you expect change you accomplish it by making your votes count at the polls. We have one of the greates privliges in the world. And we don’t exercise it properly. Research your candidates. Do your own background checks. They are easy enough done. If you have concerns we have platforms like Flagler Live that doesn’t mind getting things out in the open for all to see.
But for gosh skaes please stop re hashing the same o same o. Then ringing your hands for 2 to 4 years because they went right back to their old habits. At the end of the day it’s no one’s fault but the voters who keep putting them there.
tulip says
Think the reason same ol same ol is always re-elected is because most people don’t pay attention, or care about t the candidates and what’s going on with the ones in office. On election day they either ask a friend who to vote for or they just fill in the oval next to incumbent’s name. Until people at least have a half baked idea of what’s going on it will always be this way.JMO
David S. says
2022 has turned out to be as bad or worse than last year. But the only bright spot is that Barbosa is flushed down the toilet and Ed Stanko the Trump lover is next……..
RitaMae says
Come election time, don’t forget Stanko’s buddy Alan Lowe, (another Trump lover) who is running for City Council District 2. He is Ed Stanko’s puppet. This is his 3rd attempt to widdle his way in. If he gets elected the city will be in worse shape then now. Lowe’s platform is canal dredging, which will cost $$$$$$. He claims that he has a way to do this and not affect the residents’s taxes…RIGHT.
Do not trust anything he says.
Justbob says
And let’s not forget Alan Lowe as a disturbing history as a sovereign citizen, a movement described by the FBI as domestic terrorism. It can’t get more embarrassing for Palm Coast than that.
The dude says
Ahhhh Mr. Lowe…
A proud anti-vaxxer who once declared himself a Sovereign Citizen to get out of paying taxes, and hasn’t actually participated in democracy by casting votes in any elections up until very recently.
If that wasn’t enough, consider that he’d just be the Gillian to Ed Stanko’s Captain were he to be elected.
Is this really the best Palm Coast has to offer?
Shark says
All of them are t-rump lackeys !!!!
jnlocal says
Thank you FlaglerLive for the incisive news article about the results and analysis of the recent Citizen’s Survey.
As I expressed in a Palm Coast Observer article reporting on the survey, I was frustrated that there was nowhere in the survey to express opinions about the direction that Palm Coast City Council is taking this city. I do not agree with the apparently mindless expansion and building that’s happening, and see that uncontrolled growth resulting in poor infrastructure management, with inadequate traffic control, increased crime and loss of preserved land.
Mischa Gee says
I agree. There is and has been a mindless expansion and building happening in Palm Coast. Building apartments with only one entrance into and out of their parking lots, inadequate planning for parking spaces at said apartments, too close to streets with no room to widen them to handle increases in traffic lacks foresight and vision.
We don’t needore apartments being built before we figure out how and where to put more through roads to handle that traffic.
The accident on Belle Terre Parkway last week, in which a woman lost her life, created a traffic jam that lasted hours and mad it impossible for people to find an alternate route that wasn’t extensive miles out of their way. With the cost of gas going up again, and no reasonable ways to see alternate routes, and developments with streets to narrow for the use of mass transportation, this will become the thing that drives people away.
Passing new zoning that allows for smaller building lots, cramming more people into less space, not putting in community parking spaces and pocket parks will also cause people to be frustrated and unhappy that they have to travel miles to get to a park and then have to navigate finding a parking space.
Too many apartments with little green space will translate into trouble as those who live there wander the streets looking for something to do.
Our council has not learned anything from watching what happens in cities that don’t think about overcrowding, low wage jobs and inadequate roads to handle increases in traffic.
Crime increases, loss of green space, traffic jams creating excessive wear on roadways will turn a once beautiful space into just another nightmare resulting in the loss of property values, citizens who care and business.
We need to remove all the mbers currently sitting on the town council and elect people who care about the towns future and not giving themselves raises after ruining their city.
Jay Tomm says
Lack of trust in government…SHOCKING!
If PC put residents ahead of $$ maybe that would help. PC is becoming little Orlando.
Listen to your base, stop building! Get a decent garbage company, lower taxes.
Robert says
Sounds like what us taxpayers have been saying for sometime, its time to clean house. Danko and Barbosa were the worst of the worst. They can join little man Mullin.
C. J. says
Where has our confidence gone? Well, after 22+ years of watching Palm Coast and Flagler County cast off any principles of honesty, growth only driven by realtor/council profiteering, disparaging of citizen suggestions, destruction of green space, failure to maintain fundamental infrastructure (until it fails), and partisanship based on the lowest behavioral measure, you actually wonder why citizen respect and confidence is down? Keep voting for the BIGGEST signs folks…get more of the above.
Stretchem says
Perfect time for a 400% pay raise.
Timothy says
The building is going to continue in Palm Coast since you just elected a Mayor that is a realtor. The traffic is going to get worse then it already is. Crime is going to go up and store fronts will remain empty. This is what you get when you elect officials that don’t give two craps about the taxpayers or the citizens living in Palm Coast.
What started out to be a very nice place to live is going down the drain because of the people that con people for votes.
Bob Meyer says
Saturday, when coming off the bridge into Flagler Beach, there were several people holding up a couple very large signs on the beach side of A1A across from the light at 100. One said ‘FUCK BIDEN’ and the other said ‘BIDEN IS NOT MY PRESIDENT’. No one could miss them, whether coming in on 100 or coming north or south on A1A. Is this the first impression you want people to have when coming to our lovely town to visit. I can’t believe this was allowed to happen. Where were the police? Is this how we want our town presented? Truly Disgusted!
Pissed in PC says
Unfortunately they supposedly have first amendment rights. The city council of Flagler Beach has tried to figure out how to make them leave. The only option is they pass an ordinance of no obscene signs, flags, etc but then that’s subject to lawsuit. They make the city look like a bunch of low class idiots.
Palmcoaster says
Speaking of the low ratings for our counsel. I just read that they are going to be voting on a measure to give themselves each a 35 thousand dollar a year raise. For doing what? It can’t be a merit raise? You have got to be joking…….
FlaPharmTech says
Hubby and I moved to Palm Coast 5.5 years ago from Palm Beach County. The “town” of Palm Coast and its leaders need to grow up. What I’ve read about the council meetings is the stuff of good ol’ boys club pissing matches. Palm Coast is growing, and certainly experiencing understandable growing pains, but leadership has got to grow up and unite. Thank goodness for this survey and the light it has shed. Let’s hope it leads to betterment for all. I really do want to build my little dream home on my lot in Hammock, but depending on how the next year goes, we’ll either sell and find someplace else, or we’ll build and hopefully afford the taxes. That’s a big if for these two essential workers. My last annual raise was a whole dollar per hour. Employment in PC is restaurant, retail, hospitality, medical; that’s about it. Dang…should have gone to college for Nursing instead of Communications. My BA gets me a job at McDonalds in this town.
Pissed in PC says
I’ve lived here 13 years and the growth is ridiculous. Too many mega homes on tiny lots, the roads don’t keep up with growth, the swales never get a real fix (I’ve been complaining since 2017 as it’s causing my property to wash away and can’t get a straight answer when it will ever be fixed, side note I’m on a fixed income and disabled, they told me to buy my own dirt and hire a bobcat when it’s their fault). The inability to find the place you’re looking for cause of hidden signs or impatience drivers getting mad when you slow down to look, lack of resources for the disabled to get any help same for people on fixed incomes. The absolute ignorance of the council and mayor to plan ahead. Melissa Holland did a great job doing that. The lack of well paying jobs to support people instead of driving 25+ miles for one just to survive (yeah I wasn’t always disabled when I moved here). If people that actually worked here that live here then it might have a better community connection. Let’s talk about minimum home sizes, not all seniors or disabled want these huge houses to take care of and people just starting out can’t afford them. I’ve got a few good neighbors and some not so great but I’ve never felt more disconnected from a community like I have this one. Nothing to do but head to the beach but the Varn park doesn’t have a decent access for the disabled to get on the beach or head to the pier area and deal with trying to find a handicap spot and the obnoxious flag wavers on the weekend. Yeah there’s a lot wrong with this city. It was much better when ITT had it and my mom (rest in peace) actually loved being here.
joseph hempfling says
had occasion to present before the Council regarding the inherent dangers of EMF radiation, especially during the Covid crisis and did even provide a thumb drive at my expense, which included 40 experts explaining the deleterious health effects and a folder of supportive documentation of same; and basically was told by the then City Manager; that it was just too much to read and that they had heard it all before. hope that new members have better listening skills and do show an interest to presenters, like myself and
not to their i-phones instead.