Ray Stevens, In Critical Condition, Resigns His Palm Coast City Council Seat Two Months After Swearing-In

Elected to the Palm Coast City Council last November after surviving a historically close primary race, Ray Stevens tendered his resignation today, citing ill health. He had missed three successive meetings and attended last Tuesday’s meeting remotely, saying he’d be back in person next week, only to have a grave relapse.

Dana Stancil, the Palm Coast resident and City Council candidate who became Stevens’s close friend in the midst of their primary race against each other, said today that Stevens was in critical condition. They had remained close, and spoke often, including about city issues.




“It is with great regret that I find it necessary to resign my position as City Council member of Palm Coast City Council District 3 effective today February 28th, 2025,” Stevens wrote in a letter the city administration received around 3 this afternoon. It was addressed to Lauren Johnston, the interim city manager. “This decision has been difficult, as it has been an honor to serve our community and to the important work we have undertaken together, however I have made the decision to resign due to my health.”

Stevens, a retired cop from Ossining, N.Y., first came to public attention as a candidate for sheriff in 2012, subsequently endorsing Jim Manfre when Stevens lost the race to then-incumbent Don Fleming. He re-emerged as a council candidate last year.

For the council, which has been roiled by successive resignations almost every year for the past several years–the last was in August, when Cathy Heighter resigned barely a few months into her four-year term–Stevens’s resignation is yet another unexpected twist on a council trying to find its footing and a new city manager. Of all the council members, only one, Theresa Pontieri, has experience: she’s been on the council for a little over two years, though in recent weeks the council appeared to be finding a workable balance, and its deliberations proceeded civilly and often effectively.




The resignation kicks off what has become a well-worn path: the council will announce an opening on the pane and solicit applications from District 3 residents interested in serving. The application window will remain open for a few weeks. The council’s four members will then interview the applicants in an open meeting and select one to serve until the next general election in 2026, or almost two years. The scenario will be identical to that which led to the appointment of Council member Charles Gambaro, who replaced Heighter. That means two-fifth of the council’s membership will not have been popularly elected.

In last summer’s primary, Stevens beat Stancel by wo votes–6,191 to 6,189. The two became close friends during the two-day recount, and pledged to each other that whoever would emerge the winner would get the other’s endorsement and support. With Stance’s support, Stevens defeated Andrew Werner in the general election, though Werner, who had polled ahead of both Stevens and Stancel in the primary, had been favored.

“Ray is a hell of a human being, he only wanted the best for Palm Coast,” Stancel said today. “He’s been here a long time, he knew things that were helpful in making decisions on how to help fix Palm Coast. He never got a chance. That’s why I supported him and helped him get elected.” He added: “We were friendly with each other, we didn’t have any animosities with each other. At our first Tiger Bay get together, his table was right next to mine, we chit-chatted, we liked each other.”

Stancel said today he intends to apply for the appointment. Werner could not be reached before this article initially published.

The council will discuss the appointment and the process at its meeting next Tuesday. It has 90 days to make the appointment, according to the city charter.