Bob Cuff served on the Palm Coast City Council for four years until 2020, when he opted not to run again. His tenure was marked by a distinct lack of partisanship, detailed attention to the city’s governance and a knack for consensus through a combination of seriousness and wit. He brought decades of experience with the city going back to its earliest days as an ITT development, when Cuff was ITT’s general counsel. He remains a practicing lawyer in Palm Coast and an observer, if dismayed at times, of city issues and politics. We asked him for his impressions and analysis of the special election for Palm Coast mayor on July 27.
By Robert Cuff
The government we elect is the government we deserve. There are probably 100 variations of this statement, including credit to Thomas Jefferson, Harry Truman and H.L. Menken. Regardless of its origin, the sentiment could not be more apt when you look at the upcoming election for mayor of Palm Coast. The situation facing the voters this month could not be clearer or more concerning.
The upcoming election pits six candidates against each other in a winner-takes-all format, meaning the person who receives one more vote than the other five candidates will be Mayor for the next 3-plus years. This comes at a time when the council is obviously divided and faced with hiring a new city manager. Considering the importance of that one priority alone, the person elected mayor will be vital to determining how, or if, the city moves forward. Of the six candidates, the field ranges from clearly competent through well-meaning to the truly dangerous.
Despite this urgency, voters still recovering from the bitterly contested elections of November 2020 and distracted by the desire to return to some level of normalcy as the pandemic wanes, might be forgiven if they would rather ignore this odd summer election and be tempted to assume that, regardless of who is elected, the city will continue as it has for its first 20-some years of existence. Unfortunately, I do not believe that is the case. The real contest in this election is whether voters will choose competent, open minded and professional leadership–or divisiveness, partisan politics and governance by individuals who appear to know (or care) little about the form of government used by the city.
We have already seen enough rhetoric, bombast and outright lies to warn us how important this election will be. These behaviors may serve to energize state or national political bases, but they should have no place in local government. We have already seen the disruption this behavior has caused on other elected boards in Flagler County. It would be a huge mistake for the voters of Palm Coast to allow it, by inaction or apathy, to take over our City Council.
A competent mayor, willing to do the hard work needed to understand the workings of city government, willing to learn from different points of view and supported by a like-minded majority of the council, gives hope for the future. A mayor only interested in going along with the divisive elements already in place and ignoring any input other than his preconceived ideas and ego gives only the prospect of the city becoming a running punchline for “Florida Man” articles in social media, as the progress made by past city councils, mayors and city managers is lost or stagnates.
Just as a bad car wreck on the interstate brings traffic to a halt by commanding the attention of passing drivers, inflammatory accusations, unwillingness to consider different views and a willingness to personally attack opponents may get candidates indulging in this behavior the attention they desire. But it also brings the traffic of good government to a halt.
Smoothly flowing traffic is hardly noticed by travelers, just as 90 percent of the activities of the City of Palm Coast occur unnoticed by the vast majority of its citizens. Issues like road maintenance and safety, stormwater upgrades and maintenance, and a properly funded and operated water and sewer utility system don’t attract much day-to-day attention from residents. But these operations, the budget that supports them and the city manager and staff tasked to carry them out are critically important to the day-to-day functioning of the city and the comfort and safety of its residents. A City Council controlled by a majority more interested in impressing their political base and attempting to score points to be used when running for other offices will make it impossible to attract the professional city manager and retain the skilled staff needed to ensure these services continue to be provided in a timely manner.
In addition to the vital importance of these often overlooked day-to-day operations, the city now is at the start of major improvements to the Town Center by continuing the MedNex program and attracting additional partners to this high-tech, educational enterprise that can provide much-needed economic development and serve as a base for further efforts to attract high quality enterprises that support good paying jobs for residents and the graduates from our public schools and these programs. A competent, united City Council with an eye to the future is vital to the city’s credibility and ability to work with the many state and local partners who are needed to make this and future projects successful.
A more cynical version of the line that opens this piece, one that I have heard many times recently, is that citizens who do not vote get the government they deserve. While it is always comforting to quote historic heavyweights, I believe this second version is even more applicable to the upcoming election. The attention attracted by candidates less concerned with the truth and more concerned with winning the approval of a minority of voters who approve of these divisive tactics could well succeed in the format of this special election. Remember that it only takes one more vote than the next highest vote getter to become mayor.
It is vital for all voters concerned for the future of the City to vote for the next mayor. Without a large turnout by voters who truly appreciate smoothly functioning government and who are concerned about the future of their city, there is an excellent chance that we will be saddled with partisanship, division, and dysfunction for the next three years. If the voters take the words attributed to Jefferson seriously and imagine the kind of city Palm Coast could become, there is an equally good chance that the city will continue to advance, be able to attract a professional and competent city manager, retain the professional staff necessary for continuation of the quality of life we are entitled to expect for our tax dollars, and move forward with improvement like the MedNex project.
In the face of the attacks on democracy that we have all seen in the last year, apathy is not an option.
Robert Cuff served on the Palm Coast City Council from 2016 to 2020. He has lived in Palm Coast for 38 years.
The 2021 Special Election for Palm Coast Mayor
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Roy Longo says
As always, an eloquent voice of reason.
MM says
“…voters still recovering from the bitterly contested elections of November 2020 and distracted by the desire to return to some level of normalcy…”
Not this voter. I didn’t see the November 2020 elections as bitterly contested at all. Only a handful of alt-right fascists and their sheep followers want everyone to think it was “bitterly contested”. And this “return to normalcy” isn’t due to a global virus. Compounded by a pandemic, yes, but the off the rails GOP crazy began in 2015 when confronted with the hellish thought of an intelligent successful woman running the country. You might argue that it may have begun in 2008 when old white America lost their s**t when an ivy league black man was elected president!
No. Speak for yourself. Cuff ran for the woods just like all of the other “reasonable” yet gutless modern Republicans do when the going gets tough. You want sensibility? You want intellect? You want decency? You want fairness and equality? You want accountability? You want a “return to normal”? You vote Democrat until the GOP can figure out how to grow a pair and rid our great country from the MAGA scourge.
D W Ferguson says
Well stated. I agree with Mr. Cuff wholeheartedly.
Pissed in PC says
Well stated Mr. Cuff. My mom loved this city when it was ITT and their involvement. Now I’m here in her place after caring for her the last 3 years of her life and the government in the past 6 months has been one total embarrassment and a shit stain on its reputation. At least Mayor Holland took my flooding and swale/easement concerns seriously since their lack of caring for the older neighborhoods has caused my yard to disappear and become a giant pond at every rain. Not once in the past several years has my councilman ever reached out, ever resolved the matter and being on a fixed income I’m unable to afford building my yard up for it to continually be washed away.
If you want true leadership, someone that cares about all citizens (sorry but running off your name and refusing to wear Pride colors shows lack of caring also) then Doug Courtney is the best qualified candidate to get the job done.
Jane E K says
Avoid Mr Lowe at your own peril!!
Lee says
Mr. Cuff stepped to the plate, but never said who to vote for or who not to vote for. Mr. Lowe is the obvious choice he is saying not to vote for, but is there more? I believe so. We keep voting Republican and expect things to change. I say vote Democrat and at least even the scales a little bit. A vote for Doug Courtney or Cornelia Manfre is a vote for sanity.
FredZ says
It’s time to be scrupulous, this ballot has entities that have no business being there at all. Be diligent, this town needs solid, real, leadership. Vote with care fellow citizens.
Irwin M. Fletcher says
Mr. Cuff, you are truly the elder statesman sharing wisdom that will help lead our fair city for years to come. Our voting community needs to heed your warnings and send these political hacks packing. My fellow citizens, this is no time to play partisan politics, it’s time to vote with your conscience.
Heidi says
Though I think Mr Cuff is a very smart man, it does not take a crystal ball or a rocket scientist to figure that out.
It is no longer about political parties . It’s about being a positive, sensible representative that can work well with others.
ZEKE says
I’m going for more chaos hoping it will balance the scales!
Algernon says
“Lee” cautioned above to vote Democratic to even the scales a little bit. I agree with that, but I’d like to take it a step farther. If Mr. Doug Courtney could look at the Democratic race with a critical eye, with his history of always running but hardly ever winning, perhaps this year he could, in a phrase, “take one for the team” and withdraw his name. Ms. Cornelia Downing Manfre is an excellent candidate, in my opinion, and if the Democratic voters did not have to split their votes between her and another candidate, Cornelia (as she is campaigning) would have a chance to win the contest for Mayor. Remember, it’s winner take all. If the Republicans split their votes between Mr. Lowe and Mr. Alfin, and the Democrats, Independents, NPA’s, and some enlightened Republicans vote for Cornelia, she could be victorious.
I mean no disrespect to Mr. Courtney by raising this question, but the dynamics of this election call for innovative action on the part of the Democrats, if they have any hope of winning. It may be too late to remove Mr. Courtney’s name from the ballot, but there must be some way to get the word out, if Mr. Courtney would act soon. And in the same spirit as above, perhaps Mr. Courtney would publically endorse Ms. Cornelia Downing Manfre in a way to get the attention of the voters identified above. I think that such an action would reflect well on Mr. Courtney and gain him the appreciation of many people for a future race. I, for one, plan to vote for Cornelia for Mayor.
Issed in PC says
I don’t recall him running before now and there’s a majority that don’t like Manfre. No way in hell would I vote for her! She was begged to run by FCD and she refused to wear any Pride colors at the event. Just stop with saying he needs to drop out and I really hope if you feel that way then move the hell out!
PCvoter says
“Issed” where have you been? It appears that you have NOT been voting for the last two decades or so. Courtney has run multiple times for multiple offices and has always been a loser. With good reason I might add. Maybe you, “Issed”, should either “move the hell out” or at least pay attention to who is running for office and why a candidate keeps losing.
Pissed In PC says
Maybe I had been too busy caring for a sick parent and working at the same time! Maybe I haven’t lived here 2 decades either but in the short time I’ve been here I have googled and done my research in the past few elections! I don’t vote for people just because of their spouses name! This county/city has been a total embarrassing shit show since from what my mom said was losing the people from the ITT era with the exception of Mayor Holland that did at least try to fix the problems but these red asshats made that impossible since they feel the need to threaten when they don’t get their way like the deplorables they really are.
Percy's mother says
Doug Courtney is by far much better qualified than Cornelia Manfre.
First, he’s highly educated with a doctorate, and that in itself puts him in elite status. He also has an MBA and a bachelors degree. Not everyone has what it takes to accomplish that mentally, intellectually, and emotionally.
Second, he’s been here a long time.
Third, he doesn’t have any negative connotation that comes with his last name. Manfre connotes the negative.
If anyone were to need to drop out, it would be Cornelia Manfre. She has also run for office several times and lost.
Pissed in PC says
Thanks again for the voice of reason!
Pcvoter says
You have had a big cup of Courtney kool-aid. He has had many more than a few lost elections ,even when there was an even split between Flagler Democrats and Republicans. Whatever educational achievements Courtney claims, he has a severe deficit in handling finances. Having numerous Judgments and tax liens do not make for a good candidate. Also, not that it’s important, Courtney and Manfre arrived here about the same time.
PCvoter says
To Percy’s and Issed:
1. Whatever educational achievements Courtney claims, he is in badly in need of some financial education. He has numerous liens and tax judgements.
2. Manfre and Courtney arrived here about the same time.
3. Courtney has run for a multitude of political offices and lost, even when there were about the same number of registered Democrats and Republicans in Flagler County.
4. For those of us who have lived in Flagler County for a while, when it comes to names with bad connotations, Courtney owns his bad connotations. No one is going after the spouses of male candidates. It’s really strange that you would do so for a female candidate, or maybe sexist, not strange. Anyway, I have been here through four sheriffs and all evoked strong feelings one way or another.
The dude says
Danko all but publicly announced that Lowe is his personal lapdog, and tool, last week when he listed off all the folks in Palm Coast city government he plans to fire if Lowe is elected.
A vote for Lowe is the same as declaring yourself in favor of handing the mayorship directly over to Danko.
Randy says
Lowe is not for the City of PC but for himself and all the Trumpsters who support him and little boy Mullin. Both are nothing but trouble makers and are not out to benefit the City of PC or the County.
Mike Cocchiola says
Absolutely well said. Choose carefully between chaos and progress.
William Moya says
My money is on “dangerous dysfunction”.
Mark says
It seems most voters in Palm Coast are for this new Republican Anarchy. People want to see our traditional values be trampled and allow hate to ring threw the streets of our once safe and inclusive city.
bob says
I’m voting for Doug Courtney
RM_new_to_Palm_Coast says
Are there any polls available showing who might be the leading two candidates? Or, barring that, can I hear your opinions on who are the likely top candidates (in terms of who will get the most votes)? Reason for asking: There is one candidate who sounds to me like a disaster. If he is one of the top two, I want to vote for the other person, just as a defensive vote (even if there may be someone else I’d rather see elected). Thanks for your thoughts.
Early Warning says
If my trip to the Library yesterday to cast my early vote was any indication, Looks to me like a Lowe Love Fest. Im sure a year from now I’ll be taking the kids to the splash pad at the newly re-named Lowe Park…
A.j says
It is time for a change on P. C. The Repubs have done a poor job in P. C. Do we want 3 more yes. of bad government. Vote Dem. for a change. The Dems. can’t do worst than the Repubs. Get out and vote. Vote for a Dem.
Realist says
I have a 30 history in Palm Coast. I used to work for ITT in the old days. Let me state for the record that the city ran a lot better when Jim Gardner was in charge. We fell in love with this place and moved from New York. I do not regret it but I am concerned this place is slowly deteriorating. I pray the OLD Palm Coast re-emerges. It used to be paradise.