Scott Spradley, Flagler Beach City Commission Candidate: The Live Interview

Scott Spradley is one of three candidates running for two seats in the March 3 Flagler Beach election for the City Commission.

Scott Spradley is an attorney, completing his first term. Incumbent Rick Belhumeur is a builder, completing his third three-year term (only the first two terms were consecutive). R.J. Santore III is vice president of his family’s fireworks manufacturing company. Santore is running for the first time.

All three are at-large candidates. Voters of any party or non-party registered in Flagler Beach may vote for two candidates in the non-partisan election. The top two vote-getters will claim the seats.

FlaglerLive submitted six identical questions to the three candidates. As always, the aim is to elicit as much candor and transparency as possible. We have not put space restrictions on the candidates, as this is one of their only platforms to explain heir candidacy to a broad public. But we have asked them to refrain from making campaign speeches, make lists of accomplishments or use artificial intelligence in their answers for anything more than copy editing or spell-checking. We have also asked candidates to reasonably document their claims.

We have no way to positively verify whether the candidates have complied with the AI request. It is ultimately up to the reader to judge the quality and sincerity of a candidate’s answers, which are presented here as submitted. Here are Spradley’s answers.

The Questions in Summary: Quick Links

• • Explaining your role and the job.
  • Justifying your candidacy.
  • Flagler Beach’s unique challenges.
  • Summertown and Veranda Bay annexations.
  • Growth windfalls?
  • If property tax revenue vanishes.

1. Explain your role as a city commissioner, as you see it–the responsibilities of the job, its limits, your relationship with and expectations of the city manager, and how you would interact with the staff.

Flagler Beach City Commissioners are policy-makers. It is our job to listen to issues raised by our constituents or by other governmental or private bodies, and after study and debate, create or revise ordinances and resolutions to resolve the issues at hand.  To maximize my interaction with residents, I have conducted a total of 72 informal Town Halls as of this date, usually on Saturday mornings at my Flagler Beach Law Office. The purpose of the Town Halls is to be available to our residents to answer questions and to develop a sense of the public’s needs and desires as to City governance. This is extremely helpful as I formulate my position on pending ordinances and resolutions. On that note, the task of carrying out the subject of the ordinances or resolutions typically falls on the City Manager, who in turn directs his staff to implement action.  From there, my role as City Commissioner is to provide oversight of the City Manager as his/her duties are performed.  City Commissioners do not direct staff as that is the sole domain of the City Manager.  Staff performance is thus a part of the City Commission’s annual review of the City Manager, who is the direct supervisor of staff.

See how the other candidates answered:
Rick Belhumeur | R.J. Santore

 

2. If you are the incumbent, what specifically justifies another term for you–what can you point to in your last term as two or three signature achievements that would not have happened had you not been there? Why should R.J. Santore not replace you–what about him alarms you enough to tell voters: “I’m your better choice”? If you are the challenger, what justifies removing either of the candidates you are running against? Going past the assumption that they are fine people and that you would provide a fresh or different perspective, what do you cite as two or three specific examples for each that justify their removal, and how would you have been different?

My 3-year term as City Commissioner has been filled with challenges and accomplishments. I seek another 3-year seat on the City Commission to continue to work with the City Commission and the City Manager on pending projects through completion and on the creation of new public policy. For example, I am excited that the members of the City Commission worked in unison to ensure that the Flagler Beach Pier demolition and reconstruction finally began under our watch. I look forward to the continuing construction of the new Pier, until completion.  I am also excited that U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and the County Beach Renourishment Programs are in full blossom, after many years of waiting. I am especially connected to the Beach Renourishment Program, as immediately prior to being elected to the City Commission, my Law Firm was retained to represent Flagler County in Federal Bankruptcy Court in a matter which ultimately led to the acquisition of the final property easement which enabled the Beach Renourishment Program to begin.  I view that result as a crowning accomplishment in my 35-year legal career.  Another accomplishment was the sale of the City owned golf course with the critical stipulation that it remains a golf course through implementation of a deed restriction, even if it is later sold to a 3^rd party. In fact, it would take a unanimous 5-0 vote of a future City Commission for there to be any use of that property other than as a golf course. My current term also saw the issue of the large Veranda Bay/Summertown annexation arise and dominate City Commission meetings the past 18 months. I believe the annexation and the growth management that will follow is a critical step and opportunity for this and future City Commissions to protect our land and our residents and provide for retention of the charm of Flagler Beach that so many of us have come to know and love. But mostly, the annexation is projected to yield the lion’s share of revenues necessary to repair the City’s antiquated infrastructure, including the rotting underground pipes. In addition to my strong desire to continue service to the community as a City Commissioner to see these projects through, if reelected, I intend to encourage the City Commission to enact a Citywide Master Parking Plan, with special focus on downtown parking solutions to assist our local businesses and improve access to our residents and to our guests from elsewhere. One idea you will see, in my view, is a plan for public consideration of paid parking in certain downtown areas, with—importantly—a free pass for residents of Flagler Beach.  This initiative is critical in view of downtown development; the attraction of the new Pier; and the growth of Palm Coast and the surrounding areas, all of which is putting undue pressure on access to parking.

I have gotten to know R.J. Santore during my 3-year term, primarily due to his attendance and participation in many of the Saturday Town Halls I conducted during my term. I find R.J. to be thoughtful and sincere with reasoned beliefs when it comes to City policy. When it comes to R.J.’s path to City Commissioner, I look at my own experience: Prior to seeking election to the City Commission, I attended Commission meetings on a regular basis for at least 2 years—which R.J. himself has done. But in the years leading to my own election, I served a term on the Flagler Beach Paid Parking Committee (2 years); a term as Chair of the Charter Review Committee (1 year); a term as Chair of the Flagler Beach Fireworks Committee (6 months); and a term on the Flagler Beach Planning & Architectural Review Board (1 year).  I found my collective service on these Committees and the PAR Board to be invaluable to me when I began my term as a City Commissioner. Personally, I would like to see R.J. consider serving on a City Committee or Board, to develop the breadth of his knowledge of City issues prior to seeking a seat on the City Commission. Also, I do feel it is important to the community that R.J. clarify his connection to County Commissioner Kim Carney, who has publicly supported R.J. for City Commission, but who has recently taken positions with the Flagler County Commission that are, in my opinion, contrary to the best interests of Flagler Beach.  Specifically, despite the unanimous support of the Flagler Beach City Commission of a proposed one-half cent sales tax advocated by County Staff to be used in conjunction with Beach Management, Commissioner Carney publicly opposed that program. More recently, Commissioner Carney made public statements appearing to oppose continued Flagler County support of Flagler Beach Lifeguards (“The Florida Statutes do not require the County to support the lifeguards”).  I feel it is important for the residents to know whether R.J. is tied to Commissioner Carney’s policies or whether, if elected, he will retain his independence in all respects.

See how the other candidates answered:
Rick Belhumeur | R.J. Santore

 

3. Flagler Beach has unique challenges. What two or three issues or challenges do you see affecting Flagler Beach specifically that other local governments don’t have to deal with, and what specific, pragmatic and realistic solutions do you propose–solutions you could propose at the next joint meeting of local governments, for instance.

Beach Management.  Since the County voted down the half-cent sales tax (which ironically, originated with the County), it is imperative that alternatives be proposed, studied and pursued to protect our beach. I am optimistic that Commissioners Andy Dance, Greg Hanson and Leeann Pennington have publicly stated their willingness to chase down all funding opportunities for Beach Management utilization. For the City’s part, the current City Commission has committed to seek to implement a significant annual contribution based on property values to be used for beach management. But we can’t do it alone. We need outside funding (grants) and continued support from the County and from our fellow municipalities to obtain the full scope of financial support needed to protect our beach.  If reelected, I pledge to continue my support for the critical issue of Beach Management.

Massive Infrastructure Repair and Replacement.  The concerns I hear most ofter from our residents are related to our deteriorated infrastructure and its negative effect on stormwater and storm drainage (or lack thereof).  While the growth associated with annexation is not welcome by virtually anyone not in the development or construction industries, we realistically will see growth, particularly that associated with Summertown and Veranda Bay.  On the bright side, it is projected that significant financial benefits would accompany these developments, with a large portion of it targeted for infrastructure improvement. If reelected, I pledge to continue to explore all avenues of financial support for the massive infrastructure repair and replacement that must occur in Flagler Beach for us to continue to enjoy the lifestyle we have and that we expect our government to maintain.

Lifeguard Support. As recited above, the County’s historical support of Flagler Beach lifeguards is currently in question due to projected budget cuts by the County.  It is imperative that we all contact and urge our County Representative specifically and the entirety of the Board of County Commissioners generally, to continue their financial support of our lifeguards as a matter of public safety. If reelected, I pledge to continue my support for our lifeguards from all sources, beginning with the County.

 

See how the other candidates answered:
Rick Belhumeur | R.J. Santore

 

4. Let us assume that Veranda Bay and Summertown clear all hurdles and are part of Flagler Beach. First, how are both the planned 850,000 square foot commercial side of Summertown, including a hotel, restaurants etc., and downtown Flagler Beach’s similar commerce simultaneously sustainable, when even Palm Coast’s Town Center is struggling after 25 years of trying? And what will you do specifically to keep the two sides of the river from becoming competing sides of the city, as opposed to part of the same cohesive unit, especially if (as in Bunnell with Grand Reserve) the new developments’ residents start claiming several seats on the commission?

The first distinction is that the main entrance to the Summertown commercial development is on State Road 100, which serves as the primary ingress and egress to Flagler Beach. In other words, we and all visitors pass by there on our daily commutes. So the visibility is high.  Palm Coast’s Town Center, on the other hand, is well off of State Road 100 and presents no real visibility to passers by who are not deliberately destined for Town Center. Secondly, I don’t know that “simultaneously sustainable” is the correct measuring stone for Summertown and downtown Flagler Beach. Specifically, the rate of development of the property to be annexed is 20+ years.  I fully expect that a lead time of completion to that order will allow the City to compete where it is able and find ways for our local businesses to prosper on both sides of the Intracoastal Waterway. As to the question about voter weight as it relates to competing interests on both sides of the river, I envision a study of possible reorganization of the City Commission to district-based, should the prospect of a shift off island of voter control come to fruition. In that event, I see the City as having 5 voting districts, with one Commissioner assigned to each district. See Flagler County and the City of Palm Coast as examples of district based representation.

See how the other candidates answered:
Rick Belhumeur | R.J. Santore

 

5. Based on your comments at the recent Woman’s Club forum and in previous public statements, each of you, to one extent or another, has put significant faith in growth not only paying for itself but potentially–regarding Veranda Bay and Summertown–generating a large enough windfall to underwrite capital improvements such as stormwater for the rest of the city. Yet none of the consensus documentation on the subject supports the claim that growth either pays for itself or generates a windfall, with clear evidence locally: Bunnell’s Grand Reserve, the largest single development in its history, was approved on high hopes that it would create a windfall. It has not. Palm Coast just approved the largest utility rate increase in its history–despite ranking among the fastest-growing cities in the state for some of the years since 2018. First, what independent documentation or analysis do you have (documentation not produced by the developer) showing the revenue you might expect from Veranda Bay and Summertown? Second, assuming, as is likely, that the new developments will not generate the sort of revenue you need to foot the full bill for the $46.5 million sewer plant, let alone the stormwater and other capital needs burdening your budget, what is your alternative revenue source?

I am familiar with the developer study, but I have also relied on financial information generated by Flagler Beach staff, which itself is rooted in State of Florida rate information and related studies.  While the study and other information suggest future revenues attributable to the annexed properties funding the $46.5 waste water treatment plant, we can’t rely on that to the exclusion of other options should there be a shortfall. In that event, the City would be required to look at other options, including use taxes, i.e., higher utility rates. Other sources would include user taxes related to visitors to the Pier and to the potential of paid parking and its revenues. Additionally, the City maintains a Utility Reserve fund which has a current balance of between $20 and $30 million available for the project, if necessary.

See how the other candidates answered:
Rick Belhumeur | R.J. Santore

 

6. Let us assume that the legislature successfully places a ballot initiative that eliminates non-school homesteaded property taxes and that voters approve it. Let us also assume that you would have to enact your first budget without that revenue in your second or third year. Provide three programs, divisions, departments, initiatives or employees you are currently funding out of your general revenue that you would reduce or cut.

State budgets are generally program heavy. City budgets, like ours, are typically personnel heavy.  Consequently, a significant hit on revenues generated by property tax would likely result in the reduction of key personnel, such as public safety and maintenance personnel.  Use taxes would need to be considered (see above), as well. All in all, it is my belief that while the reduction of property tax would seem at first blush to be a welcome bit of relief, I would caution all voters to be wary of supporting this State measure (if it comes to fruition) since unforeseen taxes and personnel cuts will take the place of lost property tax revenues. On that note, as of the date of this writing, it looks (to me at least) that the passage of the bill to reduce property tax is unlikely, particularly since there is currently no companion Senate Bill (yet) to the various drafts of the House Bill.

See how the other candidates answered:
Rick Belhumeur | R.J. Santore