The county’s proposal would mean the end of Enterprise Flagler and the creation of a 9-member council chaired by the county, with cities and private-sector membership overseeing a $410,000 budget. Palm Coast’s buy in is a question mark.
craig coffey
Flagler County Tax Rates Will Go Up 12%, But Tax Bills Are More Likely to Go Down
Flagler County’s tax rate is going up for the fourth year in a row to make up for collapsing valuations, but the rise will still not translate into a tax increase for most. The contrary may be true.
$460,000 And Counting: With Federal Aid Unlikely, Flagler Will Bear Fires’ Entire Costs
The still-rising costs don’t help the county’s budget, which is acing a $5.5 million revenue loss from dropping property values. Gov. Scott could have minimized the impact, but he refused to ask for a federal emergency declaration, though previous, lesser fires had gotten such a declaration.
Facing $6 Million Hit, County Begins Long Budget Season as Tax Hike Appears Inevitable
County commissioners are unlikely to elicit sympathy from taxpayers—or from employees facing a 3 percent pay cut from new retirement-contribution requirements, and a third year without raises.
County Property Values Fall Another 14%; Palm Coast: -12%; Tax Rates Heading Up
The declines, for the fourth year in a row, will define to what extent local governments must either raise taxes or cut services as they prepare next year’s budgets. Governments have little room to cut anymore, short of vitals services.
Mystery Scarring Unsolved, Malacompra Trail Policing Is Turned Over to Biking Group
The Malacompra mountain bike trail, for years a somewhat anarchic free-for-all recently torn up by bikers, will now, in an unusual arrangement, be policed by a mountain biking group and supervised by county authorities in cooperation with Hammock conservationists.
Blank Check: City and County Bankrolling Enterprise Flagler Without a Contract
Since 2006, Enterprise Flagler, the public-private economic development partnership, has received more than $1 million in taxpayer dollars from Palm Coast and Flagler County. Elected officials are just discovering there was no contract.
Palm Coast Appears to Retreat from Airport Annexation, But It’s No County Victory
A proposed agreement between the city and the county over the Flagler County Airport gives in to the county’s ownership rights, but with so many caveats that the airport zone would be a quasi city neighborhood.
County Commissioners Trip Into “Inadvertent” Sunshine Violations Through Emails
County administrator Craig Coffey solicited feedback from commissioners on an economic development document he was preparing. Two commissioners copied their replies to fellow-commissioners, a violation of the sunshine law.
For Jobless Flagler, 3 Economic Development Plans But Little Direction or Unity
As joblessness persists in Flagler County, local governments want to increase their role in economic development, but there’s no agreement about who would lead, and how.