The Flagler County Commission this evening is set to elect a new chairman, with Joe Mullins in line for the job, unless fellow-commissioners think better than to choose a bigot to represent them and the county. The School Board elects a chair Tuesday evening, with its own dilemmas.
dave sullivan
Flagler Commissioners Want to Cut Tax Rate, Give Sheriff 15 Deputies And Force Staff to Cut $2 Million in County Services
A majority of Flagler county commissioners ignored their administrator’s and finance director’s numbers and proposals today and told their staff to find ways to cut $2 million from the county’s own budget while ensuring that the sheriff and other constitutional officers, such as the clerk of court and supervisor of elections, get all the budget increases they’re asking for.
‘Zero Doses’ of Vaccines for Flagler This Week, ‘Few If Any’ Over Next 5 as Covid Surges Amid Warnings of Bleak Months
The state is sending what little supply of vaccines it has elsewhere for the next five weeks: The Villages qualify, Flagler does not. So even people due for their second shot may not get it as Flagler County’s Covid numbers surge to their worst levels yet. Bob Snyder, who heads the Flagler County Health Department, spoke as if at a wake when he updated government officials this morning, and in many ways it was.
Flagler Commissioners Strongly Repudiate Mullins Letter On County Letterhead Disputing Biden Election
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins used commission letterhead, without other commissioners’ approval, to plagiarize a letter and send it to Florida’s congressional delegation, repeating baseless, false, misleading, conspiratorial and widely discredited claims that Biden’s election was fraudulent.
Paul Anderson, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Paul Anderson is an independent candidate for Flagler County Commission, facing incumbent Republican Donald O’Brien and independent Denise Calderwood. All registered Flagler County voters may cast a ballot in the race regardless of address or party affiliation.
Joe Mullins’s Cowering Enablers
By refusing to censure Joe Mullins for insulting Greg Hansen and Charlie Ericksen, Commissioners Donald O’Brien and Dave Sullivan are cowering enablers of Mullins’s bigotry, his bullying, his indecency. They all demeaned the County Commission and the constituents they represent.
Corinne Hermle, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Corinne Hermle is the Democratic Candidate for the Distritct 1 County Commission seat, facing Republican Andy Dance in the Nov. 3 election. All registered Flagler County voters may cast a ballot in the race regardless of address or party affiliation.
Andy Dance, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Andy Dance is the Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 1, facing Democrat Corinne Hermle, for the seat previously held by Charlie Ericksen. All registered Flagler County voters may cast a ballot in the race regardless of address or party affiliation.
Commissioners O’Brien and Sullivan Block Motion to Censure Joe Mullins Even as They Call Behavior ‘Unacceptable’
Don O’Brien and Dave Sullivan refused to censure Joe Mullins for insulting fellow-commissioners, saying it would be bad for Flagler’s reputation. Sullivan didn’t want to be the first chairman on whose watch a censure vote passed.
With No Mention of Hansen or Ericksen, ‘Vague’ Joe Mullins Apology Contradicts Continuing Insults Online
Joe Mullins’s brief apology today was more focused on back-patting and dissembling his role while never taking responsibility for the abuse he’s continued to heap on Commissioners Hansen and Ericksen. The email doesn’t materially change anything, Commission Chairman Dave Sullivan said, with a discussion about Mullins set for next Monday’s meeting.
Joe Mullins Again Erupts in String of Abuse Against Commissioner Hansen at 9/11 Event, Spurring Calls for Censure
Less than 48 hours after insulting Commissioner Greg Hansen at a County Commission meeting, Commissioner Joe Mullins unleashed another string of worse abuse on Hansen, to his face–at an event commemorating the death of 3,000 victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. But Commissioners Sullivan and O’Brien are resisting saying whether they’d censure him.
Joe Mullins Fires Demeaning Personal Insults at Commissioners in a Meeting, Repeating ‘Dangerous’ Pattern
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins called fellow-Commissioner Greg Hansen a “fat sonofabitch” and Charlie Ericksen a “useless old man” at a meeting Wednesday just months after Ericksen had felt so threatened by Mullins that he called on Sheriff Staly for help.
Jerry Cameron, Chief of Sham
Flagler County Administrator Jerry Cameron put on a show behind closed doors of interviewing what may be his successor. Though 121 people applied, Cameron knew who he was going to pick from the start, skirting public record and open meeting laws along the way.
Bob Jones, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Bob Jones is running against Donald O’Brien in the Republican primary on Aug. 18. The winner will face two independents in the Nov. 3 general election. Jones, like other members of the local Trump Club, is not answering questions.
Despite Building Fiascos, County Now Wants ‘Due Diligence’ On Buying Old $1 Million Bank of America in Flagler Beach
Despite a nightmarish history of buying old buildings and having to unload them at a loss, the Flagler County Commission Monday will hear a proposal from its tourism department to gather information on buying the 40-year-old $1.1 million former Bank of America building on State Road A1A in Flagler Beach, opposite the pier.
Donald O’Brien, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Donald O’Brien, a first-term incumbent, is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 5, facing Bob Jones in the Aug. 18 primary.
Kim Carney, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Kim Carney is candidate for the Flagler County Commission, challenging District 3 incumbent Commissioner Dave Sullivan. The Aug. 18 election is open to all Flagler County registered voters regardless of party or geography.
Dave Sullivan, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Dave Sullivan is an incumbent candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 3, facing Kim Carney in the Aug. 18 primary. All registered Flagler County voters may cast a ballot in the race regardless of address or party affiliation.
Palm Coast, Flagler Beach and County Leaders Will Seek Mask Mandate as Covid Infections Keep Surging
As coronavirus infections continue to surge, Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland, Flagler Beach Commission Chair Jane Mealy and County Commission Chair Dave Sullivan will be asking their respective governments to approve a mandatory mask mandate in coming days.
Sheriff Staly Calls Defunding Police ‘Knee Jerk’ as Study Calls for 70 More Flagler Deputies by 2025
If in Flagler, the school board, Palm Coast and the county are nowhere near defunding law enforcement, Sheriff Staly credits a policing approach focused on collaboration rather than confrontation.
New Sheriff’s HQ in Bunnell Will Be Built On Site Formerly Reserved for New Branch Library
A new Sheriff’s Operations Center will be built on an 8.4-acre site south of Commerce Parkway in Bunnell, but that bumps out a library planned for that site. The library will be built across the street, assuming negotiations with a church that owns the acreage are successful.
Flagler Beach and County Commissioners Call Out Joe Mullins Over a Baseless, Inflammatory Claim
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins over the weekend made unsubstantiated accusations that unnamed Flagler Beach officials are hurting business and tourism in the city with their “stay on your side of the bridge mentality.” City commissioners corrected him.
Money Issues Raise New Questions on Locating Sheriff’s Operations Center Near Palm Coast Library
Architectural and engineering plans are continuing for the new Sheriff’s Operations Center in Palm Coast, but its location is again in question as the county faces new financial challenges and commissioners consider options.
Boosting Flagler Officials, Gov. DeSantis Is ‘Leaning Against’ Dismantling Local Vacation Rental Regulations
Gov. Ron DeSantis is expressing concerns about legislative proposals that would further prevent local governments from regulating short-term vacation rentals. The governor’s stance drew cheers from Flagler County Commission Chairman Dave Sullivan.
County’s Own Advisory Board Members Slam Flagler Airport Director Roy Sieger at Meeting on Noise Problems
Airport Director Roy Sieger was strongly criticized by the head of the county’s own Airport Advisory Board at a workshop where commissioners learned that county government’s authority is severely limited when it comes to controlling noise at the Flagler Executive Airport.
Joe Mullins Again Blistered for Divisive Attacks, and Commission Again Refuses to Intervene
Flagler County Commissioner was again harshly criticized by residents at a County Commission meeting for claiming not to represent those who don’t support President Trump and bullying liberals on his social media account, but the commission refused to intervene.
County Opts to Sell Sheriff’s Plagued Operations Center, or Demolish It Absent a Buyer
Sell it as is, presumably in the next 90 days: that’s the consensus of the Flagler County Commission for the Sheriff’s Operations Center off of State Road 100 in Bunnell, the 27,000 square foot building evacuated a year and a half ago and swamped before and since in an environmental and political tangle that keeps blighting county government.
Mullins-Centered Facebook Barbs Termed ‘Mishegoss’ But ‘Private’ As County Commission Rejects Censure
County Commission Chairman Dave Sullivan rejected a call to censure fellow-Commissioner Joe Mullins today and said he would not entertain discussions of Mullins’s Facebook page–nor Mullins attempts to regulate media in any way.
County Administrator Cameron Sells Land to Commissioner Joe Mullins’s Company for $405,000, then Pays Off Home Mortgage
Flagler County Administrator Jerry Cameron sold a parcel of land on U.S. 1 in St. Augustine to the Mullins Companies for $405,000 in August in what Cameron described as an “arms-length transaction” with Joe Mullins, the Flagler County county commissioner.
Flagler County Tells Sellers, Realtor and Inspector of Damaged Sears Building to Buy It Back or Get Sued
Flagler County commissioners voted to offer the sellers of the $1.25 million Sears building the chance to buy back the damaged structure or face a lawsuit. Flagler bought the building in November and discovered it to be damaged from a pre-existing water-intrusion condition.
ICI Homes’ Latest Expansion at Plantation Bay Approved, 3-2, But Not Before a Drubbing Over Stinginess
County Commissioner Dave Sullivan said ICI Homes is not doing enough to share in the county’s burdens of repairing Plantation Bay’s troubled water and sewer utilities. The commission approved a 132-home phase of the development.
Questions of Ethics and Reimbursements After County Officials Appear on Commissioner Joe Mullins’s Radio Show
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins offered to have county officials host and appear once a month on the weekly radio show he pays for, but the offer raised a series of protocol, policy and ethical implications.
County Will take Back Control of All Plans and Construction for Captain’s at Bing’s in Major Concession to Hammock Group
Captain’s BBQ at Bing’s will not get to build its own, larger building as the County Commission today voted to take over all future plans, whether to repair the existing structure or build a new, smaller one.
How Flagler Government Bought the $1.1 Million Sears Building Nobody Wants, With Scarce Money Needed Elsewhere
The Flagler County Commission ended up buying the Sears building even though it does not need it and does not have money to spare to buy it. The deal was the work of then-Administrator Craig Coffey.
Citing Bad Deals and Other Needs, Flagler Commission Rejects Loan to Buy $1.1 Million Sears Building for Tax Collector
Commissioner Dave Sullivan opposes buying the old Sears building, saying the county should stop removing private business property off the tax rolls when it has land of its own it can build on. He also wants the county to focus on the Sheriff’s Operations Center and the Plantation Bay utility first.
County Rebuffs Sheriff’s Request for ‘Critical’ Evidence Storage Space in Latest Operations Center Snag
County commissioners don’t want to spend money piecemeal on short-term solutions for the sheriff’s exile from the Operations Center, but the sheriff says space needs are critical.
Costs and Concerns Muck Up Plantation Bay Utility as County Begs for $10 Million
The Flagler County Commission is asking for a state appropriation of $10 million to fix the Plantation Bay sewer plant partly from fears that a sewer tank may burst, but the decision was hasty and lacked ready analysis.
Help Wanted: Flagler County Seeking Interim Manager and Hoping to Stave Off Exodus
Deputy County Administrator Sally Sherman will lead the county’s administration for the next two weeks as the commission searches for an interim, before launching into a search for a permanent replacement for Craig Coffey.
Resignations of Key Loyalists Give Administrator Coffey ‘Pause’ About His Plan to Resign
County Administrator Craig Coffey’s announcement that he was resigning was followed by that of Sally Sherman, his deputy, and Joe Mayer, HR director, and changed Coffey’s own course.
Changing Position, Key Commissioner Says Sheriff’s Building is Not Repairable and Calls For New HQ Elsewhere
Flagler County Commissioner Dave Sullivan says he won’t spend another nickel on the sick Sheriff’s Operations Center and calls for building a new structure somewhere else.
Is Craig Coffey Getting Fired?
Word of His Demise May Be Premature.
Newly-elected Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins has pledged to fire Administrator Craig Coffey, and may try to do so at Monday’s meeting, but the outcome is anything but certain.
In a Surprise, Bunnell Commissioner John Sowell Is Resigning, With Eye on County Seat
Bunnell City Commissioner John Sowell is resigning Friday and moving to a different part of the county, and is considering a run for the county commission seat held by Dave Sullivan.
Patricia P. Sullivan, Former Chairwoman of Flagler Republican Party, Dies at 78
Patricia P. Sullivan, a former chairwoman of the Flagler County Republican Party married 52 years to Flagler County Commissioner Dave Sullivan, died Thursday at home following a long illness.
Flagler Ready to Pay $1 Million To Fix Sheriff’s Building? Bogus Claim, County Says
County Commission Candidate Dennis McDonald says Commissioner Dave Sullivan told him it would take $1 million to fix the Operations Center, a claim Sullivan says is false.
County Commissioners Again Can’t Agree On How Much To Raise Next Year’s Taxes
For the third straight budget workshop, Flagler County Commissioners have been unable to agree on what property tax rate to set for next year and what to cut to get there.
Flagler Will Build $7.5 Million Bike and Foot Trail East of Old Kings Rd., and Bridge Over SR 100
The 1.6-mile, 12-foot-wide walking and biking trail through the forested greenery east of Old Kings Road will connect Graham Swamp and Lehigh Trail.
Agonizing Over Tax Increase, Indecisive County Commission Defers To Administrator
County taxes are going up no matter what, but most county commissioners, some of them in election season, have been unable to give the county administrator more than vague direction on the budget.
Balking at Proposed Tax Increase, County Commissioners Offer Alternatives Outside of Public Meeting
Flagler County commissioners want to cut a proposed budget increase but didn’t do so at a workshop, and plan to offer their suggestions outside of budget workshops.
To Keep Sally Sherman, a $136,000 Employee, Flagler County Is Paying Private Agency $190,000
The bottom-line cost to taxpayers to retain Sally Sherman as a worker in Flagler government–totaling $258,554–is much higher than county officials originally conveyed.
In Reorganization, Hansen Takes County Chairmanship, Sullivan Is on Canvassing Board
The county commission chairmanship gives Hansen added visibility during an election year, while Sullivan takes over a canvassing board position with a fraught history.