The Flagler County Commission’s attempt unilaterally to impose an increase in the sales tax is the latest example of a lazy, bumbling commission addicted to spending, deceptive in its methods and indifferent to the long-term public interest.
jerry cameron
County Administrator May Have to Pay Sheriff’s Lunch Back as Operations Center Is Again Delayed, Almost a Year
The opening of the 51,000-square-foot facility is now seen no earlier than the end of 2022, instead of next November. By then, the sheriff will have been exiled from the former Sheriff’s Operations Center on State Road 100 for almost four and a half years–longer than a full term in office.
With Nod to Continuity, Not Salinas, County Appoints Heidi Petito Interim Administrator for 3 Months
The Flagler County Commission this evening appointed Heidi Petito interim manager for at least the next three months, or long enough to shepherd the county through budget season, but likely for much longer, the commission being uninterested in laboring over a successor. It was a surprise: Jorge Salinas, brought on as chief of staff in January, was widely expected to be named interim. Instead, he now says he is no longer interested in the top job.
Flagler County Considering Michael Tucker, a Former Florida and Southeast Fire Chief of the Year, as Fire Chief
Michael Tucker, 53, has principally been superintendent at Florida State Fire College for the past five years. He’d maintained roles as a consultant for the Oregon-based International Association of Fire Chiefs and as an adjunct instructor at Lake Sumpter State College over several years.
It’s a County Priority, But Quest to Bring Broadband to Flagler’s West Side Runs Into County Hurdles
County Commissioner Joe Mullins is seeking county staff’s help with an informal broadband “task force” he leads to land a grant that could improve internet services on the west side, raising questions about the extent to which the county can get involved in a group it has not formally recognized or knew much about even though broadband access is now a county priority.
County Administrator Leaves in June. Four Commissioners Aren’t Interested in Planning for Replacement Yet.
Flagler County Administrator Jerry Cameron announced last month he’d be retiring by June’s end, a relatively short time as far as finding a replacement is concerned. Commissioner Andy Dance is interested in starting a process for his replacement. Dance’s colleagues, in a startling rebuke of deliberate planning, aren’t interested yet.
County Administrator Jerry Cameron Prepares to Leave by End of June and Pushes Internal Succession
Jerry Cameron, 75, left the door open to stay longer but is pushing for a successor from within county staff. The County Commission was to have been looking for a permanent successor since his hiring as an interim two years ago but has yet to start a process.
As Captain’s BBQ Case Against County Nears Trial, Details Emerge of Bitter Conflicts, Jockeying and Blunders
As Captain’s BBQ’s breach-of-contract case against Flagler County government slowly moves to trial, Circuit Judge Terence Perkins today opened the door to having County Attorney Al Hadeed and County Administrator Jerry Cameron deposed by Captain’s attorneys, a move the county has strenuously resisted. But there are conditions.
Flagler County Government Will Host Weekly Feel-Good Show on Local Radio
Flagler County commissioners haven’t discussed it publicly yet–or agreed to it–but the county administration is preparing to host a weekly radio show, or infomercial, on WNZF, the Flagler Broadcasting station, starting likely in February. The sponsored half-hour show would focus on feel-good stories, profiles of county employees, and highlights of county doings.
Punting Responsibility, County Pits Hammock Neighbors Against Each Other Over Its Public Boat Ramp Giveaway
Flagler County government owns the unmarked, unguarded road segment of Pamela Parkway in the Hammock that ends as a boat ramp and that once cost a woman her life as she unknowingly drove into the Intracoastal. The county wants to give away the right of way to two homeowners in exchange for the homeowners building a seawall. Other residents object.
At Groundbreaking on $23 Million Sheriff’s Operations Center, County Hopes ‘Difficult’ Years of Errors Are Over
Sheriff’s, county, Bunnell and Flagler Beach officials broke ground today on a 51,000-square foot, $23 million Sheriff’s Operations Center on the future Commerce Parkway in Bunnell, possibly ending eight years of costly errors and misjudgments and what will be a four-year exile for the sheriff’s agency from a place of its own.
$21 Million Flagler Sheriff’s Operations Center Unveiled, But Questions About Financing Remain Unanswered
The Flagler County Commission approved a $21 million, 51,000 square-foot Sheriff’s Operations Center. But questions remain unanswered about the project’s financing, which was not presented to the commission today, and its ultimate cost, which would reach nearly $23 million when financing it over 15 years is included.
County Defense Against Captain’s BBQ Lawsuit: The Commission Illegally Approved Lease Amendment, So It’s Void
Flagler County government is actually arguing that since it approved the controversial lease amendment with Captain’s BBQ without seeking bids first, it was an illegal move, so the agreement is null and void. And with that approach, the county is now seeking to have Captain’s lawsuit against it thrown out. That hearing is set for Thursday.
ACLU Condemns Flagler County Administrator Jerry Cameron Over ‘Disdain Toward Voters’
Cynthia Fisher, President of the Volusia/Flagler Chapter of the ACLU of Florida, called Flagler County Administrator Jerry Cameron’s refusal to suspend a construction project around the Government Services Building for the two weeks of early voting a voter-suppression tactic, and his attitude toward voters “condescending.”
‘Outraged’ Elections Supervisor Rips County Administrator Jerry Cameron Over ‘Contempt’ for Voters and Bad Planning
Flagler County Elections Supervisor Kaiti Lenhart on Saturday wrote county commissioners to ask for help in suspending construction at the GSB during election weeks after County Administrator Jerry Cameron responded to her personal pleas with contempt.
‘If They Can’t Understand the Detour They Shouldn’t Be Voting,’ County Administrator Says, Reversing Pledge to Suspend Construction at GSB
County Administrator Jerry Cameron is refusing to suspend construction for the two weeks of early voting, even though voters must detour through a confusing maze to get to the county elections office in back of the Government Services Building.
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.
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.
Jorge Salinas, a Transparency Ace, Appointed Deputy County Administrator In Largely Secretive Process
County Administrator Jerry Cameron appointed Jorge Salinas, 53, an assistant city manager in an Oregon town for the past five years, as his “chief of staff,” ending a largely secretive process that had involved the county commission.
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.
County Administrator Jerry Cameron Maneuvering to Hire His Successor Behind Closed Doors, With Commission’s Complicity
Four local candidates have been short-listed out of more than 100 applicants for deputy Flagler County administrator in a hiring that likely lines up the next county administrator, but Cameron has been going about the hire with no public discussion, involvement or notice even though commissioners are interviewing the candidates Friday.
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.
Flagler Fire Chief Don Petito on Leave Pending Investigation of ‘Discrimination and Retaliation’ Complaint
Flagler County Fire Chief Don Petito has had a rocky relationship with County Administrator Jerry Cameron since Hurricane Dorian last year and is now embroiled in serious employment matters.
Staffer at Grand Oaks and Resident at Tuscan Gardens Test Positive; Florida Cases Again Soar to New Record
The Covid cases at local long-term care facilities break a streak of negative testing as Flagler officials wearily eye surging numbers around the county and plan some strategies to keep Flagler’s low.
Wearing a Mask Is “BS” Says Flagler Commissioner Hansen in Latest Reflection of Mixed Signals and Division
A discussion about mask-wearing between Flagler County commissioners exposed continuing but fundamental misunderstandings about the purpose of masks and why they are intended to protect.
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.
It’s Not Just Noise: Airport Advisory Board Tensely Questions Lack of Planning as County Administrator Probes Board’s Role
Tension continues between members of the Flagler Airport Advisory Board and Airport Director Roy Sieger over planning and noise issues. Administrator Jerry Cameron said he’ll look into the board’s bylaws to better define its role and relationship with the County Commission, which appoints it.
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.
Officials Project Better Days for Plantation Bay Utility But Re-Write History to Downplay County’s Role in Plagued Deal
County officials told Plantation Bay residents they’d have a more stable utility under new management, but County Attorney Al Hadeed re-wrote some of the history of the county’s plagued, $5.5 million acquisition of the utility from Mori Hosseini’s ICI homes in 2013.
County Ends Low-Performing Economic Development Department, Citing ‘Fluffy’ Numbers and Poor Accountability
Headed by Helga van Eckert since 2012, Flagler County’s $500,000-a-year economic development department had been more successful with PR and taking credit for others’ work than producing much of its own.
6 Years Late, $13 Million in Debt, County Concedes Incompetence Running Utility as It Seeks Plantation Bay Bailout
Flagler County officials admitted to the catastrophic consequences of the Plantation Bay utility deal and to the county’s inability to manage the plant as they look for ways to extricate the county from a huge debt load.
With Little Transparency, County Approves $250,000 to Redesignate 12 Miles of Dunes as ‘Preservation Facility’
The county commission today approved spending $250,000 for a project to which they had no written documentation, either for themselves or for public inspection, though it is the first step in a significant redefinition of the county’s beaches.
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.
For 1st Time in 11 Years, County Tells Bunnell Homeless Are Shared Problem as Shelter Backers Seek Compromise
As a federal investigation forced Bunnell government to allow the re-opening of a homeless cold-weather shelter there, County Administrator Jerry Cameron told city officials what they haven’t heard in 11 years: that homelessness is a shared responsibility.
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.
Forced Out or Not, Flagler Fire Chief Don Petito Is Looking to ‘Get the Hell Out’ in Fallout From Clash
Flagler County Fire Chief thought he was being forced out with an ultimatum until County Administrator Jerry Cameron said he’d misunderstood, but he’s looking to leave anyway in the wake of a clash with Chief Information Officer Jarrod Shupe during the Hurricane Dorian emergency.
County Fires Tourism Director Matt Dunn After 4-Month Suspension, Citing New Direction Under Amy Lukasik
Flagler County Tourism Director Matt Dunn had been placed on paid administrative leave in April after coming under criminal investigation. The county says the tourism bureau is turning away from Dunn’s sports-oriented tourism, and was not firing him for any wrongdoing.
Flagler Chamber President Jorge Guttierez Resigns as Shrunken Organization Continues to ‘Hemorrhage’ Cash
Jorge Gutierrez’s resignation is on the heels of another critically difficult financial year for the Chamber of Commerce as it sought loans, got behind on payroll and now looks for county government for help.
St. Augustine’s Flagler Hospital Planning Medical Inroad in AdventHealth’s Palm Coast Backyard, on Matanzas Woods Parkway
Flagler Hospital–now Flagler Health Plus–has a contract to buy 4 acres on Matanzas Woods Parkway, where it would build a small medical-village type development, down the road from AdventHealth’s planned stand-alone emergency room.
County Awards $76,000 in Tourism Grants to 24 Organizations But Rejects 8, Raising Questions
The Flagler County Commission on Monday approved 24 grants totaling $76,000 for mostly local organizations’ cultural and sports events, festivals and professional meetings, money to be drawn from the county’s tourist tax revenue.
In a Flagler First, U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz Holds Probing Round-Table With County Directors
First-year Congressman Mike Waltz did what none of his predecessors have ever done, sitting down with Flagler County government directors and hearing issues and concerns for an hour Monday.
On Notice at 11th Hour, Sheriff Staly and Clerk of Court Bexley Meet and Resolve Courthouse Space Impasse
After a wild day of hopeful negotiations, then a declared impasse, Sheriff Rick Staly and Clerk of Court Tom Bexley met and resolve the controversy over space for sheriff’s uses at the courthouse.
County Will Sue Clerk of Court Bexley as Courthouse Space Negotiations for Sheriff Fail ‘Over 200 Feet’
Flagler County government late Thursday started the process to sue Clerk of Court Tom Bexley as intense negotiations over space for the sheriff reached a final impasse over a mere 200 square feet of space in contention.
Critical Negotiations Over Courthouse Space for Sheriff Down to a Few Hundred Square Feet
Negotiations for a final settlement for the sheriff’s use of space at the county courthouse were down to a few hundred square feet Thursday, with a lot riding on a resolution.
Clerk of Court Bexley Offers 1,000 Extra Square Feet for Sheriff’s Uses, 4,000 Short of County’s Request
Clerk of Court’s “final offer” consists of 1,000 additional square feet of space for use by sheriff’s personnel at the courthouse, enlarging and segregating the zone used by the agency’s detectives.
Breakthrough In the Works as Court Clerk Bexley Proposes ‘Generous’ Plan for Sheriff’s Space at Courthouse
Clerk of Court Tom Bexley made a “Final offer” to the county, proposing new space at the courthouse for the sheriff’s office, potentially ending what had been heading for a legal confrontation between the clerk and the county, and resolving a serious space issue for the sheriff.
What Will Tom Bexley Do? Ultimatum Clock Stops as He Calls For Key Meeting on Courthouse Impasse Monday
In a sign of a possible breakthrough, Clerk of Court Tom Bexley called County Commission Chairman Donald O’Brien to set a Monday meeting and discuss the county’s ultimatum for a space study and more space for the sheriff at the courthouse.
Chief Judge Warns Against ‘Taking’ of Courthouse As Sheriff’s Picture in Murder Investigation Lobbies Commission on Space
Chief Judge Raul Zambrano issued a forcefully written, potentially game-changing letter on the sheriff occupying space at the Flagler courthouse even as the sheriff himself was lobbying the county commission with an illustration of constraints on his troops.
In Big Breakthrough, County and City Will Jointly Accommodate Palm Coast Little League and Other Fields of Need
Palm Coast and county governments are drafting an agreement that would significantly relax the proprietary lock on each sides’ fields, instead prioretizing public need, with Palm Coast Little League the vanguard beneficiary.
A New Hospital For Flagler? Credibility Gap Yawns Between Commissioner Joe Mullins’s Pledges and County Administration’s Caution
The stories told by Mullins’s hyper-optimism and the county administration’s more cautious and deliberate approach illustrate a recurring gulf between the politician’s wishes and promises and what the government administration is in fact delivering (or not).