The county has seven ambulances on duty 24 hours a day (11 units in all) that each log 5,000 miles and 1,000 calls a month, by far the majority of the 14,000 annual emergency calls in Flagler.
local government budgets
Bunnell Eliminates 40% Of Police Department as Part of Wider Cost-Cuts and Lay-Offs
Seeking to cut an $800,000 deficit that represents a fifth of the city’s budget, the Bunnell City Commission Monday cut its commission salaries by 10 percent, eliminated its grants department and laid off staff that have been mainstays of the Bunnell administration and police department over the years.
Palm Coast, Flagler and School Tax Bills To Increase About 5% as County and District Set Tentative Rates
For a $175,000 house with a homestead tax exemption of $50,000, the typical tax bill will be $2,574, a saving of $2 from the current rate, when Palm Coast, Flagler, School Board and water management district taxes are combined, before accounting for higher property values of about 5 percent. Totals will be higher in Flagler Beach and Bunnell.
Palm Coast Taxes Will Remain Flat This Year As City Projects “Stale and Boring” Budget
The typical Palm Coast property owner will pay roughly $534 for the year, about the same as this year and possibly a few dollars less, as the Palm Coast City Council prepares to adopt a caretaker budget.
Divided and in Crisis, Bunnell Begins Deep Cuts to Close $844,000 Gap But Police Department Survives, For Now
The Bunnell City Commission in a tension-filled, four=-hour meeting Monday voted 3-2 to eliminate code enforcement and the humane society, among a list of cuts, but delay eliminating the police and grants department for two weeks, giving department heads time to make their case for survival.
New Flagler Jail and Sheriff’s HQ Cost Estimates Stun Officials, Who Call It “A Setback”
Construction cost estimates for the new jail came in at $22 million, far more than the county’s plan for $14 to $15 million, while the Sheriff’s Operations Center at the old Memorial Hospital came in at $6.2 million, instead of around $5 million.
Don’t Buy The Flagler Beach Fire Department’s Deceptions: City Doesn’t Need New Aerial Fire Truck
The Flagler Beach Fire Department is veiling its unwise request for a new $600,000 fire truck under the guise of “fire safety equipment,” a deception–and a purchase, with money the city cannot afford–residents should reject, argues Rick Blehumeur.
County Taxes To Increase Some in a $68.6M Budget That Sheds Austerity for Investment
Flagler County’s 2014-15 budget, led by a $600,000 increase in the sheriff’s costs, is a reflection of a more relaxed, less financially pressured budget season, and a willingness among commissioners to replace years of austerity with increased investment in the government infrastructure.
Don’t Mind a Gap This Year: Flagler County’s Budget Prospects Brighten With Talk of Tax Cut
Countywide property values are expected to rise 5 percent this year and bring in an additional $2.3 million at today’s tax rates, reducing pressures on the budget and allowing the county commission to consider tax cuts and the expansion of services, including the addition of three firefighters.
First Look at Palm Coast’s New City Hall Revives Old Questions About Cost and Taxes
The Palm Coast City Hall plan drew pointed questions about security measures and cost controls as the city administration continued to pledge through accounting sophistry that taxes will not be raised or that property tax dollars will not be used for the project.