A 15-month drumbeat of sound and fury over allegations of corruption, cover-ups, cabals and criminal acts, a drumbeat that influenced two elections, a city manager’s career and the mayor’s own, among others, tarnishing the reputation of a leading private company in the county, came down to a minor rebuke over an email misuse Holland long ago acknowledged and apologized for. Nothing else.
milissa holland
Palm Coast Mayor Branquinho’s Sarcasm Misfires, and Conspiracist Opponents Have a Field Day
Palm Coast Mayor Eddie Branquinho’s sarcasm can be difficult to detect behind a Portuguese accent. When he used it today to ridicule a fellow-council member’s bogus claims, opponents took it as an opportunity to deflect from the lie and attack Branquinho instead.
Milissa Holland’s Daughter Responds to Danko’s Fabrications: Stop Bringing My Family Into This Immaturity
“I am 25 years old and the amount of immaturity displayed in this campaign is embarrassing,” writes Tori Holman, former Mayor Milissa Holland’s daughter. “To Mr. Danko and his detractors, Stop bringing my family into this mess to try to boost your votes. Stop bringing my family into this at all. To the rest of you, thank you.”
For Palm Coast Little League, Years of Advocacy Culminate with Hosting State Championship, and a DeSantis 1st Pitch
Palm Coast Little League this weekend marked its 20th anniversary by hosting the state championship, featuring a first pitch by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Hosting the tournament is a remarkable turn-around from a time a decade ago when Little League and the city were at loggerheads. The relationship turned around several years ago, and has flourished since, culminating with the championship event.
Ed Danko Fumes, Accuses and Menaces as Politics of Destruction Point to Palm Coast Council’s Potential Direction
In a preview of the sort of council to come if Ed Danko gets Alan Lowe elected mayor and aligns with Victor Barbosa, as Danko has continuously suggested, Tuesday’s Palm Coast council meeting was a rank display of the politics of destruction, of an elected official lashing out publicly and brutally against his own colleagues and the only two people on the council who report to him while distracting from a still-active internal investigation against him.
Carol Bacha, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Carol Bacha is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor in the July 27 special election. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
David Alfin, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
David Alfin is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor in the July 27 special election. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Cornelia Downing Manfre, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Cornelia Downing Manfre is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor in the July 27 special election. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Kathy Austrino, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Kathy Austrino is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor in the July 27 special election. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Alan Lowe, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Alan Lowe is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor in the July 27 special election. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Doug Courtney, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Doug Courtney is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor in the July 27 special election. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
After Holland
The resignation of Milissa Holland and the coming special election for mayor puts Palm Coast at a forking path between the course Holland set and a more radical change in a different direction. The two views seem to be represented by Alan Lowe and David Alfin, the leading contenders for the seat.
Milissa Holland Resigns, Adding to Palm Coast Council’s Convulsions and Uncertain Future; Special Election Will Be Set
Milissa Holland today resigned her seat as mayor of Palm Coast just six months into her second term, shaking up a city council convulsed for months by unruly meetings and restive public and setting up a special election that could shift the council–and the city–in a direction unrecognizable with the last 22 years.
‘Enough’ Is Not Enough: Flagler’s Dangerous Leer at Extremism
What happened on Tuesday at the Palm Coast City Council is indefensible and dangerous. But it’s nothing new. We’ve simply not been paying attention to a perilous degradation of public discourse and behavior. We are slowly becoming a crueler community debased by primitive instincts, because no one in charge, or too few people in charge, are standing up and saying enough.
Behind Palm Coast’s $5.7 million Push for a Regional Racket Center, a Big Bet on Players and Partnerships
Palm Coast’s bet on a vast expansion of the Tennis Center into the Reilly Opelka Racquet Center rests on hopes for a much larger population ahead that would be keyed into tennis and pickleball, but optimistic–speculative–figures don’t match up with current trends despite a surge in 2020 in racket-sport participation.
Mayor’s State of the City Address: The Year of Covid, Universities and Renewed, Robust Growth
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland delivered the annual State of the City address and recognized the year’s recipients of three awards, including Citizen of the Year and the Public Safety Award. Here’s the full text.
Palm Coast City Manager Matt Morton’s Evaluations at Year 2: One Brutal, One Good, 3 Glowing or Stellar
City Manager Matt Morton’s past year saw some of the city’s most challenging times during the pandemic, and some of its greatest successes, with the landing of two university campuses and the return of the city’s largest manufacturing company, with 300 to 400 jobs.
Mayor Holland and Councilman Branquinho Sharply School Barbosa on Conduct Unbecoming an Elected Official
Mayor Milissa Holland–diplomatically–and Councilman Eddie Branquinho–furiously–this afternoon ended an otherwise collegial four-hour workshop by schooling Barbosa on respect, rules of order, Facebook freelancing, council behavior and the meaning of the word “corruption,” with examples.
Palm Coast Council’s Barbosa Calls for Firing Manager Matt Morton Over Nebulous Code Enforcement Tiff
Palm Coast Council member Victor Barbosa called for the firing of City Manager Matt Morton based on a a handful of internal code enforcement issues Barbosa raised, and a claim that Morton was inappropriately “tracking” his own code enforcement complaints about other residents. Barbosa’s move got no council support.
Chillin’ Out: Palm Coast Residents Love Their Quality of Life and Safety, But Have Issues With Their City, Too
The 3,000 Palm Coast residents who responded to the city’s survey about living here were overwhelmingly 55 and over, appeared to have been little affected by the pandemic and declared themselves happy with the quality of life and safety of the city, but less so with economic, cultural and shopping opportunities.
Sea Ray Plant Will Reopen as Boston Whaler, Bringing Back 300 to 400 Jobs and Annexing Into Palm Coast
Capping a whirling six months of major economic-development victories for Palm Coast, and two and a half years after the Sea Ray plant shut down off Colbert Lane, eliminating some 440 high-paying jobs, the plant will reopen very soon under the banner of Boston Whaler, a boat builder owned by Sea Ray’s parent, Brunswick Corp.
Big Savings and Unexpected Revenue Allow Palm Coast to Hire 2 More Cops and Restore Raises Despite Covid
Palm Coast’s ultra-conservative fiscal management is allowing the city to hire two additional sheriff’s deputies, restore employee raises, and restore the city manager’s own raise, which he had declined last year on the approach of Covid’s era of uncertainty.
Jon Netts, Longest-Serving Palm Coast Mayor and Council Member, the City’s Towering Founder, Dies at 78
Jon Netts, whose 15 years on the Palm Coast City Council shaped the young city and set the standard for measured, commanding and dignified leadership, died this evening at AdventHealth Palm Coast of complications from Covid-19. He was 78.
3-2 Vote Clears 268-Home Development on Matanzas Golf Course, But With Severe Restrictions
The plan the Palm Coast City Council approved strikes at the heart of the proposal, denying the developer authority to develop a key tract and upholding the city administration’s interpretation of protected golf views.
‘Councilman Corrupt.’ ‘Councilman Full of Crap.’ It’s a Grim New Day on the Palm Coast City Council.
A confrontation between Palm Coast City Council members Eddie Branquinho and Ed Danko devolved into name-calling this morning soon after Danko was sworn in during an already tense meeting, signaling an unprecedented divide on the council.
Palm Coast Faces a Town Center Reckoning: Too Many Apartments, No Commercial Development, and Looming Cash Crunch
The Palm Coast City Council is awakening to several converging realities about Town Center, the once and future promise of the city’s vitality: incentives for apartment construction have worked, incentives for commercial development have not–not yet–and turnover on the council and the administration means few recall the purpose of Town Center to start with. The mayor is looking for a reset.
GOP Infighting and Ugly Turns in Palm Coast Mayoral Race Draw Sen. Hutson’s and Supervisor’s Interventions
The conflict reflects a deep split within Flagler County Republicans, some aligned with incumbent Mayor Milissa Holland, some with challenger Alan Lowe. Both are Republicans in a supposedly non-partisan race that has turned into the single-most partisan race in Flagler aside from the top of the ticket.
Alan Lowe Ad Repeats Incendiary Claims About Milissa Holland Proven False Months Ago, Drawing Cease and Desist Letter
Palm Coast mayoral candidate Alan Lowe on Friday twice aired a 100-second campaign commercial attacking incumbent Mayor Milissa Holland for lying, only to himself repeat a set of lies about her that were proven false months ago, which may amount to lying with reckless disregard for the truth–a legally actionable offense even when attacking a public figure.
Palm Coast Mayoral Candidate Alan Lowe Had Declared Himself ‘Sovereign Citizen,’ Rejecting Constitution and Law for God
As Palm Coast mayoral candidate Alan Lowe battled the IRS over unpaid taxes in the early 1990s, he declared himself a sovereign citizen and rejected all governmental authority. At 59, he registered to vote only before his own primary, when he voted for the first time in his life.
Milissa Holland Campaign Will Edit TV Spot That Appeared to Dog Whistle as GOP, Democrats, NAACP and Lowe Rebuke It
A 30-second Milissa Holland campaign ad against Alan Lowe implies he’s a criminal (he’s not) just as he appears next to a Black man. The ad, part of a 30-ads-a-day buy, was produced by a high-powered firm that worked for Donald Trump and appeared on Fox News. An ad not featuring the segment appeared on MSNBC.
With 4 of 5 Council Seats In Play, Palm Coast Could Be In for Radical Redirection. Voters Face Far-Reaching Choice.
A comprehensive analysis of the 10 candidates for the four Palm Coast City Council seats, including mayor, illustrates to what extent voters are poised to make a choice that could either significantly shift the direction of the city, but with an uncertain destination, or maintain its course.
Palm Coast Will Establish an Arts District in Town Center as New Spur for Commerce of Culture
The Palm Coast City Council is moving toward establishing an arts district in Town Center, bringing together key arts and culture organizations through an arts council and dedicating revenue from the Town Center redevelopment zone to match private grants, spur artistic and cultural activity in the district and further encourage economic development.
Denouncing the McCarthyist Smear Campaign Against Palm Coast’s Mayor and Manager
Falsely accusing a competitor, or anyone, of corruption and being a criminal is vile. That type of McCarthyist behavior shouldn’t be applauded. It should be denounced. And it speaks volumes of the character and integrity of the ones flinging those accusations around, argues Brad West.
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.
Alan Lowe, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Alan Lowe is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Michael Schottey, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Michael Schottey is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Milissa Holland, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Milissa Holland is the Palm Coast mayor, running for re-election. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Don Greene, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
Don Greene is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
John Brady, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview
John Brady is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
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.
Palm Coast Investigates Itself. The Result Is Not Impressive.
Palm Coast City Manager Matt Morton brought in an investigator to investigate the city’s own internal investigations process and its handling of public records, some of them involving Milissa Holland and Coastal Cloud. The result excused several misjudgments.
In Major Coup for Palm Coast, UNF in Town Center Is a Go as MedNex Initiative Survives Veto
The University of North Florida’s plan to build a satellite presence in Palm Coast’s Town Center as a feeder of health care practitioners to regional hospitals and clinics is a go as the $24 million dollar MedNex initiative survived Gov. Ron DeSantis’s veto pen today.
A Candidate’s False Claims Against Mayor Holland Mix With Troubling Email Revelations
Michael Schottey, challenging Milissa Holland for Palm Coast Mayor, made false claims that the FDLE was conducting a criminal investigation but revealed two emails where she mixed city with private business.
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland Files for Re-Election Amid Crowded Field
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland has drawn four challengers so far, more than any candidate in Flagler’s local races this year. The challengers are John Brady, Don Greene, Alan Lowe and Michael Schottey, all but one newcomers to electoral politics.
Palm Coast Manager Morton Turns Down $7,000 Raise After Solid Performance Review of 1st Year
Palm Coast City Manager Matt Morton got a 3.73 out of 5 in his first annual evaluation, 14 months into his job, and turned down a 5 percent raise as an example, he said, of the sacrifices he’s asked of the rest of city staff.
Flagler Sheriff Addresses Killing of George Floyd and Wednesday Protests in Palm Coast and Flagler Beach
“Policing should not be policing the community but instead it should be policing with the community, which is the model we use in Flagler County,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in the statement. Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland also issued a statement.
Palm Coast Data Laying Off 150, Closing Shop on Commerce Blvd. and Looking For New Home in the City
A combination of legal wrangles and financial difficulties led to Palm Coast Data’s eviction from its Commerce Boulevard location and layoffs of 40 percent of its workforce as it outsources core services. The company pledges to remain in Palm Coast.
Richard Adams, Who Carried Palm Coast’s Water for 43 Years, Retires as He Worked: Quietly
Richard Adams, Palm Coast’s towering but famously modest utility director since 2003 and a presence in the city’s water infrastructure for 43 years, retired at the end of last week to remote accolades and an honorary flush.
At Gargantuan Feed Palm Coast Food Drop, Tears, Solidarity, and the Reality About Those ‘Late-Model Cars’
No government, no military contingent, no church or any other private organization had ever attempted what Palm Coast government and Parkview Church did Saturday: the distribution of 5,000 boxes packed with a week’s worth of groceries, and thousands of additional boxes of snacks and Easter candy, for families that streamed through the two drop locations.
Facing Bankruptcy, Flagler County Chamber of Commerce Prepares to Dissolve, Ending 60-Year Run
The Flagler County Chamber of Commerce board is meeting this afternoon to dissolve the 60-year-old organization as the coronavirus crisis tipped it into bankruptcy. The move follows several years of struggles, downsizing, and layoffs as recent as early February, before the crisis struck.