- December 16, 2025
Due to greater medical capacities and an extra part-time employee, Flagler County Flight Operations anticipates increased revenue and a 10.94% larger budget, for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, according to County Administrator Craig Coffey.
Flagler County’s FireFlight helicopter, the emergency services rig, will be more expensive to operate in the 2011-2012 fiscal year, but it will also bring in more revenue and offer wider service options, according to County Administrator Craig Coffey, at the Aug. 8 budget session.
“We’re anticipating more revenue,” Coffey said. His projections are due to newly installed medical equipment in the chopper, which will allow for a larger service range, as well as an additional part-time pilot, which will expand the helicopters’ hours of availability.
“The part-time employee will bring stability,” he said.
“We can (now) transport seriously ill patients to different hospitals,” added Don Petito, fire chief. He cited a recent incident in which crews were able to relocate a patient in critical condition to a hospital in Miami, which Flagler hasn’t been able to do in the past.
The anticipated revenue increase is projected at $44,971. “That’s going to lessen the burden on the general fund,” Coffey said.
But more staff and better equipment has its price.
Project flight expenses took a jump from last year’s $293,505 budget, to $353,894. Most increases came from $35,500 for the additional pilot, $24,252 in fuel costs and $16,900 for maintenance. The price of property casualty insurance is slated to drop $25,890, due to a lack of incidents.
In total, the flight operations budget will see a $55,029, or 10.94%, increase.
Flagler County Airport
Several alterations and additions are scheduled for the Flagler County Airport in the coming budget year, including air-traffic-control tower extension, runway extension and relocation, master-plan update, construction of T-hangers and partial construction of a south entrance road.
An extended water line ($104,695) is planned for the control tower, which will create a looped system through Belle Terre.
The master plan update ($200,000) will include aviation activity forecasts with actual air-traffic data, re-evaluation of development of north/southeast flight lines, incorporation of environmental data and updated airspace development.
Runway compliance renovations ($219,750) and design/permitting of runway relocation and extension ($630,000) will have no operating impact and will allow for additional federal funding.
The partial construction of the new south entrance road ($1 million) will be paid for half by the state and half with economic development dollars. Additional costs are estimated at more than $3 million.
T-hanger construction, and associated ramp and taxilane ($1 million), will be funded primarily through the state, and is expected to increase annual airport revenue by $64,800.
Most airport projects will be paid for with grants.
Debt service update
From an initial $3.7 million loan, issued in 2002 to refund a 1991 special assessment revenue bond for extensions and improvements to Colbert Lane, the county is down to under $1 million left to pay off.
In the 2011-2012 fiscal year, $358,362 will be put toward the loan. The final maturity date is scheduled for July 1, 2014.
A $6.7 million limited general obligation bond was issued to the county in 2005 for the acquisition of environmentally sensitive lands. This coming budget year, $670,894 will put toward the loan.
Its final maturity date is scheduled for July 1, 2017.
