- December 16, 2025
8:02 p.m. UPDATE:
Closing Statements
The Mayoral Candidates
In his closing statement, Jon Netts said the most important issues are job retention and job creation, as well as tax stabilization and environmental enhancement. Finally, he said the city must maintain its infrastructure.
Charles Ericksen Jr. said to the audience: “I have no political experience, but I consider that as a plus, as you should. I bring a new set of eyes and problem-solving skills.” He added that he will be accountable to the residents and the business community.
Joe Cunnane said: “The incumbent mentioned he’s interested in job retention. He’s talking about his job. He’s been in office since 2001. It’s time to go.” Cunnane blamed Netts for the problems in the city and suggested Netts should not be allowed to have another five years in office, which would bring his tenure to 16 years in Palm Coast.
District 3
Jason DeLorenzo said his top three issues are diversifying the economy and adding jobs, addressing the infrastructure and making Palm Coast a vibrant community. “I want to see Palm Coast prosper in the future … I’ve served on 11 different community committees or advisory boards, including a 2.5-year stint on the Flagler County Futures Committee, which puts our total county plan in motion. I’ve prepared for this.”
Dennis Cross: “I think Palm Coast is great place to live. And I think I can help make it even better. I think my previous experience in government, and my previous experience in government can help me do that job. I’m a retiree, and I will be a full-time councilman. I owe no allegiance to anyone except you, the taxpayers.”
District 1
Holsey Moorman said, “I have enjoyed (my time) on the City Council. We’ve done some good things. We’ve reduced the budget by $8.1 million. We’ve reduced the staffing by 25 people.” He said that even though the proposed millage rate will go up by 4.999 cents, residents will not see an increase in their actual taxes. “Keep in mind that the budget has been reduced without a reduction in service,” he said. I have a great desire to serve another five years … I have enjoyed serving the people. All of my adult life, I have served. I answer the call. The pone rings, I respond.”
Bill McGuire said he has more than 40 years of management and cost-cutting experience. He said he was invited to deliver presentations to the city of Bunnell and to the Flagler County School Board. He said he helped the School Board cut $3.5 million without cutting jobs. “That shows what I can do for the city of Palm Coast.”
7:40 p.m. UPDATE:
Question: Under what circumstances would you be willing to build a new city hall and how would you fund the construction?
DeLorenzo: A new city hall has been on the minds for everyone for quite some time. The cons of course are the cost. OK, we know it can be an expensive building, although building it now can be cheaper than building in the future. Another con would be the economic vacuum that could be caused by city hall leaving city marketplace. If the city hall was to be built, I think it’s up to the voters to decide. But I do think there are benefits for a city hall to be built but all options must be looked it.
McGuire: The two questions really go hand in hand. ... I think that we’re about five years away from seriously considering building a city hall. I think we need to take care of our infrastructure first. I say it’s at least five years off.
Moorman: Now is not the time. We don’t have the funds we would need. However, paying $240,000 per year in rent to me doesn’t make sense. ... And to continue to pay rent, all you have in your desk drawer is a rent receipt. You don’t own anything because you are putting that money in someone else’s pocket. The city of this size, we need a city hall. When this economic session is over, we really need to take into consideration building a city hall that represents the beauty that we have here.
Cross: As previous speakers, this is not the time to build it. It certainly would take the city marketplace and create an atmosphere that you’d never entice another business to go there again. When would I build it? I would build it when I saw that the rental vs. construction costs equation was better. I’ll continue to rent. I would go to referendum and let the public decide when do we really need it and how do we want to finance it.
Ericksen: When the voters of Palm Coast say move forward with a city hall. I guess I’m missing something. I understood that over the last year, we had regular city meetings where the city did acknowledge that the city did say we had the $10 million. ...
Netts: The when is when you’re able to produce a cost-benefit analysis that shows an advantage to the residents for the taxpayers. ... You’ve got to do that analysis. How would you fund it? The only way to fund it is to bond it because you spread the cost over many, many years, and the residents who come to Palm Coast 30 years from now will pay their share like residents living here now are paying their share.
Cunnane: I’m back to leadership. The council sent out a guy that did a great job that tried to sell the residents on building a new city hall. Mr. Landon made five presentations around the city to people I was at all the meetings and I listened to all the arguments. This financial director Ray Britt is not only a philosopher, he’s also a magician. The site they want to put it on is wrong. It’s not a premium site. The residents never put it here. You wouldn’t like the barracks that they are willing to put up that they call a city hall.
7:28 p.m. UPDATE:
Question: Please tell us what common city and county services you think could be consolidated. Why?
Moorman: We could start with purchasing. We use the same products, from fuel in our vehicles to paper in our offices and vehicles … items to support our administrative operations.
Repairing a road in the county is the same process as repairing a road in Palm Coast. Parks and recreation is another. A playground is a playground is a playground.
But it would be a matter of everybody agreeing to get along … We’d all have to get along like adults and not have these turf issues.
As far as fire and EMS, I don’t think I’ll ever see it — or any of these consolidation efforts.
McGuire: In the general fund, at least half of the money goes to fire and police protection. About a month ago, Council Member Meeker suggested we could combine.
I don’t think we have had a good cost analysis. I would recommend a joint workshop between the county and the city.
I don’t know if it could be done, but it certaintly should be looked into. A lot of money goes into these big ticket items.
DeLorenzo: Some of these concepts shouldn't be just county and city, but also School Board. Each of these groups should meet together quarterly.
Fleet maintenance and fire and EMS are possibilities.
There’s a distinct level of service you get from your fire department, and that would have to be worked out. There’s also the issue of the equipment and the buildings, and I haven’t seen a plan for how this might work. But if we moved all those services to Flagler County and relied on the city of Palm Coast to reduce our ad valorem taxes that pay for those services, would that be a one-time savings? Would the taxes creep back up?
Cross: Don’t limit the purchasing to just city and county. School Board.
Also, emergency services. We have fire trucks responding to 97% of the calls, when 96% of the calls are for EMS. How can we allocate the trained resources?
Looking out a bit, another opportunity we should look at, as we move with the vehicle fleet, we could eventually move to natural gas fleets … Why do we each have to have our own refueling station?
7:24 p.m. UPDATE
Question: What do you think about the decision to put the desalination project on hold?
Netts: It is on hold. The reality is that five years ago, the water management district came to us and said we won’t renew your permits unless you provide us with an alternative-use plan. ... Clearly, the cheapest water is the water that you don’t use. You can only conserve so much. The alternative is to build that big fence up along St. Mary’s River and simply say there’s no more growth. Perfectly legimate option. You then have consequences. When should it be reviewed again? Before we go into crisis, we need to track growth. I think we’ve got the answer. How and when do you implement it?
Cunnane: I agree, it’s one of the best decisions they’ve made recently. It should be put on hold. There is no need for it. This story that you hear from time to time “the sky is falling, the sky is falling” and we’re going to be out of water. It’s just not true. When we talk about doing something good to the city, they continually tell you how great the water is in Palm Coast. I drink it, it is great. But why don’t’ we bottle it? I’ve asked them. Bottle the water, sell it, and raise revenue. Don’t raise taxes.
Ericksen: The decision to put it on hold was correct. I am opposed to desalination. I can’t imagine threatening our tourism b business and reducing our value of homes by putting the plant that is the equivalent to 250 houses. Try to hide that between the interstate north and the cceanside and you try to convince people that they can go in the water safely. It’s just a bad idea. I’d rather bring the water down from the St. Johns River and process that particular water.
7:16 p.m. UPDATE
Question: Are you in favor of diverting funds for road repairs to update storm water systems?
Moorman: Yes. We just discussed that today as part of the upcoming budget. We will use some of that half-cent sales tax that was dedicated for road improvements and use it for stormwater …
When ITT built Palm Coast, the state said you had to put in the infrastructure whether you need it or not. And now, it’s deteriorating all at once. So we have to find the funds to replace these structures.
McGuire: I’m in favor of diverting funds from repaving roads to stormwater funds. The city did a great job of repaving, and the condition of the roads is such that we don’t need to repave 50 miles a year …
I’m in favor.
Question: Signage and parking commercial vehicles in driveways have been an issue for many local buinesses. What is your approach?
DeLorenzo: I heard a business person tell me recently that to follow the city’s code, he had to buy a new truck. It cost him $20,000 ...
That is being very un-business-firnedly, to have a company spend an extra $20,000.
I worked very hard on signage over the past few years, and I worked on the Chamber of Commerce’s committee that helped rewrite the entire sign ordinance. Many of the suggestions were accepted; some were not. Some that were not were temperoray signs for open house, and changes of the dimensions of the signs.
Cross: On the signage issue, I think I would be more sympathetic, especially with Realtors. I don’t think we need to rush in there at open houses (and take down their signs). Let’s give them a break.
On the commercial vehicles, I’m torn. Are we talking about a smaller vehicle with a small sign, I don’t have a problem. If you’re talking large vehicles with large signs, I’m not in favor.
7:12 p.m. UPDATE:
As a follow-up question for the three mayoral candidates, each was asked: "What do you think the city can do to improve its perception of business frinedliness?"
Ericksen: I think the city needs to be aggressive and go out and talk to the businesses that are out there. Accumulate what the five or six most common misperceptions are and address them one at a time so that the businesses can better understand. The businesses that I’ve talked to have concerns over the rules and regulations that they have to abide by.
Netts: We have many good things going on. ... One of the things that we need to do is recognize that many of these issues cross jurisdictional lines. ... We need to take a look at where our businesses are doing business and make the transition more smooth.
Cunnane: The city has to show some leadership in what they do. Show a leadership role. Not only to the employees, but to the outside world that talks to the employees. As your mayor, I will not accept an increase until the next two years go by to see where we are. That shows leadership — that you’re willing to suffer along with the workforce. ... I will not take an increase even if someone says (I) should do it. That person would be (City Manager) Jim Landon. I hate to pick on him, but he’s the one causing all the trouble.
7: 05 p.m. UPDATE:
On a scale of 1 to 5, with five being the highest, how business friendly is the city of Palm Coast?
Cross: 3
Not too long ago, I would have said they were a 2. I think strides have been made to improve. First of all, that’s a key objective for the city. People have to be trained with customer relation skills so that first impression to any business or resident (is business friendly).
The first contact with the customer should not the person who is lowest on the payroll.
DeLorenzo: 3
We were much lower, but there has been some real improvement over the last year or so, with the formation of the Business Assistance Center, and the plan for Prosperity 2021.
And also the plan to look at our codes. It can be very costly to do business in Palm Coast. I will do that as your councilman, look for opportunities to make it easier to do business in Palm Coast.
McGuire: 3.157
If you go around the city of Palm Coast and talk tot eh businesses, I’ve talked to realtors who complain that I’ve put up signs for open houses, and the code enforcement takes them down, and I’ve also heard, “I don’t have any problems.” I’ve also heard complaints.
The complaints always say it’s with code enforcement. But I’m going to indict them because I haven’t gotten inside.
I think we should have a seminar and have businesses tell us what would it take.
It really runs the spectrum.
Moorman: 3.5 to 4
The Business Assistance Center is doing just that. It is helping the people understand. The code is not written in a vacuum. The business people have the opportunity to come to those meetings, voice their opinions, whether they object to the code.
There is also an open-door policy to the staff, if they have a problem. WE are not a closed-door city. You have the opportunity to attend the meetings. We operate in the sunshine. You hear what’s going on. I have friends in retail and real estate. And they all are pleased with the way things are being run.
Come out on Oct. 7, at the Hammock Resort. The Business Assistance Center is doing a seminar for all the businesses.
7 p.m. UPDATE:
Question: Would you be willing to renegotiate upper -level management compensation packages?
Ericksen: "Any time you have an employee, you have an opportunity to set up what the performance expectations are. I guess you’re just looking, if you have a good relationship with any employee, it’s a two-sided relationship. ... If it’s below expectations, I would push for a renegotiation of the contract. But when these contracts are in writing, they have their own language drawn up and that’s what the city has to agree to, or that individual doesn’t come with you in first place.
Netts said that in the city of Palm Coast, once upon a time, there was a city manager and an assistant city manager.
"We have put all supervision in the hands of one individual. The reality is, Charlie (Ericksen) has that one right. If the man is performing his job and he’s performing, you live up to the contract."
Cunnane: "I touched on it earlier. I will say this: We have no control over the city manager. The city manager is hired by the council. The city manager is evaluated by the council. And the citizens in this room cannot fire the city manager. Would I renegotiate? Absolutely."
6:47 p.m. UPDATE:
Question: What kind of structure or organization should oversee or manage economic development initiatives?
Cunnane: “I’ve been watching the city grow for the past 10 years. Unfortunately, the city grows faster than the businesses. I maintain that the city is anti-business” ... The City Council doesn’t know about business, he said.
He added: “The city employees are ordinance crazy. They have an ordinance for everything. I say we put in a common sense ordinance and not continue down the road we’re going down.”
Ericksen said he thinks a sales tax increase could be a good option for funding economic development initiatives.
He also said there aren’t enough successful business people involved in the conversations. “We need to attract a super person for economic development.”
Netts: “Before we talk about funding, we need to talk about a plan first.” He said the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners should fund it through countywide tax, if at all. That way, everyone is taxed equally in the county.
“The first issue is to come up with a plan before you talk about funding,” he said.
6:42 p.m. UPDATE:
The question asked to Palm Coast City Council District 3 candidate Dennis Cross was, “How you believe the city should help existing businesses grow?
Cross said the the city should help existing businesses grow.
“We should support existing businesses so they can expand jobs and expand services. I think, basically, the existing business has made an investment in Palm Coast just like you and I, and that’s who we should support. And that’s the near-term solution."
According to Cross, 75% to 80% of all new jobs are created by small- and medium-sized businesss.
This is not a quick turnaround and the ability to attract a large, large company is a long-term solution, Cross said.
"Address the business assistance concept and make it work,” Cross said.
Candidate Jason DeLorenzo’s response:
"We need to protect ourselves from our current situation by diversifying our economy. ... As far as local businesses, I’ve been working for local businesses for the last four years."
DeLorenzo added: "We need to make it easier for them to do business; be a more business-friendly city."
6:32 p.m. UPDATE:
The three mayoral candidates are Joe Cunnane, Charles Ericksen Jr. and incumbent Jon Netts.
Cunnane said, “We have three seats (on the City Council) that could be replaced with new people. I say replace them. We’ve been through too many screw-ups.” He added that the city manager essentially runs the city, and that needs to stop.
Ericksen said, "Palm Coast doesn't have a taxing problem, it has a spending problem." He said there is still excess in the Palm Coast budget, and that a low millage rate doesn't account for all the other ways the city raises and spends money.
Netts said, that, while others talked about it, Palm Coast instituted a plan called Prospoerity 2021, to protect the neighborhoods and the existing business community, as well as expanding businesses.
He also said Palm Coast has helped the community through its new Business Assistance Center.
6:25 p.m. UPDATE:
To begin the forum, moderator David Ayres, of WNZF reminded the participants that the coverage was live.
“Please keep it clean,” he said. “I don’t like being fined by the FCC.”
After an introduction by Lea Stokes, chairwoman of the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce & Affiliates, welcomed the 160 attendees and said this was a sign that people are active in this community.
Each candidate gave three-minute introductions.
