- December 15, 2025
A town-hall meeting will be scheduled to hear input on Volusia possibly taking over local aging services.
In a long and sometimes heated Nov. 7 workshop of the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners, the board discussed with Volusia County representatives the possibility of Volusia’s Council on Aging taking control of several local elder-care services.
“We’re bringing this forward as a proposal, potentially, to save money,” County Administrator Craig Coffey said, “and possibly to enhance services.”
Following the retirement of Lynda Linke, Flagler’s director of social services, Volusia Council on Aging Director Doug Beach approached staff with the proposal. The way he explained it, the program is a win-win. By employing current Flagler workers — nine county staff members would shift to the Council on Aging, with the same pay but different benefits — Volusia’s agency would save money on travel and administration. It would also grow, allowing it to more easily obtain grant funding.
It would be a win for Flagler, as well, he said, because with programming savings of $170,000 in the first year, $245,000 in Year 2 and $320,000 by Year 3, it would retain the same services. The county would also save an additional $110,000 in personnel costs.
Nothing would change on the state-funding side, either. And local vendors would not see any increased competition — their businesses may even grow, if the Council on Aging’s plan to increase Medicaid coverage comes through.
But the issue was far from black and white.
Murmers rattled through the crowd from a handful of concerned citizens, most scoffing at the idea of Volusia taking what’s “ours.” Why should they get our facilities so cheap? they whispered. What if they fire all of our people and hire theirs? What about local competition? Shouldn’t the elderly be serviced by neighbors, not strangers?
Coffey attempted to address the concerns.
“It’ll be the same folks in the same facilities doing the same jobs … You’d just have a different nameplate outside,” he said, in reference to the Adult Day Care on Belle Terre Parkway.
The program would be run through ElderSource, the local area agency on aging, and would be heavily regulated. If the switch were to occur, seniors would retain the same home-health providers they have now. In time, the Meals on Wheels program could begin incorporating hot meals. Local respite care — Beach called Volusia’s respite care “one of the best in the state” — could improve.
“We have no interest in changing any of (Flagler’s services) right now,” Beach added.
But certain commissioners remained wary.
“For a program that’s not broken, you’re offering to fix (it),” Nate McLaughlin said.
Commissioner George Hanns, although repeating several times that it was nothing personal, made his opinion abundantly clear: Flagler County earned what it has, and he doesn’t intend to relinquish control of it to outsiders any time soon.
“I’m very self-protective of Flagler County,” he said. “Almost 20 years ago, we were working out of the trunk of our car … We’ve spent a tremendous amount of dollars to obtain the facilities we have now … We’ve worked so hard for it … And our citizens deserve, I think, that personal contact.”
At one point, Beach got short with a resident and McLaughlin warned him not to berate Flagler citizens. Another, Larry Jones, an independent contractor who helped bring the proposal to the table, cut Commissioner Milissa Holland off mid-sentence, telling her, ”Let me finish.”
After, Chairman Alan Peterson reminded him that he speaks when the board allows him to — not the other way around.
“This is our house,” Hanns said.
In the end, commissioners agreed that the proposal’s potential efficiencies warranted further exploration.
“It appears to be a winner for the county, financially,” Peterson said. “It appears to be a winner for the residents, because they might get expanded services … It appears there’s nothing detrimental to (vendors).”
There was consensus to move forward and involve the public in town-hall meetings to be scheduled.
“Change always creates issues, and you can’t say 100% on anything,” Coffey said. But he reminded everyone that if the system didn’t work, its contract could always be revoked.
“If you guys aren’t happy with us, we don’t want to be here,” Beach said.
SWITCHING SERVICES
According to the proposal, some of Flagler’s services the Volusia Council on Aging would take provision over are as follows:
Meals on Wheels
Home Health Care
Medicare/Medicaid and grant services
Financial and welfare guardianship
Senior center management
Caregiver respite care
Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Initiatives and Care
