- December 16, 2025
The County Commission scrutinized the Tourist Development Council’s upcoming year campaign and budget proposal, voting against $9,300 in salary increases for Peggy Heiser and other staff members.
Although the Tourist Development Council previously approved an $800,000 budget proposal including salary increases for three tourism employees, the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners had to agree to the plan before it could be adopted. The board unanimously voted in favor of the budget. However, it denited pay increased, subtracting $9,300 from staff and fulfillment.
“So, for the staff working today, (salaries are) going to remain level?” Commissioner Barbara Revels asked County Administrator Craig Coffey.
“Yes, ma’am,” Coffey said.
Peggy Heiser, vice president of tourist development for the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce & Affiliates, presented the budget/marketing plan to the TDC board at an Aug. 17 meeting.
Raises would have benefited her and two other full-time employees. The TDC voted 6-1 in favor of the raises.
The staffing budget also was increased in Heiser’s plan to account for one part-time employee to work in the county visitor center. The commission accepted that increase.
Commissioners then discussed Heiser’s proposal to launch a yearlong visitor impact study and formalize a new strategic plan.
Revels worried that, in consideration of TDC’s past success and its current direction, funds for a market study may be better spent elsewhere.
“I would love to see those dollars go into more promotional areas,” she said.
Commissioner Milissa Holland, who is also on the TDC and voted for the pay increases, disagreed with Revels.
“For us to not recognize that the economic conditions have changed … that we have more (technology) available to us … I believe this is an essential component for us to continue the success of tourism in Flagler County,” she said.
“I believe in research,” Hesier said. “I believe we’ve come a long way (and) we’ve got a long way to go. The research is imperative to our future success.”
She added that the TDC currently has completed about 98% of its initiatives from its previous three-year plan.
“We can either stay level or keep moving forward,” she said.
With the total proposed budget about 25% larger than last year’s, Revels elaborated on why the board denied raises.
“We have to be good stewards of that money,” she said. “I couldn’t, in good conscience, agree to something like that when the rest of our community is in such distress.”
“The point that we must remember is that these are public funds, regardless of how they arrived,” added Commission Chairman Alan Peterson.
Bing’s Landing to be improved
The County Commission unanimously agreed to accept a revised funding grant from the Florida Department of Transportation for improvements to Bing’s Landing, including a floating canoe launch, an ocean-view overlook and a new pavilion, all of which will be built in the new southern portion of the property.
The original local agency program grant, through FDOT, was approved by the commission on March 1, 2010, in the amount of $250,000. The monies, from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, were allocated toward design and construction. A building contract was awarded to Bunnell-based contractor S.E. Cline Construction ($172,325), in November 2010. An inspection contract was then awarded to Reynolds, Smith and Hills CS Inc. ($44,910), in March 2011, bringing the total cost of the project to $217,235.
The county will return $32,765 to FDOT, for the funds to be reassigned by the state.
