- December 14, 2025
County expenses are estimated to increase $3.3 million this fiscal year.
County Administrator Craig Coffey hosted a 2012-2013 budget overview Monday morning, April 9, and he started by outlining Flagler’s financial challenges in the coming year.
Since 2007, local taxable property value has decreased 46%, he said, from about $12.2 billion to about $6.6 billion last year. This has led to lost revenues, he added, explaining that in 2007, Flagler collected about $48 million in property tax and, in 2011, it collected about $40.3 million.
This year, Coffey anticipates another $1.5 million less collected.
Also listed as challenges to this year’s county budget are increased fuel costs (an increase of 5 cents per gallon would equate to a $250,000 increase for the year); a 5% millage reduction, totaling a $2 million loss; Florida Power & Light’s projected increases of $50,000; estimated Medicaid increases of $250,000; and possible employee cost-of-living adjustments totaling $750,000.
Coffey’s total estimated challenges combine to an extra $3.3 million the county could have to fund over last year’s budget. But operations are more efficient, he said.
“We’ve privatized some stuff,” he told the board. “We’ve replaced landscaping crews.”
Since 2007, 65 county positions have also been eliminated. And to save gas money, more vans and fewer buses have been used for public transportation.
“We’ve also been focusing a lot on electricity,” he said. “But I think the fuel side will be another frontier that we (can work on).”
Clarifying that, in his projections, he overestimated shortfalls and underestimated revenues in an effort to be conservative, Coffey also cited future concerns, like the potential passing of Amendment 4, which would prohibit increases in the assessed value of homestead property and could cost the county $1.1 million. Other valuation reductions were also mentioned, totaling $500,000, as were operational costs and a jail/Sheriff’s office expansion totaling $3 million, equipment replacements and changes to health insurance and laws.
“You’ll either have to drastically cut services, or you’ll have to raise taxes,” he told the board, assuming that Amendment 4 passes the Florida Legislature. “There are no free lunches.”
On the positive side of the balance sheet, Coffey cited budgetary assistance funds totaling $1.2 million, for jail planning, reductions to the retirement rate and in fire grants.
As for closing the gap between revenues and expenses, “We’re faced with the same choices we are every year,” Coffey said. The board could decide to spend its reserves, it could initiate electric franchise fees, further reduce services, staff, equipment and capital projects, or raise millage.
This week alone, Coffey told the board, he has 15 to 20 budget meetings to attend. All departments’ budgets were turned in March 27.
The next budget workshop with the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners is scheduled for May 24, with two follow-up sessions in June, which are planned to cover the entire general fund and most other departments.
