- December 15, 2025
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How to fund it?
The Flagler County jail was built in 1990, with a 132-bed capacity. Flagler’s population has grown exponentially over the past 22 years. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Flagler’s population in 1990 was approximately 28,701. In 2010, it jumped to 95,696.
The county population has tripled, but the number of beds at the jail hasn’t changed.
At the April 10 intergovernmental meeting between the county and the cities, Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano told the elected officials that it’s their responsibility to provide corrections facilities.
“We don’t want to get to the point where you have the federal government coming in,” he said.
Sheriff Donald Fleming also spoke at the meeting. He said the administrative building at the jail is too small at 10,000 square feet, adding that one of the majors is working out of a closet.
In addition to jail expansion, county officials and Fleming are hoping to move the Sheriff’s Office administration into the old Flagler County Courthouse.
“The agency has grown in leaps and bounds over the last 10 years — we’ve doubled or tripled the manpower that we have,” Fleming said.
At a presentation earlier this month to the County Commission, County Administrator Craig Coffey said $15 million to $25 million will be necessary to expand the county’s jail and Sheriff’s Office within the next 10 years.
The problem is how to fund it. With the half-cent sales tax set to expire Dec. 31, Flagler County officials see a possible solution. Currently, an interlocal agreement dictates that Palm Coast gets 64% of the annual tax, while the county gets 28.9%. However, the county has considered switching to the Department of Revenue’s default distribution formula, which would decrease Palm Coast’s share to 49.9% and raise the county’s share to 45.2%.
County Commissioner Barbara Revels said: “Accepting the (current) interlocal formula will not allow the county to meet its legal obligations, and I think that the point that we are trying to make is this is what we have to do, what we are mandated to do.”
Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts responded, saying “it’s not quite true” when county officials say they can’t legally meet their responsibilities in regard to the jail without taking a higher percentage of the sales tax revenue. Moreover, Netts said Palm Coast is committed to using its portion of the half-cent sales tax to continue road resurfacing as well as address several stormwater infrastructure projects.
“This is crucial to Palm Coast,” Netts said. “Is it more crucial than jail expansion? No, it’s a different responsibility for a different governmental entity.”
County Commissioner Milissa Holland said the entities must work together.
“If we do nothing and we leave here tonight, then we’re all going to lose,” Holland said. “Each municipality is going to lose out and the county will join you in losing.”
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