- December 15, 2025
About 24 hours after elected officials from each municipality and the county got together as a half-cent sales tax “task force,” the Palm Coast City Council unofficially opposed the plan put forth by County Commission Chairwoman Barbara Revels.
The City Council addressed Revels’ proposal at its Tuesday morning meeting. No formal vote was taken, but at least three council members weren't in support.
Revels’ plan, which was presented Monday, would extend the half-cent sales tax for 15 years instead of 10, which could ease the cities into the state formula over a six-year period. The distribution would stay the same for the first year, but by the end of the sixth year — assuming the total revenues remain the same — Palm Coast would get a little more than $2 million. Flagler County’s portion would go from $1.2 million to $1.8 million. Every year for the first five years, each city would see a slash in their distribution by about 5%, according to Revels' plan.
Under the current formula, Palm Coast gets 64% and the county gets 29%. It expires Dec. 31. (According to the Department of Revenue, the half-cent tax generates more than $4 million per year, of which the county receives about 29%, or about $1.2 million. Palm Coast currently receives about 64% of the tax, or $2.6 million.)
City Councilmen Jason DeLorenzo and Frank Meeker did show some support for Revels' plan, but the majority of the council wasn’t in favor of the proposal.
City Councilman Bill McGuire said the current formula shouldn’t be changed. He said the money collected should be distributed to the areas with greatest need — which are the areas of high population.
“I guess maybe I’d be a little more receptive if somebody came forward from the county and said, ‘If we had the revenues that we don’t have now, here’s what we’d spend it on,’” McGuire said. ... “But all I’ve heard from out at the Taj Mahal is ‘We need more money because we can’t make ends meet with what we’re getting now.’”
DeLorenzo said he would be "happiest" with the current agreement.
“This is a compromise that I’m comfortable with,” DeLorenzo said. “If we have nothing, we’re going to be in big trouble — that’s the slippery slope.”
City Councilman Bill Lewis said the bulk of the money is coming from "the big elephant." He also said he's not as generous with his money as others might be.
"I think we reached a point where we should give up some of it, but I don't like the current distribution," Lewis said. "I think there should be a revision ... but it should still reflect where the bulk of the money comes from. I'm willing to share some of the money, but I'm not willing to share all of it."
County officials have repeatedly said that they want the increased distribution to spend money on jail expansion and renovations at the old Flagler County Courthouse so the Sheriff’s Office can expand its administrative offices.
Bunnell City Commission approves plan
The Bunnell City Commission approved an alternative plan for distribution of the half-cent sales tax proposed by County Commission Chairwoman Barbara Revels with a 4-0 vote Monday night.
Revels introduced the proposal at half-cent sales tax “task force” meeting Monday morning. The plan would extend the period of the sales tax and gradually bring the revenues in line with a state formula used by most of the counties in the state to distribute the revenue.
“The city of Bunnell — in an effort to contribute to the overall public safety of the entire county — voted to support the default formula provided by Flagler County for the half-cent sales tax,” Bunnell City Manager Armando Martinez said. He said Vice Mayor Jenny Crain-Brady was unable to attend Monday night’s meeting.
Revels said each municipality and the county have issues that need to be funded.
“It is important that we join with the School Board and present this as a continuation of an existing sales tax,” Revels said. “My plan is presented as a compromise position to provide the funding needed to expand the jail.”
Each of the representatives agreed to bring the suggestions discussed at the meeting back to their respective councils and commissions. The city managers and county administrator are scheduled to meet afterward to determine if a compromise can be worked out. (See above for the Palm Coast City Council decision.)
To place the referendum on the ballot at the same time as the Flagler County School Board’s proposed half-cent sales tax, the ballot language would have to be submitted by the end of the first week in June to the Flagler County Supervisor of Elections.
