- April 18, 2024
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Palm Coast's new City Council: newly-elected Councilman Jack Howell, Councilman Nick Klufas, Mayor Milissa Holland, newly-elected Councilman Eddie Branquinho, and Councilman Bob Cuff. (Photos by Jonathan Simmons)
Jack Howell takes the oath of office.
Eddie Branquinho takes the oath of office.
Councilwoman Heidi Shipley did not run for re-election. Jack Howell is taking her seat.
Councilman Vincent Lyon served as interim councilman after former councilman Steven Noble left before the end of his term. Lyon is being replaced by Eddie Branquinho.
County Judge Melissa Moore Stens swears in Joe Mullins for the District 4 County Commission seat. (Photo courtesy of the Flagler County government)
County Judge Melissa Moore Stens swears in District 2 County Commissioner Greg Hansen. (Photo courtesy of the Flagler County government)
The Palm Coast and Flagler County governments swore in their newly elected representatives in ceremonies held the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 20.
Following the business of a regular City Council meeting, Palm Coast swore in Jack Howell as the new councilman for the city's District 2 seat, replacing Heidi Shipley, who did not run for re-election. Howell, a retired Marine Corps colonel, is the founder and CEO of Teens-In-Flight, the local organization that provides flight training to at-risk teens and to children whose service member parents were killed or injured in the line of duty.
Eddie Branquinho took the oath of office to take the District 4 seat occupied by Vincent Lyon, the interim city councilman who was appointed to hold the District 4 seat after seat former council Steven Nobile stepped down before the end of his term. Branquinho is a retired police detective from Newark, New Jersey, and was a former president of the Portuguese American Cultural Center of Palm Coast.
City Clerk Virginia Smith administered the oath of office. After they took the oath, both new councilmen thanked their supporters and family members.
"I couldn't have done this without the help of a lot of people who are sitting out here," Howell said. "More importantly, everybody has to have an energizer — somebody who is close to you that you can confide in and will tell you, 'You're full of nonsense' or, 'That's a good idea.' And I couldn't have done this without my beautiful wife, Samantha. It just —" Howell choked up, unable to complete the sentence. The audience applauded. "You know, she's been a rock," he added.
"I just want to thank the two people most of all, the two people that I love the most, my wife and my son," Branquinho said. "And the rest, all of you, you were phenomenal, the people that helped me to this, and I want more than anything else not to disappoint, and keep the city going one way — up, up, up."
Mayor Milissa Holland welcomed the two new council members.
"I'm looking forward to your input, your knowledge, your background, your skillset," Holland said." Everything that you both bring to the table, I think, will bring tremendous value when it comes to our city. So thank you to both of you for serving, and let's have fun."
Also at the Nov. 20 meeting, the council unanimously selected Nick Klufas as its next vice mayor. The position rotates through the council annually.
The Flagler County government, in a special meeting the morning of Nov. 20, swore in newly elected commission member Joe Mullins, who will take the District 4 seat formerly held by Nate McLaughlin; and Greg Hansen, the District 2 commissioner who won re-election.
The commission selected Commissioner Donald O'Brien as its new chairman, and Commissioner David Sullivan as its vice chairman.
