- April 16, 2024
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Newly elected County Commissioner Andy Dance takes the oath of office. Photo by Jonathan Simmons
County Commissioner David Sullivan. Photo by Jonathan Simmons
County Commissioner Donald O'Brien. Photo by Jonathan Simmons
School Board member Colleen Conklin. Photo by Jonathan Simmons
School Board member Cheryl Massaro. Photo by Jonathan Simmons
School Board member Jill Woolbright. Photo by Jonathan Simmons
Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland. Photo courtesy of the city of Palm Coast
Palm Coast City Councilman Ed Danko. Photo courtesy of the city of Palm Coast
Palm Coast City Councilman Nick Klufas. Photo courtesy of the city of Palm Coast
Palm Coast City Councilman Victor Barbosa. Photo courtesy of the city of Palm Coast
The Flagler County Commission, Flagler County School Board and Palm Coast City Council all swore in new and re-elected members on Nov. 17.
The County Commission gained one new member — Andy Dance, previously a School Board member. The School Board gained two – Cheryl Massaro and Jill Woolbright — while the City Council gained incoming members Ed Danko and Victor Barbosa.
In addition, re-elected County Commissioners David Sullivan and Donald O’Brien, School Board member Colleen Conklin, Palm Coast City Councilman Nick Klufas and Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland also took their oaths of office.
“When you run for office it’s not easy — no matter what anybody says, it takes some courage to get up there and put yourself out in the public, and so I really appreciate a whole bunch of people who helped me,” Sullivan said, before thanking family members supporters, and the local Republican Party.
Dance thanked the residents of the county.
“I’ve had the honor for 12 years to be a School Board member and to lead and guide the district, and look forward to this opportunity to lead and guide the county government as well,” he said.
O’Brien said he was honored to continue serving and thanked his family and supporters, those who’d given him endorsements and the Republican Executive Committee.
O’Brien was also selected by his fellow county commissioners to be the commission’s chairman for this year, after Commissioner Joe Mullins — who’d been next in line for the rotating position — declined it, citing family matters that have been taking up his time. Mullins will continue his position as vice chairman.
“What I hope that we accomplish this year — I think we have a long year ahead of us on trying to recover from COVID,” O’Brien said. “... I think all of us are going to have to adjust to a new normal — maybe mask wearing, social distancing — I think it’s going to be for a long time to come, and I’m deeply concerned about the economic and the social issues, the mental health issues, that I think we’re going to be facing.”
He said the county might see a population bump as people move away from urban centers.
“Anecdotally, there were a lot of folks around ... my neighborhood walking around that I know do not live here — they were fleeing the northeast and other areas, and I think we’re going to see more of that on a permanent basis,” he said. “Flagler County is crossing a threshold. We’re moving very quickly from a rural to a more urban, suburban type county.”
Projections from the University of Florida, he said, place Flagler County on track to have 150,000 residents by 2035 — an increase of about 35,000 people in 15 years.
With the possibility of some additional growth due to COVID, O’Brien said, “We’re going to be in a very heavy growth pattern, I think, for a long time to come. I’m excited for our commission really starting to focus on growth and the planning that needs to go around that growth.”
