- December 4, 2025
In an effort to shore up funding in the short term, the Flagler County Commission approved two items on Aug. 18 that will provide additional funding to its beach renourishment program.
The first was an amendment to Flagler County’s perpetual easement agreement with the Hammock Dunes Owners’ Association. The agreement was made between the two after Hurricane Matthew hit in 2016 and allows Flagler County access to the HDOA’s 2.3 miles of shoreline for beach restoration projects. The easement also allows the HDOA shoreline to be eligible for funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The amendment states the HDOA will pay Flagler County $570,000 per year to maintain the HDOA’s dune property until Flagler County finds a substitute source of funding, according to county meeting documents. In exchange, Flagler County is agreeing to take responsibility for maintaining the HDOA’s beach and dunes while the county continues to search for other means of recurring funding for the fund.
County Administrator Heidi Petito said the intention is that this agreement will eventually be replaced by an MSBU, a special taxing district, that the county began in December 2024. The MSBU will go into effect next year in time for the budgeting process, she said.
A letter was sent out to Hammock residents announcing that an amount of “zero” was being levied for the MSBU this year, which was a legal requirement, Petito said. A public meeting will be held on Sept. 11 about the MSBU.
“You’re not levying anything,” Petito said to the commission. “So there isn't going to be a letter today, and then a new amount introduced on Sept. 11. The amount is zero.”
In addition to the HDOA funds, the Flagler County Commission also approved a one-year shift in funding from the Tourist Development Tax.
The TDT is a 5% sales tax on hotels and vacation rentals. The tax revenue is traditionally split three ways, according to the county’s code: 20% for capital projects, 20% for beach restoration and maintenance and 60% for advertising.
After a suggestion from the Tourism Development Council, Flagler County decided to temporarily reallocate the entire capital project revenue to the beach restoration fund for one year.
Each 20% of the tax is expected to generate around $880,000 in fiscal year 2026, or $1,760,000 in total for the beach restoration fund for the next year.
Both items were approved by the commission in 4-0 votes.
Chairman Andy Dance was absent from the meeting due to an emergency appendectomy.
