- May 13, 2025
Correction/retraction: This story was updated at 1:22 p.m. May 9 to remove the names of those who were interviewed in the investigation regarding Mayor Mike Norris.
Mayor Mike Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris said he was offered a “quid pro quo” by a developer but has refused to elaborate until he speaks to law enforcement.
Despite the fact that Norris said the offer was for him to approve the city’s 2050 Comprehensive Plan - which the Palm Coast City Council has discussed since Norris was elected - without any changes, Norris did not bring up the issue until the May 1 City Council meeting discussing the investigation into Norris violating the city’s charter. Norris said he was "offered a 'quid-pro-quo'" by one of the witnesses named in the investigation and initially called for a closed-door meeting within 24 hours of the May 1 meeting to discuss the details.
Norris said he believed speaking on the issue in a public forum would violate confidentiality requirements outlined Florida Statute 288.075. But after speaking with City Attorney Marcus Duffy privately, Norris said in the May 6 City Council meeting would take his concerns to law enforcement and his own attorney.
“I will start out with the sheriff and I’ll work my way up to the state level,” Norris said, “FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) or whoever. The Department of State or the ethics commission- whatever I need to do.”
Norris - who filed a lawsuit naming Palm Coast and Councilman Charles Gambaro as defendants on May 5 - said he did not want to risk opening the city up to litigation or to waste taxpayer money in a lawsuit.
“I am not about wasting the city’s money,” Norris said. “I don’t want our city ever to be sued.”
But the rest of the council expressed concern that such an important issue is now left without a resolution for the foreseeable future.
“Presumably, you received this quid pro quo quite a while ago,” Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri said at the May 6 City Council meeting. “We’ve already had the comp plan come before us once and it wasn’t brought up. I have some really big concerns about where we go from here.”
The investigation into Norris included 13 witness statements.
Norris said the offer was made to him in front of a yet-unnamed witness "whose testimony is above reproach," a "decorated retired detective from the Broward County Sheriff's Office."
Now, the council is left “hamstrung,” as Pontieri said. Norris has refused, in either meeting, to elaborate on any other details in the offer he received, except to say that he believes speaking on it in a public forum would violate the state statutes.
“Why throw the grenade last week, then?” Pontieri asked.
“I just wanted my colleagues to be aware that this happened and some of those sworn statements were by the people that did it,” Norris said. Later, Norris said he brought it up because the council caused him to “put [his] dukes up” in defense of himself and his character.
Pontieri and Councilman Dave Sullivan said Norris should have consulted with an attorney before making his comments. Sullivan said, as council members, they should be cautious of bringing something to the council that won’t then have a resolution.
“You leave the general feeling of, well there’s this quid pro quo, really nasty thing going on and there’s no resolution to it,” Sullivan said. “And we may never know what the result is.”
