- June 16, 2025
Dear Editor:
Like a circus parade with no route map, the Palm Coast City Council just keeps marching — loud, chaotic, and with no clue where it's headed. Step right up, folks, to the greatest show on Earth — or at least the most bizarre one in Flagler County.
Ring One: an ethics investigation swirling around the mayor. Ring Two: A lawsuit flying like a trapeze artist trying to unseat one, maybe two, appointed council members. And Ring Three? A tragically ignored act featuring crumbling infrastructure, vacant staff roles and a tax base that’s as unstable as a wobbly tightrope.
Is anyone really surprised the last city manager candidate backed out? Palm Coast has flirted with greatness for years, but somehow it always manages to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
I’ve got questions about the appointment of Councilman Charles Gambaro and Mayor Mike Norris’ behavior. According to Article IV, Section 7(e)2 of the City Charter, the District 4 seat appointment could have, and frankly should have, waited until after the new council and mayor were sworn in. And someone, please, for the love of decorum, get the mayor an application to charm school.
But while the spotlight stays on scandals and lawsuits, the day-to-day business of running a city is left to city staff and the interim city manager, and the folks juggling flaming batons just to keep the lights on. Meanwhile, the clowns and monkeys hogging the mic are too busy throwing pies and squirting seltzer to notice the tent is on fire.
Tell me, why would any serious city manager want to start their tenure knee-deep in banana peels and confetti? Why would a business choose to expand here when the council chambers resemble a slapstick sketch? Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a good circus as much as the next person. But this act’s stale, the monkeys are unruly and the audience is losing patience.
Ron Long
Flagler County
