Grand (Old Party) debate: Palm Coast, Flagler County and School Board candidates discuss issues at GOP Candidate Forum

The forum was limited to Republican candidates with nine participating. Each candidate spoke about their views and qualifications and answered questions tailored to the office they are seeking.

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Republican candidates for Palm Coast City Council, Flagler County Commission and Flagler County School Board spoke to residents at the 2026 Flagler GOP Candidate Forum on Thursday, Feb. 6, at the Palm Coast Community Center.

Development, infrastructure, water issues and property taxes were the main issues discussed by the City Council and County Commission candidates. Student vouchers and the guardian program dominated the School Board discussion.

Each candidate introduced themselves and spoke about issues and thier qualifications. Perry Mitrano, the Flagler County Republican Executive Committee chairman, read two questions for each of the three elected offices chosen from those submitted by attendees of the forum.

The candidates' statements and answers have been edited for space consideration.


PALM COAST CITY COUNCIL

Candidates Ray Stevens, Tony Amaral and Darlene Shelley discussed how to pay for critical infrastructure repairs. The both want to increase the time limit of three minutes for public comment at the Council meetings. “It’s hard to get a point across (in three minutes),” Amaral said.

QUESTION 1: Palm Coast is growing rapidly. What specific policies would you support to balance the growth with infrastructure capacity?

QUESTION 2: Why are lots of folks getting green water? And, what can be improved in the city's water quality, and how can we reduce water and trash costs?

RAY STEVENS:

Ray Stevens is running again for the District 3 seat he won in 2024. He stepped down after serving less than four months because of a life-threatening illness that required lung surgery. He spent two months in the hospital.

“It caused a problem on the City Council, because on a 2-2 vote, they’d be deadlocked. So, I thought the ethical thing and the right thing to do was to step down,” he said.

After recovering, he decided to run again. He said the city needs to put the brakes on “uncontrolled and poorly planned development,” that is putting “an unsustainable strain on Palm Coast’s infrastructure.”

Answer 1: “In respect to the infrastructure, Wastewater [Treatment Plant] 1 is nearing or at capacity,” Stevens said. “I think what we need to do in order to put the brakes on is, number one stop this policy that seems to be popular here in Palm Coast, and that's called upzoning. And rezoning is another situation that contributes to the problem of overdevelopment and overpopulation. After all, the reason why we have to build, rebuild or expand Wastewater 1 is because of the population levels. We need to give the infrastructure time to catch up. Otherwise, we're going to keep going down that rabbit hole.”

Answer 2: Stevens said after he was elected he took a tour of facilities including the water treatment plant and learned that the green water is not harmful. “It doesn't look good. But the bottom line is, it can be corrected. They're working on it.”

TONY AMARAL:

Tony Amaral is running for the District 2 seat. He has lived here since he was 9 years old. He said he became a builder in 1991, receiving mock boos from the audience to that “big confession.” He quickly added that he’s not a developer. He said he builds on lots that were originally set aside. With most ad valorem taxes “coming out of homes,” the city needs to increase clean industry, he said. Amaral said infrastructure is deteriorating because there was never really a plan to set repairs in motion. He said the city should set aside a percentage of its annual budget toward infrastructure.

Answer 1: Amaral said Palm Coast was one of the fastest growing cities in Florida in 2000 to 2007. “We handled it then,” he said. “Why can't we handle it now? Priorities have to be set and made very clear. Palm Coast had large pieces of land that was set out there, and if you bought four units per acre, it should make sense to keep it at four four units per acre. Can we do special concessions? We can do a little bit of negotiating, but the city has to get something back. The market dictated when we grew fast, then 2008 happened.”

Answer 2: “Green water is just cosmetic, from what I understand, but it doesn't mean we can't do better,” he said. “Our water bill has gone up, doubled, I think, in the last four to five years. Our storm water has gone up. Let's see if we can go out for bid, put it out for more people.”

DARLENE SHELLEY

Darlen Shelley is running for the District 4 seat. Like many of her frends and neighbors, she said sh is frustrated with unchecked growth. “Palm Coast is a beautiful place, but beauty doesn't maintain itself,” Shelley said. “It requires stewardship, accountability and a willingness to say no when something isn't right for our residents. 

She said residents should know how decisions are made and where their tax dollars go. “Government should not be a maze. It should be a window,” she said.

Answer 1: “I believe in responsible growth, growth that respects our infrastructure, respects our neighborhoods and our natural environment. Growth that doesn't overwhelm our roads, our schools or our first responders,” she said.

Answer 2: Shelley said she speaks for everyone who can’t afford their water bill. “They tell me it used to be $22,” she said. “Brian [her husband] and I got our utility bill and it’s $180. And it's two of us. I have no sprinkler system. Why is the water green? I don't know. Why is the water so expensive is the question I want to find out and fix for you.”


SCHOOL BOARD

School Board candidates Ron Long, Jill Woolbright, Will Furry and Christy Chong discussed school vouchers and problems the district has in getting money back from the state. All three said the guardian program is a good idea for Flagler Schools, although Long said he would prefer to see more school resource deputies at the schools. 

QUESTION 1: Who follows the accounts for the school system voucher money? For example, if a homeschool child goes to charter school and then returns to public school, how do we ensure the money is returned to the public school system?

QUESTION 2: Where do you stand on the guardian program, and why do you think it's good or bad for Flagler Schools?

RON LONG

Ron Long is running for the School Board District 4 seat against incumbent Christy Chong. He has lived in Palm Coast for over 20 years. He and his wife have three children who are all graduates of Flagler Schools.

A work injury in 2023 ended Long’s construction career, he said, and he began getting involved in local government. He decided to run for School Board, he said, because of “the lack of competency and urgency that’s coming from the current board.” With federal plans to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, “a School Board member that can’t make legislative days because they’re too busy is simply unacceptable,” Long said.

Answer 1: “From what I understand, we have to wait for the state to get with us,” he said “And that's what I'm talking about, bringing back a lot of that control here locally, where it belongs. Our school system has so many wonderful programs that homeschoolers can get involved with. And that money has to be dictated by the state. We send money there to hopefully get it back, and that's got to change, because it’s not getting things done in the time frame that we need to make sure that these kids are prepared."

Answer 2: The guardian program is a great idea for public schools. Me personally, I would love to have five resource officers at every single school. It's pricey. It's expensive, but that again leads back to, we need to start being in control of these dollars that are leaving Flagler County in hopes that they'll come back. As for a weapon in class, I’m a Second Amendment person. I'm a concealed weapons holder. But I have my reservations with that type of stuff being done in the school by people who aren't truly trained the way that these officers get training. In my opinion, we need more resource officers in there.”

JILL WOOLBRIGHT

Jill Woolbright is running against Cathy Moon for School Board District 1. Woolbright previously served on the board from 2020 to 2022. She was a teacher in Flagler Schools for 28 years. As a board member, she raised concerns about prolonged school closures and masking laws. She said she advocated for parental rights, policies that are now state law, and supported policies “that now protect students from inappropriate content, and reinforced parental trust in the classroom.”

Answer 1: “Well, currently, the state is the one that monitors what monies we get per student, and it's called FTE, [which] is the actual count of the number of students that we have in our schools, and so they project them in the beginning. But then, we have actual counts. So sometimes when the FTE comes in lower, we get less money than what was projected and budgeted. For vouchers, it follows the student, and I am pro voucher. However, there are issues, and that's why many of the legislation that's being talked about in Tallahassee now is over the voucher program because it's not been fair, because when the money has followed the student and then the student parent says, ‘Oh wait, I can't handle this. I can't be a teacher after all,’ and sends them back, the money at that FTE cycle doesn’t come back to the schools. The same thing is true in reverse, though. If the schools have already received some FTE funds, and in that period the student goes home, the schools got money for the student. But the student left, so there's a big concern about the vouchers.”

Answer 2: “I'll answer that by asking the question, Can a child be too safe? Can staff be too safe? I was on the board and brought up the guardian program back in 2021. I trust our sheriff. Our sheriff trains the guardians. It's not some willy-nilly person that just goes out hunting that comes into the schools to carry a gun. They were highly trained by regulations set by the state of Florida, and that it is funded by the state of Florida in a grant. And they are carrying in the schools, and it's another layer of protection for our students.”

WILL FURRY

School Board District 2 incumbent Will Furry is running for reelection. Furry said in his 3 1/2 years on the board he stood for parental rights and parental choice in education. He was one of three board members that voted for a change of leadership, which ushered in the selection of LaShakia Moore as Flagler Schools superintendent, “who is doing an outstanding job and has not only been effective but respected by our entire organization, our community, and has been recognized for throughout the state for her leadership,” he said. Furry touted the district’s $11.2 million fund balance this year.

Answer 1: “I've been an advocate for school choice,” he said. “I think parents should have the option to take their dollars with them, wherever they think it best suits their student. But I also believe in public education. When it comes to vouchers, this was an effort that was put out by the legislation, and no policy is perfect out of the gate. They are taking it up again here in this session, and it's going to be improved. But there has been a problem with students that took the voucher, and they came back to school. We want to make sure the dollar truly follows the student.”

Answer 2: “I'm an advocate for [the guardian program]. I've made it very clear from day one that I am not in favor of replacing our school resource deputies ever by the guardian program. I also went and walked the halls of Parkland before they tore down that building, and I saw firsthand how the guardian program could have saved lives. The guardian program is not an end-all. It is a force multiplier. Our campuses are big and the SRDs can't be everywhere at once. This is not something new. [Fifty-three] districts have guardian programs, and they get 144 hours trained by the sheriff.”

CHRISTY CHONG

Christy Chong, the District 4 School Board representative is running for reelection against Ron Long. “When I first ran for the seat, I promised to be a steady, principled voice for parents, students and taxpayers, and together we have delivered real results,” she said. She said the board has strengthened leadership, safety and accountability across the district.

“Our schools are shining,” she said. “Many of our schools hold A and B ratings, and in the 2024-25 school year, Flagler schools saw solid gains in English language arts, math and overall performance. Steady progress that shows our focus on education is working. And we made it clear that our schools are places for learning, not political messaging, by supporting policies that keep campuses neutral and focused on education.” 

Answer 1: “I am a supporter of the Step Up program,” she said. “We've heard it said that public schools is the great equalizer. But that's not true, because all children are different and have different needs. Currently, there is new legislation to right some of the wrongs to make sure that the money follows the child. We also hired a new school choice position. That person also helps to follow where the money's going and also to make sure we're reaching out to kids and bringing them back to public schools.”

Answer 2: “I am a supporter of the guardian program. We did bring it to a vote. I did vote yes for it, but it did not make it. We're not just putting guns in people's hands. We got to hear from other counties that have implemented this and how it's a very slow [roll-out], working with our [sheriff’s office] to make sure they're trained.”


FLAGLER COUNTY COMMISSION

Candidates Theresa Carli Pontieri and Greg Feldman both said they are strong supporters of property rights. To keep up demands on infrastructure, Pontieri said growth should pay for itself.

QUESTION 1: If property taxes are eliminated, what will that mean for County Services?

QUESTION 2: How do you keep more home building from happening in our beautiful county? Enough is enough.

THERESA CARLI PONTIERI

Theresa Carli Pontieri currently represents District 2 on the Palm Coast City Council. She is running for the District 2 Flagler County Commission seat against Greg Feldman and independent Raymond Royer.

She comes from a long line of military service and first responders in her family. Her husband is a fire department lieutenant. Pontieri has been an attorney for 10 years as a business litigator and family law attorney. 

She said she went to Tallahassee last year to get money for the city’s Inflow and Infiltration system. “I know why our water is green,” she said. “It's because we now have to tap into brackish water because our aquifers are getting lower and lower, so we have to improve this technology in our water system. I've already gotten money for that.”

Answer 1: “I have great relationships with Senator (Tom) Leek and Representative (Sam) Greco,” Pontieri said. “We meet and speak bi-weekly. And I have kept in great touch with them about this very issue. This issue started off with eight bills that were coming out of the Legislature in Tallahassee. It's now down to two. Those bills, from what I understand, probably will not pass this year, but even if they do, they will be phased in, so people will have some time to acclimate.

“What I can tell you about taxes is that I want to reduce them anyway. I'm not a believer in property taxes in general. I don't think that you truly own your home if you're paying the federal government for it. So, I believe in rolling back our property taxes and finding other ways to bring in revenues. The number one thing we need to do in this county is bring in good paying jobs in Industry. We have our new Industrial Development Authority that I look forward to working with.”

Answer 2: I will say I also heard a couple people say that we need to enact policy that's going to slow down the building. Well, I'm proud to say that in the last two years, the City Council has not approved a single new development. What's really hard to understand is that people do have property rights. And if you have the right to go on your property, there's nothing that we can do, or should we do, because if you were that property owner, you wouldn't like us to step in. As far as being able to slow down the growth and make sure it's measured. I think the better question is, how can we make sure our infrastructure is keeping up with the growth, and that is exactly what I've already done. We passed record high impact fees to make sure that growth pays for itself. In this city, we are now being unfortunately sued by our Home Builders Association for that, but I'm still fighting. And I will continue to make sure that we are passing proper impact fees, that we are enacting policies that continue to keep home rule.”

GREG FELDMAN

Greg Feldman is running for Fagler County District 2 against Pointieri and Royer. He and his wfie, Jan, moved here from South Florida in 2007. He said he has over 45 years experience as a law enforcement professional in two states. He is the chair of the Volusia Flagler Transportation Planning Organization’s Citizens Advisory Committee. A priority, he said, is keeping Flagler County Fire Rescue and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office properly funded.

“We do have budget challenges ahead,” he said. “We need to focus on fiscal responsibility of protecting taxpayer dollars. One of the things we have to do with budget is we have to balance wants vs. needs. We need to focus on infrastructure and improvements, especially for traffic congestion. We need to make sure that our beaches and our tourism is preserved, because tourism is responsible for $433 per year per household that you don't pay in taxes.”

Answer 1: “It's really easy to say, ‘We're going to eliminate taxes.’ And it sounds really good to most people,” he said. “But in reality, what are we doing? If we lose that property tax money, hard decisions will have to be made. The Sheriff's Office and Fire Rescue are the most critical, but after that, do you eliminate your Parks Department? Do you eliminate your fleet management — you can farm it all out? Quite frankly, I can't make a list of what I want to cut from the government, because it would be drastic. So, let’s hope that there's not a complete elimination of property tax because I believe it would cause challenges that we don't even want to face, including raising other types of taxes."

Answer 2: Short answer, you can’t. Homeowners have property rights. Landowners have property rights. But what we can do is make sure, number one, that the infrastructure is in place to handle what's being built — roads, utilities, water. After that, let's say you have a large enclave of money for estate homes. And somebody wants to split it in half and build a second home because of their in-laws or their children. Not a problem. But in that same neighborhood. If somebody comes in and says, well, I bought that one acre lot, and I want to build 12 townhomes there. I hope it won’t get through the staff, but if it does, they'll see a no vote for me.”

 

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