The Flagler County Board of County Commissioners held both a regular meeting and an afternoon workshop on Monday, June 1, 2026, covering an unusually wide range of topics: a national budget award, the future of the county’s adult daycare center, a $35 million beach renourishment project with serious funding questions, a missing asset list spanning 25 years, a settled lawsuit, and a detailed review of the county’s non-general fund budgets.
Budget Award: 17 Years in a Row
The morning meeting opened with Interim Deputy County Administrator and Financial Services Director John Brower announcing that Flagler County has received the Government Finance Officers Association’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the 17th consecutive year. The award, which recognizes excellence in government budgeting, was given for the county’s fiscal year 2026 budget. The county also received special recognition for its long-range operating financial plans for the second year in a row.
Brower credited the Office of Management and Budget team, OMB Manager Brian Eichinger, Senior OMB Analyst Amanda Gilbert, and OMB Analysts Michael Catalano and Phoebe LeBlanc, for the achievement. He also cited the county’s six-year growth in the General Fund balance and ongoing debt restructuring efforts.
“The better it is, and the more transparent we are, the more trust we earn and the better we are serving our citizens,” Brower said.
Commission Chair Pennington added: “The most important thing that we do as a county is husband the taxpayer money and spend it wisely.”
Tourism Update: $91 Million in Lodging Sales, Canadian Visitors Down
Tourism Development Director Amy Lukasik presented the department’s annual update, highlighting that Flagler County generated $91 million in lodging sales during fiscal year 2025. Short-term vacation rentals alone brought in $7.5 million in March 2026, with a 72% occupancy rate and an average daily rate of $303.
Lukasik noted that 27% of all people in the county over the past 12 months were visitors, and that visitors accounted for 22% of all spending. The department uses cell phone and credit card data to track visitor behavior and target advertising to drive markets along the I-95 corridor and to “lift markets” in the northeast and Midwest.
On the subject of broader Florida tourism trends, Commissioner Dance noted that statewide tourism is down slightly, primarily due to fewer visitors from Canada. Lukasik confirmed the decline, noting that Canadian visitors, typically about 2-3% of the county’s visitors, are not traveling to Florida in current numbers due to the political environment, though she noted at a recent conference, Canadian visitors told her, “We still love you guys. We’ll come back, just not yet.”
Looking ahead to fiscal year 2027, Lukasik said the department will host the Constellation Furyk and Friends PGA golf tournament at Hammock Beach Resort from October 5-11, a nationally televised event expected to bring significant attention to the county.
Public Comment: Veterans Display and Lake Diston
Two residents addressed the board during public comment. Raymond Royer, a veteran, reported progress in organizing veteran groups around a proposed “Charters of Freedom” display, an exhibit featuring replicas of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. He said the average cost for such a facility runs $40,000 to $60,000 and asked for help from Commissioner Hanson and county staff. Commissioners agreed to explore options for a potential location and donor funding, possibly including tourism development tax grants.
Resident Ann Moore drew attention to the county’s recent acquisition of 3,800 acres of environmentally sensitive land in the Big Cypress Swamp Nature Preserve for just over $6 million, a deal she said deserved more public recognition. She also highlighted Lake Diston, a privately held lake in the county with an outstanding Florida water designation since 2000 and a long-running wood stork rookery. Commissioners expressed interest in exploring whether the lake could be promoted as a tourism asset, noting it currently has limited public access.
Consent Agenda: Conservation Easement, Surplus Assets, and a Lawsuit Settlement
The board approved most of the consent agenda but paused on two items.
ESL Conservation Easement: Commissioner Dance asked staff to explain the difference between a conservation easement purchase — the item before them — and the fee-simple land purchases the county has been making. Staff explained that in an easement purchase, the original property owner retains ownership but is permanently restricted from developing the land. The board approved the item.
Missing Asset List: Chair Pennington flagged a seven-page list of surplus assets, some dating back 25 years, that included items the county could not account for, including a $36,000 piece of equipment listed simply as “unknown location.” Procurement Manager Robert Rounds acknowledged the asset inventory had not been properly conducted in approximately a decade and pledged to implement stricter policies going forward, including assigning a dedicated asset manager to every department.
“This list is ridiculous,” Pennington said. “When I was captain of a ship, if someone said ‘I don’t know where it is’ about a $36,000 piece of equipment, somebody would get fired.”
The board approved the surplus list without pulling it, though Pennington and others asked for a follow-up meeting with the interim county administrator.
Lawsuit Settlement, Whitfield v. Flagler County: The board pulled this item for individual discussion. County Attorney Moylan described the lawsuit as “completely frivolous,” involving a former employee alleging gender discrimination, whistleblower protection violations, and disability discrimination, claims staff said were false. The county’s insurance carrier recommended a $20,000 settlement as less expensive than the cost of litigating a case they expected to win.
Commissioner Dance voted no on philosophical grounds, arguing that settling frivolous claims sends the wrong signal. He said, “I just find this a self-perpetuating problem as we continue to settle when we know we’ve got a case.” Three commissioners voted yes, and the settlement was approved 3-1.
The discussion also led to consensus on a new internal policy: the county attorney will now review all employee terminations before they are finalized, to ensure proper documentation exists if a lawsuit follows.
AFTERNOON WORKSHOP
Adult Daycare: A Private Partner Steps Forward
The afternoon workshop opened with a proposal from community members and a private operator seeking to save the David I. Siegel Adult Daycare Center, which was slated for closure as of October 1, 2026.
James Griswold, a Grand Haven resident, introduced Pam Fennell, whose husband has attended the center since being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease two years ago. Fennell described the difference the program had made in her family’s life, and argued that the closure announcement, which suggested families travel to St. Augustine or Daytona Beach as alternatives, showed a lack of awareness of the center’s value.
Scott Colton, a senior care advisor with 50 years of medical and administrative experience, described how he and his wife were enlisted to find a private solution. He introduced Anna Rosa Brandoff, who has operated two successful adult daycare centers in Volusia County for more than 25 years.
Brandoff presented a full proposal for taking over the facility under a public-private partnership. Her model emphasizes four pillars of health: nutrition, physical activity, social interaction, and emotional support, and serves clients for a minimum of two days per week at a target capacity of 35-40 people.
She cited cost comparisons showing adult daycare runs approximately $15,000 per year, compared to $48,000 for home care, $54,000 for private assisted living, and $80,000 for a nursing home. She estimated that within a 10-mile radius of the current facility, there are 30,000 residents aged 65 and over, with 3,000-4,000 estimated to have dementia or related illnesses, representing a large potential client base.
Brandoff’s proposal to the county includes capital improvements to the building, primarily a new roof and parking lot renovation, both of which staff noted had already been identified as needed regardless of who operates the facility, and a one-time first-year revenue subsidy to help the operation gain traction.
Staff noted that licensing timing is a factor: the county’s existing permit can be transferred more easily than if it expires, and Brandoff must apply from scratch, with the permit renewal window beginning in July.
Three commissioners expressed support for allowing staff to continue negotiating a public-private partnership agreement under Florida Statute 255.065. The county would retain ownership of the building. Chair Pennington acknowledged the difficulty of the original closure decision but said, “I believe that medical people should be taking care of medical issues.” Vice Chair Carney credited the community members who brought the proposal forward.
During public comment, resident Raymond Royer urged caution about privatization, saying the current county-run program has had no violations and its administrator has done good work. He also disputed the urgency of the July licensing deadline, saying the actual notification deadline with the state is October.
The board reached consensus to allow staff to move forward with exploring a formal P3 agreement.
$35 Million Beach Renourishment: Ready to Go, But Funding Questions Loom
County Engineer Hamid Tabassian and program manager Damon Douglas presented the status of the Reach 2 beach renourishment project, a 5.5-mile dredge-and-fill project from Varn Park south to North 7th Street in Flagler Beach, covering portions of Flagler Beach and Beverly Beach.
Four bids were received. The lowest, from Weeks Marine, came in at $39 million, above the anticipated budget. The county has the option to reduce the sand volume by approximately 17%, bringing the project to a not-to-exceed contract of $34 million. With engineering services, the total project budget is approximately $35 million.
The contractor indicated work would not begin until November, with an expected four-to-six-month completion window.
Several complications were raised:
Easements: 17 of the necessary property easements have not yet been signed. Staff noted that those in the highest-priority areas, including properties in front of the seawall in Flagler Beach, are among the most difficult to obtain. Without these easements, sections of the project will either be skipped or weakened.
Beverly Beach Seawall: A privately-owned seawall at a campground in Beverly Beach collapsed approximately nine months ago, leaving debris on the beach. The owner has obtained a permit to begin repairs, but not until after hurricane season. The project cannot be completed in that area until the wall is restored.
Cash Flow: Financial Services Director John Brower told commissioners that while all project funding is grant-backed and will eventually be reimbursed, the county’s cash position is tight. Of the $35 million total, approximately $10 million is already in hand from FDOT and local beach funds. The remaining $25 million would need to be advanced from reserves or through debt, and Brower noted the county has already spent much of its current reserves on other reimbursement-based projects still awaiting payment back.
“We’re getting dangerously close to having no cash to fund operations, which means we would have to go back to issuing tax anticipation notes for payroll,” Brower said. “I would not recommend that.”
Commissioners directed staff to prepare a detailed cash flow timeline before a final contract award decision is made. The county has until early August to act on the low bid before it expires. The board did not award the contract on Monday but discussed doing so at the June 15 or July 13 meeting.
Good news was also shared: Reach 3 has now been officially designated “critically eroded” by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, opening the door for state funding participation in its eventual renourishment project. A hard-bottom diving survey for Reach 3 is scheduled for mid-June through July.
During public comment, former Flagler Beach City Commissioner Scott Spradley warned that the remaining easement holdouts are typically the hardest ones to obtain, and encouraged the county to be aggressive in pursuing them now rather than assuming they will come around during construction.
Resident Lynn Bravo Rosewater raised concerns about Hammock Beach and Hammock Dunes residents potentially being assessed twice through both their HOA fees and a new Municipal Services Benefit Unit (MSBU) being studied for barrier island property owners. She suggested a half-cent sales tax as a fairer alternative. Commissioners said the MSBU workshop has been moved to July.
Resident Ron Darbo of Beverly Beach described his property’s erosion in stark personal terms, saying he once had 80 feet of dune and now has only six feet. “It’s not if it’s going to go down. It’s when,” he said.
Commissioners also addressed complaints about visitors damaging newly restored dunes in Marineland Acres. Staff confirmed that signs and rope fencing are on order and that the county is working with the sheriff’s office on enforcement. A 2024 emergency order remains in effect with penalties up to $500 and 60 days in jail for traversing the dunes.
Budget Workshop: Non-General Fund Review
The afternoon concluded with a wide-ranging budget review of the county’s non-general fund accounts. Key highlights included:
Staff confirmed the county has an estimated $79 million backlog of unfunded new construction projects and approximately $70 million in unfunded stormwater projects.
The county is transitioning away from a vehicle lease program and establishing a dedicated rolling stock replacement fund. Commissioners raised concerns about vehicle fleet management, including unused vehicles sitting idle at the Emergency Operations Center.
The county’s health insurance reserve fund was bolstered by a $15 million transfer during the current year to strengthen its financial position.
A new Princess Place Preserve fund will consolidate all revenues and expenses for that facility, including the eco cottages, into a single budget line.
Discussions on the Tourism Development Tax allocation for beach funding led to clarification that the current reduced allocation was a one-year adjustment, not a multi-year plan. Staff will work with the TDC and commissioners to finalize how much TDT funding will go to beach programs going forward.
The next budget workshop, focused on general fund divisions, is scheduled for June 15.
This article is based on the official Flagler County Board of County Commissioners meeting and workshop transcripts from June 1, 2026.
