- April 24, 2024
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Incumbent Jon Netts received 2,848 votes, or 54.3%, to earn a second term for Palm Coast.
Tuesday morning, Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts was leading a City Council workshop.
Nearly seven hours later, Netts secured himself another five years in office after grabbing 54.3% of the vote, topping challengers Charles Ericksen Jr. and Joe Cunnane.
Netts received 2,848 votes, or 54.29%. Charles Ericksen Jr. finished second with 2,145 votes, or 40.89%. Joe Cunnane tallied 253 votes, or 4.82%. A total of 5,246 votes were cast, according to the Supervisor of Elections website.
The results will be unofficial until the Palm Coast Canvassing Board meets Sept. 16.
Netts now will continue his 22-year political career. He was a Palm Coast City Council member from 2001 to 2007 and has been mayor since 2007. Because this year’s election was the last odd-numbered election year (see sidebar on 7A), he will be the mayor for at least the next five years.
Some residents’ reasoning for voting against Netts was that he has been in office too long. Netts said term limits are something he struggles with daily — as a politician and a voter.
“It’s the kind of argument that a challenger wants to make because it strengthens their case,” Netts said Tuesday night. “But the end result is the voters didn’t see that as a compelling argument, apparently.”
Ericksen said he was disappointed in the result but stated he intends to continue attending all the city and county meetings.
“I’m happy for Jon and his team,” Ericksen said Tuesday night. “I’m not going to disappear, and I’ll look for the next opportunity to provide something for the county and city to be a better place to live.”
Ericksen plans on taking a few weeks off. He will still ride his bicycle, though. He has pedaled for more than 10,300 miles in three years, he said.
Both Netts and Ericksen were disappointed in the turnout, though.
“I’m really disappointed that less than 10% of the eligible voters were interested enough in going out,” Ericksen said.
Ericksen said one voter decided for 20 voters regarding the city’s direction.
“That’s scary if apathy is that alive and well in Palm Coast,” Ericksen said.
Netts agreed.
“It’s unfortunate that the majority of folks don’t find it necessary to vote one way or another,” he said.
The general election for Palm Coast City Council will be Tuesday, Nov. 8. District 1 incumbent Holsey Moorman is challenged by Bill McGuire. The District 3 seat — vacated by Mary DiStefano because of term limits — is between Dennis Cross and Jason DeLorenzo.
