- April 23, 2024
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Dear Editor:
Creeping is defined as, “to move or proceed very slowly” in The American Heritage Dictionary. Creeping is what is happening to our food cost and taxes. This has been happening in many cases without notice since is happening slowly.
While some of us have not noted, Florida’s Natural orange juice has been reduced from a 64-ounce serving container to a 59-ounce container and finally to a 52-ounce container. The container looks the same and the price remains the same. That is a 23% increase in our out-of-pocket expense.
While not as dramatic, our taxes here in Flagler County have also had a 15% increase in a six-year period. Since many of us have come from places with a much higher tax, the increase is not noticed.
What should be of concern to us is the “creep,” particularly since the Flagler County Commission has made some costly real estate transactions, which, of course, leads to higher Flagler County taxes.
Let us be aware that the county owns three buildings that are currently unusable while at the same time having a need for additional office space.
I also question why you would rehire a building inspector who gave you bad information on a previous inspection to inspect another building. It makes no sense.
The city of Palm Coast has also contributed to the increased ad valorem taxes by some senseless decisions, which the City Council refuses to revisit. The reduction from two lanes of traffic to a single lane of traffic on Whiteview Parkway is an example of this costly decision-making. This project is estimate to be in the $1.5 million range.
Almost all of our county and city officials are Republicans, but it seems these Republicans are not good at making cost-effective decisions. We need some individuals who are more thrifty with our money.
We need to use this next election to show our elected officials that they need to make more fiscally responsible decisions. Decisions have be made on a transparent and obvious return-on-investment or critical-needs basis.
John Brady
Palm Coast
Dear Editor:
Kudos to Clerk of Courts Tom Bexley for not succumbing to the political pressure of the latest carnival sideshow of "Space-gate" by the Board of County Commissioners and the sheriff. Mr. Bexley is an unwilling participant in this continuing fiasco that is completely the fault of the current leadership of the County Commission and Sheriff Rick Staly. The good work of the Flagler County Sheriff Department is being tarnished by this ongoing and seemingly deliberate saga. Tom Bexley will continue to receive the support of a majority in this community.
The same can't be said for the rest of the players of this show. The endless delays and new "crises" that emerge seem to be a tactic to run out the clock or, in usual Flagler County political fashion, allow enough time to elapse so a fixable problem gets worse. It is shown by the repeated responses from many on the County Commission that once the new library building is built, all problems will be solved! Except we haven't said we are willing to go into more debt yet.
As is the usual M.O., those who have already made their political decisions are hoping that the heat will die down and people will forget. Not likely! Here is a fact that doesn't ever get shared: If there was anything other than mold that was causing the issues at the Sheriff's Operations Center, it would have presented itself on the preliminary CDC results. Why? Because if anything else was present in a significant parts-per-million amount, it would have shown up during testing. Nothing else was present.
I believe they all know this, which is why we are having this charade drag on and we still do not have a resolution. I will say it again, if mold is the only thing needed to warrant the requirement for a new building, then the bulldozers should have been at Flagler Palm Coast High School years ago. Returning teachers should inspect their rooms carefully, for if that is true, maybe you all will get a new building, too!
Paul Anderson
Palm Coast
