- April 24, 2024
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Commissioner Leann Pennington, Chair Commissioner Greg Hansen and Vice-Chair Commissioner Andy Dance after being sworn in and elected to their positions. Photo by Sierra Williams
County Judge Melissa Distler swears in Commissioner Greg Hansen. Photo by Sierra Williams
County Judge Melissa Distler swears in Commissioner Leann Pennington. Photo by Sierra Williams
Commissioner Hansen passes the Vice-Chair plaque to Commissioner Andy Dance. Photo by Sierra Williams
Leann Pennington was sworn in as the new Flagler County Commissioner for District 4 at 4 p.m. on Tuesday Nov. 22.
Commissioner Greg Hansen — who won reelection for his District 2 seat — also took the oath of office during the special County Commission meeting in the board’s chambers. The board then elected a new chair and vice-chair.
Hansen, who has served as vice-chair since November 2021, was the only nominee for chair and was unanimously elected to the position. Commissioner Andy Dance, likewise, was the only nominee for vice-chair and was unanimously elected for that position.
County Judge Melissa Distler swore in Pennington and Hansen individually, and a reception was held after the chair and vice-chair elections.
For future meetings, Hansen said, the county needs to address its water problem; beach and shoreline issues need solutions, as does the flooding problem along the Intracoastal.
Hansen also said he is concerned about building up the county’s reserve funds, but his first priority is spending the taxpayers’ money wisely.
“The most important thing we do is spend the taxpayers’ money and do it smart, be very smart about it,” Hansen said. “And I think that’s our number one task, and it’s number one in my mind all the time.”
Pennington said she understands she will have a learning curve on the commission, but is eager to tackle issues like bringing broadband to the western side of the county.
She hopes to help open a better dialogue between the commission and residents.
“I am looking forward to good dialogue, being friendly with one another but working through the issues, and hopefully we can start doing some workshops,” Pennington said.
Pennington thanked her fellow commissioners for their warm welcome and thanked the supporters and family members who came to the ceremony. It took a lot of work to get here, she said.
“It just feels really right and good,” she said.
