- November 18, 2024
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Voting is easy in Palm Coast. Visit flaglerelections.com to learn where and when.
The hard part is figuring out who is who on the ballot. That’s where we come in. Last week, we published our Elections Guide, with questions and answers from the local races that impact Palm Coast and Flagler County in the August Primary.
But even with those answers it’s still difficult to decide, so we have continued our tradition of debating among ourselves, attending the Flagler Votes Forum, and seeking community members’ input to come up with our recommendations.
Some of you already know for whom you’re voting, and you don’t want us to try to sway you. We understand that these recommendations aren’t for everyone, but we care about our community, and these are the people we feel will serve our community best.
We hope our reasoning will be useful to you. If you disagree, please vote. If you agree, please vote. And bring a friend.
JUDGES
A note on the judge races: None of these judge candidates will be positioned immediately in Flagler County. But some day, they could be transferred to our court.
Circuit Judge, 7th Judicial Circuit, Group 18: Steve Sands
Both Steven Sands and Karen Foxman have impressive resumes. Both have been practicing law for many years and are good at what they do.
In our view, this election should come down to the nature of their experience. Foxman has worked mostly (though not entirely) in the criminal world, prosecuting with the State Attorney’s Office. Sands has worked mostly with civil cases.
The 7th Judicial Circuit is more in need of civil experts than criminal experts, so we feel it’s best for circuit to go with Sands, an attorney who also has high ratings from Martindale Hubbell for ethics and ability.
We recommend Sands.
Circuit Judge, 7th Judicial Circuit, Group 20: Kathy Weston
While we admire Adam Warren’s interest in serving as a judge, his experience is not as strong as that of Steven DeLaroche or Kathy Weston.
DeLaroche’s tenure as a county judge ended in 2007 when he resigned for health reasons at the prospect of facing trial for alleged impropriety when dealing with traffic tickets of people he knew.
But the real focus in this race should be on Kathy Weston. She’s board certified and has high ratings for ability and ethics. She is tireless in her community involvement. And she has gained the support of several former judges in the area who know her well. Weston would be a great addition the circuit and would make Ormond Beach proud.
We recommend Weston.
Circuit Judge, 7th Judicial Circuit, Group 23: Thomas G. Portuallo
Although Kellie Jo Killebrew has handled cases in many areas of the law, Thomas G. Portuallo’s experience on the bench makes him our choice.
After 16 years of serving as a judge for workman’s compensation cases, Portuallo was appointed to the Group 23 seat in 2012. His experience in the past two years in this seat is invaluable, and he performed well in the role. According to 13 attorneys who rated him in the 2014 Judicial Poll, conducted by the Volusia County Bar Association, he received an “excellent” or “satisfactory” rating of 90% in key categories such as knowledge of the law, impartiality, preparedness and demeanor. We recommend Portuallo.
Board of County Commissioners,
District 2, Republicans:
Frank Meeker
When we look at candidates, we want to pick the person who is going to be a productive, creative force. We want someone who can accomplish something for the citizens.
Dennis McDonald seems to be more interested in tearing down than he is in building up. Take, for example, the lawsuit he filed against the city of Palm Coast but then later withdrew after wasting as much as $10,000 in city attorney fees and city staff time (i.e., tax dollars) as they responded to the suit. He has a history of making enemies at the city and county, frequently resorting to intimidation, threats and name-calling during his public comments. If you want to rally your political supporters, that might be effective, but it’s not effective if you want to persuade others to accomplish your plans. He also has a habit of using numbers and budget interpretations that are convenient for his own purposes but aren’t accurate.
If he were to be elected, how would he expect to accomplish anything, given the fact that he has spent that past few years alienating as many people as possible in public service?
In contrast, we have incumbent Frank Meeker. A former Palm Coast City Council member who had a stellar record of doing his research and voting for what he felt was right, even if it meant contradicting staff and his other council members. But his approach is diplomatic. He prepares statements ahead of time, does his homework, meets with staff and attempts to persuade others with logic.
As a county commissioner for the past two years (he left the City Council mid-term to pursue a County Commission seat), Meeker has continued with his diplomacy and has extended it to the state level. He saw a problem in his district: Vacation rental properties were being rented to large parties and causing trouble in the neighborhoods. To fix it, he worked with state leaders and was instrumental in having the law changed this year; now, local governments can have control over their own destiny with regard to the rentals.
That might seem like a minor issue in the county, but it is of great concern to the people who matter most to Meeker: his own constituents in District 2.
Meeker is a problem solver. He is transparent. He’s the right man for the job.
We recommend Meeker.
Board of County Commissioners,
District 4, Republicans:
Nate McLaughlin
At the Flagler Votes Forum earlier this month, Mark Richter attempted to sum up his platform this way: “I’m for less government, less taxes, and more services for our people.” Unfortunately, those three elements don’t usually work well together.
Also at the forum, he referred to Marineland as “Marineworld.” We are not trying to make him an offender for his word, but the fact that he may not be aware of the real name of the county’s most famous attraction is indicative of a candidate who is attempting to jump into politics without fully preparing himself.
Nate McLaughlin, the incumbent, has worked for the past four years to serve his constituents. He is fluent in all things Flagler and would require no training period to continue serving effectively for another four years.
What makes McLaughlin even more appealing is his successful town hall meetings in Daytona North. As a result of those meetings, he pulled public and private resources together to deliver much-needed drinking water to people who are sometimes overlooked. McLaughlin’s heart is in the right place, and he has shown that he’s not satisfied until the water is in the people’s hands.
We recommend McLaughlin.
City of Palm Coast Council Member, District 2:
Heidi Shipley
Anne-Marie Shaffer’s original Q&A responses to the Palm Coast Observer were filled with accusations about how the city of Palm Coast has misspent taxpayer dollars. We did some fact checking, and as it turns out, many of her original claims were incorrect.
She got one incorrect answer from an email sent by a councilman, one from another news source, and several other numbers from scouring the city’s budget documents online. The attempt is admirable, but she failed to fact-check on her own. She assumed the staff was not willing to meet with her.
This is a big concern for us. We are looking for a candidate who will be positive and try to get things done. It seems that Shaffer’s goal is to point out failures in government without even making sure her numbers are accurate.
Joel Rosen has the most political experience in this campaign, which is for a seat vacated by David Ferguson. Rosen indicated at the Flagler Votes Forum that he has taken a minimalist approach to campaigning: no campaign promises, limited signs, limited contributions. His answer to many questions is that he doesn’t want to take a stand until he knows all the information.
While that might be a refreshing difference between him and Shaffer, it still feels basically lackluster. If you’re trying to help govern a city of 75,000 people, and you want a whole city to vote for you, why not develop a strong platform and meet with city staff and other residents to make sure it makes sense?
Of these three candidates, Heidi Shipley has the least experience in politics. But she also has shown that she is campaigning for the right reasons. She has knocked on more than 400 doors in her district to learn what her neighbors really think about the city. She has gone out of her way to meet with city officials and ask them for answers to the questions posed by her neighbors.
It will take some time for Shipley to gain the experience she needs, but we think she will put in the effort, and we think it will be worth the wait.
We recommend Shipley.
City of Palm Coast Council Member, District 4:
Bill Lewis
Norman Weiskopf answered many of our written questions with one or two words. That puzzled us. Our conclusion was that he isn’t taking this campaign very seriously, and, frankly, that’s insulting to the voters.
Woody Douge and Steven Nobile both bring great qualities to the table. Douge is young and energetic and has come up with a plan that he has been circulating. Nobile owns a small business and has experience working with big companies. However, neither of them has served on the Palm Coast City Council before, and so we have to ask whether they would do better than the incumbent, Bill Lewis, who has the advantage of knowing the procedures and the context of the issues that come before a council.
Considering that one seat on the City Council has no incumbent (District 2) and therefore will certainly have a newcomer, the incumbent in District 4 requires even more careful consideration.
Lewis and the Observer haven’t always seen eye to eye. But on one major issue, we agree with him: City Hall should be built in Town Center. Financially, it makes the most sense, and it’s also best for the city’s long-term image. Lewis was outspoken in favor of City Hall, even when it wasn’t always popular among the residents. For that and also because we are generally pleased with the direction the city is taking, we’ll stick with the incumbent.
We recommend Lewis.
School Board Member,
District 2, Nonpartisan:
John Fischer
Toni Baker is a passionate parent. Lynnette Callender brings experience in higher education and the law. But the challenger that stands out in this race is Janet McDonald.
McDonald has taught in the classroom. She has been on a School Board and has been an education consultant. In her Q&A, she wrote, “My analytic abilities will be directed to more rigorous examination of all matters before the board.” At the Flagler Votes Forum, she said, “I bring a knowledge about what the numbers mean.” Both of those statements ring true. Her demeanor as displayed at the forum was impressive, and she was well informed on the issues that face the board. Despite being a bit behind the times in her criticisms of technology in the classrooms, McDonald would be a great addition to the School Board.
That leads us to John Fischer. Eight years ago, he ran for School Board and lost. But he continued to attend the meetings and keep himself informed. Four years ago, he won a seat on the board and has been the students’ best advocate, attending just about every school function imaginable to show the teachers and students that they are important. That kind of cheerleading role has been disparaged by Fischer’s opponents, but we see it as a sign of genuine interest in the success of the students.
And while McDonald and others have rightly pointed out that the school district still has room to improve in many areas, the district has also climbed from 29th out of 67 districts in the state, to now 12th in the state rankings in the past four years. The community should be proud of our schools’ progress and leadership in technology initiatives.
And so, despite the awkward handling of the national search for a superintendent, and despite the half-mill referendum failure, we are pleased with the direction our schools are taking. We hope McDonald will stay involved and contribute in the meantime, but Fischer has been part of the board that has brought us this far, and we don’t see a good reason to replace him.
We recommend Fischer.
School Board Member,
District 1, Nonpartisan:
Andy Dance
Maria Barbosa has put in a lot of work to become visible as a candidate, and she has been a public servant for years in her nonprofit work. But she appears unprepared for the School Board and has even begun deferring to Andy Dance in public, in what seems to be a realization that he is really the right person for the job.
Andy Dance was the one School Board member who had the foresight to challenge the rest of the board on the half-mill tax last spring. He is visible at school functions in a cheerleader role. He brings a business approach to the board and is a true leader.
We recommend Dance.
School Board Member,
District 4, Nonpartisan:
Trevor Tucker
Michael McElroy is capable and impressive. But his background is in law enforcement, and his views on the School Board are more focused on state issues like Common Core, about which the local officials have basically zero influence.
Meanwhile, Trevor Tucker has deep Flagler County roots and an accounting degree, which is makes him particularly valuable in budget discussions.
He might not always say much in the School Board meetings, but when he does, Tucker is insightful. And, as he points out, he is also part of the board that has seen Flagler Schools improve to 12th in the state rankings.
We recommend Tucker.
STATE SENATE
State Senator District 6, Republicans: John Thrasher
Derek Hankerson is a passionate public speaker, as was evidenced by his opening remarks at the Flagler Votes Forum in Palm Coast. But his strongest credentials so far are his involvement with national parks and having worked on other people’s campaigns.
John Thrasher, on the other hand, has been an influential player in the state for 20 years. He has won the support of local Republicans for helping to fund local projects. When asked what he would contribute that Hankerson can’t, he wrote: “My experience at the local and state level will afford me the opportunity to have a seat at the table for important discussions that impact Northeast Florida.” Thrasher is also a voice for low taxes and balanced budgets.
We recommend Thrasher.
