- November 23, 2024
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Shelly Edmonson was prepared to be an operations manager in the Flagler County Tax Collector’s Office until Suzanne Johnston, the county’s Tax Collector since 2004, decided to retire.
After Johnston informed her she would not be running for reelection this year, Edmonson filed on Jan. 3 to run for the office.
“(Johnston) asked me several years ago, when the time came, would I be willing to run for the position, and I accepted,” Edmonson said. “So, here we are today."
Johnson will finish this term and will be the Tax Collector through the 2024 election.
“Suzanne Johnson has built and leaves an amazing legacy with that office and there are big shoes to fill,” Edmonson said. “The fact that she entrusted me is humbling.”
Edmonson is the only person so far to file for the non-partisan position. She has worked in the Tax Collector’s Office for seven years and had worked in the office of the Flagler County Clerk of the Circuit Court for eight years before that. She received the 2023 Distinguished Service Award from the Florida Tourist Development Tax Association.
“Shelly Edmonson has a winning combination of experience, integrity and successful leadership,” Johnston said in Edmonson’s news release to announce her candidacy. “She’s a highly effective leader in our office and I credit her with enabling our team to achieve so much success. She’s been selected by her professional peers to serve in statewide leadership positions. Shelly Edmonson is ready on day one to be an outstanding Tax Collector for the citizens of Flagler County.”
Edmonson comes from a family of public servants. Her grandfather, Zip Edmonson, was the Flagler County Sheriff from 1965-1980. Her father, Flynn Edmonson, was the chief investigator for the State Attorney Office, 7th Judicial Circuit, for 25 years. Her mother, Rabeth Nescio, has been working in Flagler County local government for over 40 years.
Edmonson graduated from Flagler Palm Coast High School, Daytona Beach Community College and the University of Central Florida with her bachelor’s degree. She is a Florida state certified licensed contractor and was a small business owner for 18 years in Flagler County.
She said she hopes to continue Johnston’s lead in making customer service a priority.
I go to work every day with a smile on my face, because I enjoy talking to the people. I enjoy helping people.”
— SHELLY EDMONSON
“I think we all know that government is not always easy to navigate,” Edmonson said. “But what I have enjoyed most about working in her office is a sense of citizenship and appreciation for each and every one of our residents. We treat our residents like family. They don't always get the answers that they're looking for, but our goal is to help them navigate those processes that are sometimes very difficult the best way we can. I go to work every day with a smile on my face, because I enjoy talking to the people. I enjoy helping people.”
Edmonson helped oversee the opening and daily operations of the new Tax Collector Office’s Palm Coast branch and has assisted in updating the office’s website and in implementing a customer queuing system after COVID where customers no longer have to sit next to each other or stand in line while waiting for their turn.
