- March 4, 2025
Palm Coast City Council member Ray Stevens resigned his District 3 council seat Feb. 28 due to health reasons, and the City Council will appoint a replace by April 15.
“Mr. Stevens is a very good man, and he worked very hard to get that seat,” Mayor Mike Norris said at the March 4 City Council meeting. He added that Steven has recovered enough to be moved out of ICU.
“He did the honorable thing by resigning,” Norris said.
Stevens tendered his resignation in a letter to Acting City Manager Lauren Johnson.
“This decision has been difficult, as it has been an honor to serve our community and to the important work we have undertaken together, however I have made the decision to resign due to my health,” Stevens wrote. “I want to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to serve on the City Council and for the support I have received during my time here. Thank you once again for the trust and confidence you have placed in me.”
Stevens, who ran and lost in a bid to become Flagler sheriff in both 2008 and 2012, found success running for the City Council, but it wasn’t easy. He finished second in the three-candidate primary in August 2024, advancing by a mere two votes, and then easily won his seat on the City Council in November, over Andrew Werner. Stevens was sworn in on Nov. 19, 2024, along with Norris and District 1 City Council member Ty Miller.
The appointed replacement member will serve from April 15, 2025, until the 2026 general election, when voters will elect a new District 3 representative to complete the final two years of Stevens’ term, which ends in November 2028.
SECOND TIME IN FOUR MONTHS
The City Council went through this appointment process just four months ago, when Charles Gambaro was appointed to fill the District 4 seat vacated by Cathy Heighter’s resignation. Gambaro was approved by a vote of 3-1 and was sworn in on the same day, Oct. 1.
Former state candidate Darryl Boyer, on Oct. 1, 2024, received two votes from the four-member council, including the vote of Theresa Pontieri, who is the only member of City Council still at the dais. One reason Boyer failed to get the full support was his recent move into Palm Coast’s R Section, although that move did qualify him for the seat, accoriding to the City Charter.
On March 4, Norris recalled the previous appointment process, which he experienced as a member of the audience at the time. It didn’t go well. “I had to get up and leave,” he recalled. This time, “I really don’t want to let it get out of control.”
One resident suggested that the new council member should be not be someone who moved only recently into the district. City Councilman Ty Miller said it wouldn’t be appropriate to restrict residency qualifications beyond the City Charter’s restrictions.
The new council member will need to reside in District 3 by March 19, the conclusion of the qualifying period. District 3 is roughly everything in Palm Coast east of Belle Terre Parkway/Boulevard.
To find your district, visit palmcoast.gov/council or click here https://copcgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=c543a562768f4d2891e5efad0be954f5.
Details on applying to be on the City council will be posted on palmcoast.gov.
