Raymond Royer is one of three candidates running for the Flagler County Commission’s District 2 seat. The current seat-holder, Greg Hansen, is not running for re-election. The other two candidates are Theresa Carli Pontieri and Greg Feldman. Those two are running as Republicans, while Royer is filed as an Independent candidate.
The 2026 primary election is on Tuesday, August 18. Flagler County voters will be able to vote for the District 2 and District 4 seats. Because multiple party affiliations are on the District 2 ballot, only registered Republican voters can vote between Pontieri and Feldman in the primary election.
The top candidate in the Republican primary will move on to the general election on November 3. Their name will appear on the ballot next to Royer’s.
Other Candidate Interviews
Flagler County Commission:
- Theresa Carli Pontieri (District 2)
- Greg Feldman (District 2)
- Raymond Royer (District 2)
- Anna Jones (District 4)
Flagler School Board:
- Cathy Moon (District 1)
- Jill Woolbright (District 1)
- Rob Wood (District 2)
- Christy Chong (District 4)
- Ron Long (District 4)
- Trevor Tucker (District 4)
Palm Coast City Council:
- Tony Amaral Jr. (District 2)
- Jeani Duarte (District 2)
- Dylana ‘Dee’ Galery (District 4)
- John Kvederis (District 4)
- Ramon Marrero (District 4)
- Darlene Shelley (District 4)
Interview Criteria
- The object of the interview is not to grill the candidate, nor to give them softballs. Ideally, in their answers the candidates provide to voters a useful insight into their ideology, their priorities, and their knowledgeability and preparedness for office.
- These questions are sent to each declared candidate in Flagler County’s local elections. All candidates running for the same office received the same exact questions.
- The only edits made are for spelling, formatting and basic grammar (i.e., ‘their’ when it should be ‘there’). Censorship of profanity may also be applied if it were applicable. Otherwise, answers are presented in their full form as the candidate provides them.
- Answers are subject to fact-checking if they contain information that’s blatantly misleading or untrue (misrepresenting factually verifiable information, misquoting a statistic, etc). Clarifications will be added underneath the candidate’s answer if applicable. The answers will still be presented as given even if a fact-check or clarification is needed.
Candidate Interview
Date of Birth: October 13, 1963
Hometown: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Career/Educational Resume:
- High School Class of 1982 Wm. Allen High School
- Lehigh Valley Vo – Tech Auto Body
- United States of America Navy 1982 – 1986 to Navy Reserves 1992 Honorable DD – 214
- Highway I – 78 bridge concrete laborer , Steelworker
- Bethlehem Vo -Tech Plumbing , Electrical , HVAC – R , Pipefitter
- at age 35 City of Allentown Firefighter to pension retirement
1) Do you believe your national political views are relevant to Flagler County voters? If so, explain what you hope those beliefs will communicate to residents about what kind of commissioner you’d be.
“I am running as an Independent Party of Florida because I believe that people of District 2 deserve a commissioner who will think independently and make decisions based on what is best for Flagler County, rather than simply following a political party or national agenda.
“My background has taught me the importance of service, accountability, teamwork, and getting the job done. I served my country honorably in the Navy and later as an Allentown firefighter. As a firefighter, you don’t ask whether the person is a Democrat, Republican, or Independent. You respond because someone needs help.”
2) What personal qualities do you possess that you believe would make you effective in forming consensus in a group with diverse viewpoints and philosophies?
“Throughout my career, I’ve worked with a lot of different people and personalities. From my time in the Navy, working in trades, and especially my years as a firefighter taught me that you don’t accomplish much by insisting that your way is the only way. You listen to the people around you, consider their experience and concerns, and then work together toward the best solution.
“I also understand that consensus doesn’t mean everyone gets everything they want. Sometimes it means finding common ground and making a decision that people can support even if it wasn’t their first choice.”
3) What should be Flagler County’s immediate budgetary priorities if Amendment 3 passes in November, effectively phasing out most local property taxes in Florida?
“Public safety has to remain at the top of the list. That means properly funding fire and rescue services, emergency response, law enforcement, and other critical services. Having spent much of my career in public safety, I understand that these are not areas where you can simply cut corners.
“My second priority would be maintaining our roads and our infrastructure. Growth puts tremendous pressure on transportation, drainage, utilities, and other infrastructure, and we need to make sure we are maintaining what we already have before committing taxpayers to unnecessary new county or developers projects.”
4) What is your stance on potential moratoriums on data centers in Flagler County?
“Right now the County Commission has taken a one-year temporary moratorium to be revisited in August of 2027. Right now, to my understanding there are a lot more cons than pros. I also believe the technology will be more advanced and the data centers will be much smaller facilities with lesser demands for utilities usage to making the older facilities the new brown decay buildings.”
5) With consideration for your previous answer, how selective can Flagler County afford to be as it strives to expand commercial tax revenue?
“I think Flagler County has to be selective, but we also have to be realistic. We need commercial development and help to create a stronger tax base, especially as the county grows. At the same time, I don’t believe we should accept every project simply because it promises additional tax revenue.
“I’ve spent my working life in construction, the trades, and public safety. I’ve learned that you have to look at the whole job – not just what it looks like on paper. You have to consider what it’s going to cost, what infrastructure is required, and whether the finished product is actually going to work for people who have to live with it.
“If a business wants to come to Flagler County, I want to know what it will contribute to our community, what impact it will have on our roads, water, power, emergency services, and surrounding neighborhoods, and what the long term benefits will be to our taxpayers before I can weigh on a vote.”
6) Flagler County Commissioners are not bound by any term limits. If not compelled, do you believe in voluntarily relinquishing a seat after a certain number of years? How long would you serve in office if it were up to you?
“I believe public service should never be about holding onto a seat for as long as possible. It should be about serving effectively, making a difference, and knowing when it is time to step aside and let new leadership come forward.”
7) Name one issue you feel is not getting the attention it deserves from Flagler County officials and/or media, and why you feel it’s important.
“One issue I believe deserves more attention is making sure our infrastructure keeps pace with the growth we’re experiencing in Flagler County. We talk a lot about new development and bringing businesses into the county, and I understand why that’s important. Yes, we need a stronger tax base and good economic opportunities. But sometimes I think we don’t spend enough time on what happens after the development is approved and the impact to the taxpayers. Our Flagler County Commission doesn’t actually put in the research or the time to weigh in the best balanced solution. I’m retired and I’m willing to go to Tallahassee and add more necessary time in meetings to bring to the table all questions with answers and only then bring to a final vote.”
8) Describe a time you made a mistake in your professional career, and what steps you took to remedy the situation and learn from the error.
“First I’m human too. During my working career, there were times when something didn’t go exactly as planned. When that happened, I learned not to make excuses or try to hide the problem. The first thing I would do was take responsibility, assess what went wrong, and figure out what needed to be done to correct it. My whole career I was responsible for everything from people’s properties to their lives. That amounts to making sound, quick decisions. I wasn’t afforded in making mistakes that could affect my coworkers, the job, or even someone’s safety. That means I had to communicate the problem, correct it properly, and learn from it.”
