AskFlagler County Commission Interview: Ed Danko

Ed Danko is one of three candidates running the District 5 seat on the Flagler County Commission. He’ll face Pam Richardson in the Republican primary, with the winner going on to face write-in candidate Michael McElroy in the November general election. Danko was elected to the Palm Coast City Council in 2020 and currently serves as Vice Mayor. Rather than running for re-election, he opted instead to pursue the seat being vacated by an outgoing Donald O’Brien.

Danko will be on the August 20th primary election ballot, in which he’ll face Richardson in the Republican primary. Flagler County residents must be registered Republicans to vote in the Danko/Richardson race on August 20th, but will be able to vote in the general election regardless of party affiliation.

Other Candidate Interviews

Flagler County Commission:

• Andy Dance – Flagler County Commission, District 1
• Fernando Melendez – Flagler County Commission, District 1
• Kim Carney – Flagler County Commission, District 3
• Bill Clark – Flagler County Commission, District 3 (Did Not Complete)
• Nick Klufas – Flagler County Commission, District 3
• Ed Danko – Flagler County Commission, District 5
• Michael McElroy – Flagler County Commission, District 5
• Pam Richardson – Flagler County Commission, District 5

Flagler School Board:

• Derek Barrs – Flagler School Board, District 3
• Janie Ruddy – Flagler School Board, District 3
• Lauren Ramirez – Flagler School Board, District 5
• Vincent Sullivan – Flagler School Board, District 5

East Flagler Mosquito Control Board:

• Julius ‘Jules’ Kwiatkowski – East Flagler Mosquito Control Board, Seat 1
• Perry Mitrano – East Flagler Mosquito Control Board, Seat 1
• Lance Alred – East Flagler Mosquito Control Board, Seat 3
• Ralph Lighfoot – East Flagler Mosquito Control Board, Seat 3

Palm Coast City Council:

• David Alfin – Palm Coast Mayor
• Peter Johnson – Palm Coast Mayor
• Alan Lowe – Palm Coast Mayor
• Cornelia Downing Manfre – Palm Coast Mayor
• Mike Norris – Palm Coast Mayor (Did Not Complete)
• Kathy Austrino – Palm Coast City Council, District 1
• Shara Brodsky – Palm Coast City Council, District 1
• Ty Miller – Palm Coast City Council, District 1
• Jeffery Seib – Palm Coast City Council, District 1
• Dana ‘Mark’ Stancel – Palm Coast City Council, District 3
• Ray Stevens – Palm Coast City Council, District 3
• Andrew Werner – Palm Coat City Council, District 3

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 23rd, 1953

Hometown: “Born in White Plains, NY (but I have lived in many places including Washington DC, Dallas Texas, Chicago Illinois, Atlanta Georgia, Moscow Russia, Hatteras North Carolina, and of course, Palm Coast. I consider them all home.)”

Career/Educational Resume:

“University of Buffalo, United States Navy, then 35 years at a Network TV News Producer & Editor – NBC Nightly News (2 years) CBS Evening News and Editor, CBS Face The Nation (25 years) CNN (8 years). Walked out of CNN on November 1st, 2016 in total disgust with what had become the left-wing fake news liberal media.”

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.

“Unlike my opponent, I support President Trump, his policies are good for America, good for Florida, and good for Flagler. Joe Biden/Kamala Harris policies are good for nothing, unless you’re from China. Under President Trump our economy took off like a rocket out of Canaveral, under Biden/Harris our economy sunk like the Titanic in the North Atlantic. National policies are totally applicable to local government. Pain at the pump, suffering at the supermarket, hyper-inflation and Bidenomics are destroying our local economy and hurting our county, especially our senior populations”

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?

“What I offer is dedication, service, and experience as Vice Mayor of Palm Coast. I care about people and their tax dollars. I have never voted for a tax increase and I never will. I’d rather drink antifreeze than vote to raise taxes. I will never vote for a sales tax increase or any franchise fees.”

While your response gives voters important information about your philosophy toward county taxes, the question specifically asked what qualities you possess that make you effective in working with others to reach a positive outcome, even when their philosophies differ from yours. Is there anything you can share to that end in particular?

“You can not always convince others with different philosophies, especially tax and spend liberal left wing philosophies, to reach an agreement, and I will never bend or break just to make those liberals feel good. On a city council, or county commissioner’s board, I only need to convince two others to agree with me to pass or prevent a vote. Simply put, I’m not there to make everyone happy, I’m there to do the right thing.”

3. In the long term, how much of Flagler County should remain undeveloped? Are local elected officials doing enough to prioritize conservation?

“Conservation is important, and so are property rights. This is America, we grow, we create jobs, and we create opportunity. ‘Underdeveloped’ is what you find in the ‘third world.’

Can you expand upon how your last sentence may apply to Flagler County’s future? 

“I have nothing more to add except to say local county officials are not doing enough to create jobs and expand opportunities, and that is where our focus should be on the future of Flagler County.”

4. How do you view residential versus commercial development in terms of importance to Flagler County’s economic future? Is the county falling behind on either?

“Commercial development will help to improve our tax base, but we need to work much harder to become ‘business friendly’ and provide a young educated workforce if we expect to attract more businesses with high paying jobs.”

5. 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’m 70 years old, so I will let the voters, and God, decide how long I serve. ”

6. A 2016 study by the New York Times found that coastal flooding in Flagler County had more than doubled since the 60’s and 70’s. What actions can the county government take to help protect its coastal residents from this trend?

“I don’t read the New York Times, and I don’t subscribe to their left-wing fake news liberal agenda. Climate change is the biggest hoax ever perpetuated on mankind.”

While your stance toward climate change as a global phenomenon is noted, Flagler County has still faced severe erosion at times, enough to destroy parts of SR-A1A after major storms. Even if you don’t tie this to the concept of climate change, do you support any particular actions to protect the coastal areas of the county from the sorts of damage it’s already recently seen?

“This had nothing to do with the hoax of so-called ‘climate change.’ We need a serious management plan on beach nourishment to replace the poor ‘crisis management’ approach we presently have now. Our beaches are the economic life-blood of Flagler and we need to ensure, and lobby, so state and federal funds are there to assist us. We can also increase our hotel occupancy tax of visitors to assist in those funds.”

7. Give your evaluation of these county administrative leaders: County Administrator Heidi Petito, City Attorney Al Hadeed, and Special Projects Chief Holly Albanese.

“I have no opinion on any of them yet, since I have not worked with them, but I will tell you that I was one of three votes that fired the former Palm Coast City Manager. I have no problem firing those who fail to preform.”

8. What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in your professional career, measured by how it impacted others? What were your next actions?

“Nobody’s life is perfect, and I’m not going to waste time looking back on mine, instead I am focused on the future.”