Bob Cunningham III is one of two candidates for the Flagler Beach City Commission on March 19th. He faces incumbent Commissioner Eric Cooley, who is seeking a third three-year term in office. The Cunningham-Cooley race is the only local race which will appear on the ballot, as mayoral candidate Patti King did not receive an election challenger. The race will go alongside the Republican presidential primary for registered Republican voters, and will be available to all registered voters who reside in Flagler Beach.
Cunningham did not submit answers to the AskFlagler candidate interview questions by the deadline to do so, and so his interview article will be run with no answers. Cunningham has stated that he’s had to miss candidate events due to a bout of pneumonia in February, but he has not alerted AskFlagler that health issues have impeded his completion of this interview. He also did not return a recent request to submit the answers, though he did indicate in prior months that he intended to participate.
- Click here for Eric Cooley’s City Commission interview
- Click here for Patti King’s Flagler Beach Mayoral interview
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 the Flagler Beach city elections. Each candidate receives 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
1. In your opinion, have the City Commission and city staff done an adequate job ensuring the construction of the Compass Hotel has minimal negative impact on residents and businesses? Why or why not?
[Bob Cunningham did not answer this question]
2. The Flagler Beach city government will be subsidizing up to $30,000 in operating costs for First Friday. What do you think about the city’s increased financial commitment to the monthly event?
[Bob Cunningham did not answer this question]
3. With the information you know now, provide your evaluation of three key city leaders: City Manager Dale Martin, Police Chief Matt Doughney, and Fire Chief Bobby Pace. If you have any criticisms, explain why.
[Bob Cunningham did not answer this question]
4. Multiple large construction projects that are either underway now or slated for the near future are likely to affect the city’s roadways. In the event a major storm impacts Flagler Beach while one or more major roads are closed, what can the city do to help ensure a safe and speedy evacuation?
[Bob Cunningham did not answer this question]
5. Describe your vision for the role the City of Flagler Beach plays in maintaining the environment within city limits. Are there any new initiatives you’d like to see considered?
[Bob Cunningham did not answer this question]
6. How do you see the current population growth that’s going on in Palm Coast affecting Flagler Beach in the long term? What should Flagler Beach do to prepare for the residency boom of a city that often claims access to Flagler Beach as one of its key amenities?
[Bob Cunningham did not answer this question]
7. Public outreach is a constant and evolving priority for the City of Flagler Beach. What’s your evaluation of the city’s effectiveness at communicating with residents? Do you have any ideas to improve the process?
[Bob Cunningham did not answer this question]
