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2024 Election

AskFlagler Palm Coast Mayor Interview: Alan Lowe

ⓒ AskFlagler

Alan Lowe is one of five candidates running for Palm Coast Mayor in 2024. He’s challenging incumbent David Alfin, along with three other candidates: Peter Johnson, Cornelia Manfre, and Mike Norris. This is Lowe’s fourth campaign for office in Palm Coast, following mayoral bids in 2020 and 2021, and a City Council run in 2022. So far Lowe has yet to win a seat on the City Council dais.

The primary election for Palm Coast Mayor will take place on August 20th and will be open to all Palm  Coast residents. If any candidate obtains one more vote than 50.0%, they will win the mayoral election outright. If none reach that threshold, the top two candidates will move on to the general election in November.

Other Candidate Interviews

Flagler County Commission:

Flagler School Board:

East Flagler Mosquito Control Board:

Palm Coast City Council:

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: May 5th, 1961

Hometown: Kennebunk, Maine

Career/Educational Resume:

“Career: Entrepreneur, landlord, inventor, handyman.

Educational resume: Studied EE at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.”

1. Name three issues in Palm Coast you see as most pressing right now, and what you see as the first steps in addressing them under the new City Council.

“1. Infrastructure: Establish a council consensus to prioritize funding and create a comprehensive project list.

“2. Revenue Sources: Explore alternative revenue generation methods that avoid tax increases. The council should identify effective lobbyists to secure appropriations and hire skilled grant writers to bring in additional funding, reducing the reliance on tax hikes.

“3. Department Audits: Approve the engagement of an independent auditor to conduct thorough department-by-department reviews, with the aim of identifying opportunities for budget cuts and cost-saving measures.”

2. One of the key duties of a mayor is chairing City Council meetings. Describe your temperament in ways that are relevant to that responsibility.

 “I have served on several boards, successfully negotiated with foreign governments to implement private contracts, and managed a team of 40 employees in my own company. These experiences have equipped me with the skills to negotiate and collaborate effectively across diverse perspectives, achieving favorable outcomes. Additionally, they have provided me with a deep understanding of budgets and capital priorities.”

3. With what you know now, give your evaluation of these city leaders: interim City Manager Lauren Johnston, Chief of Staff Jason DeLorenzo, and Stormwater & Engineering Director Carl Cote.

“Interim City Manager Lauren Johnston is doing a commendable job, but given the city’s upcoming expansion, I believe more experience and background in managing such growth will be crucial.

“Chief of Staff Jason DeLorenzo is effective within his area of expertise in the building department, though I’m curious about the necessity of a Chief of Staff role at this time.

“Stormwater & Engineering Director Carl Cote is dedicated to his work, but limited funding in stormwater management is hindering his ability to perform at his full potential.”

4. Are there any new or underutilized revenue streams you can name that Palm Coast could tap into to support its operating budget? If so, expand upon your plan for implementation.

“While the city finance staff may have some reservations, I believe the sale of municipal bonds could be an excellent source of revenue. With an extended payback period, this approach could serve as a viable option to offset taxes and support the operating budget.”

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5. In recent months some residents have broached the idea of having a forensic audit, a practice typically undertaken due to reasonable suspicion of financial misconduct. Do you see a forensic audit as being necessary for Palm Coast?

“Yes, I support the idea, but instead of focusing on the strict legal definition of a ‘forensic audit,’ I propose an independent, comprehensive departmental audit. This audit could help us identify opportunities to cut waste, improve financial operations, and enhance public trust. If any financial discrepancies are found, it would also guide us on whether further action is necessary.”

6. One of the duties of Palm Coast’s mayor is to lobby Tallahassee for state funding. What experience do you have that would prepare you to execute this duty effectively?

“While Palm Coast hires a lobbying firm to advocate for state funding, the selection of this firm is made by a majority vote of the council, not independently by the mayor. However, as mayor, I bring experience in negotiating with governments and presenting data-driven arguments to prioritize our appropriation needs and highlight the benefits of securing them. In the last appropriations session, our funding requests were not effectively prioritized, resulting in missed opportunities for critical infrastructure funding. I am committed to ensuring a more strategic and focused approach moving forward.”

7. Adults under 25 in Palm Coast have a median income of $34,663, against a median annual rent of $24,156. Can Palm Coast take any additional steps to provide affordable housing to keep FPC and MHS graduates in town? Could doing so threaten to create a potentially excessive pace of residential development? 

 “Yes, if building growth outpaces the availability of well-paying jobs, we risk creating a situation where residents are unemployed or underemployed, which could lead to foreclosures or increased evictions. To prevent this, we need to focus on developing a diverse economy that supports wages sufficient for home ownership or the ability to afford standard rental rates.”

8. What does the long-term solution for public safety in Palm Coast look like? Do you think the city’s future growth will create enough tax revenue to fund indefinite, incremental additions of Flagler Sheriff’s deputies? If not, how does Palm Coast make ends meet to facilitate adequate law enforcement coverage?

“I believe Palm Coast is a safe community overall, and maintaining that safety is crucial as we grow. The long-term solution involves ensuring the sheriff’s department has enough deputies and resources to effectively serve our expanding population.

“Relying on the assumption that growth will indefinitely sustain itself is a fallacy, as is the belief that growth is endless. As the population increases, so do the costs of law enforcement, fire, and rescue services. While higher property taxes on new builds before homesteading can help fund these services, we must also work towards diversifying our economy. A downturn in the housing market would significantly challenge our current construction-based economy, making it essential to have a broader economic base to ensure adequate funding for public safety.”

Written By

Chris Gollon is a Flagler County resident since 2004, as well as a staple of the local independent music scene and avid observer of Central Florida politics, arts, and recreation.

3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. TR

    August 2, 2024 at 4:53 pm

    Some people that run for office just don’t know when to quit. What’s this the third time Lowe is running for a position and it will be his third time loosing. I think they should have a 3 strike rule like in baseball. When you run for any office and you loose three times then you shouldn’t be allowed to run ever again in that country.

    The other thing I heard in the past few months about campaign donations is. (and someone please correct me if the info I was given is wrong) If there is any campaign funding left over after an election, that the person who ran, gets to keep the money for themself to do as they wish. Like I said I heard this a few months ago. If it is true, then IMO I’m guessing that Mr. Lowe is using the left over campaign funds for an added income for himself, even though he might know he’s going to loose based on the last time(s) he ran and lost.

    • Alan Lowe

      August 4, 2024 at 7:39 am

      I continue to run because I love our city and am not happy with the leadership nor direction our city is going. I’m not like other candidates that disappear after a loss. As to campaign funding, I suggest people become fully informed and take a look at the sources of donations for all candidates. That information can be found on the Supervisor of Elections website and see where donations come from. I am almost entirely self funded so it costs me far more to run than I receive in donations.

  2. J Shabotz

    August 12, 2024 at 4:56 pm

    Alan emphasizes the importance of transparency regarding who finances his ongoing mayoral campaigns. If this is truly the case, then let’s take a closer look:

    Alan insists that his campaign is almost entirely self-funded, but this assertion overlooks the fact that the money he has is ‘allegedly’ not stolen. Fact: SunTrust Bank reportedly lost $20,000 on a loan when Alan failed to sign the necessary documents. Fact: He illegally sold his foreclosed house to his mother, and then father in an attempt to beat the system prompting the FBI to intervene, and the IRS to convict him for the $34,000 he owed. Fact: Alan is ‘accused’ of misappropriating funds from the Oceanus Dive Center, causing significant financial harm to then sidepiece Pam Bradley. Fact: Alan burned over two dozen local environmental investors when he was entrusted with their money. Fact: These embezzled funds were the cause of his incarceration in a Dominican prison. Fact: He was caught.

    Alan claims to be an inventor, yet there is no evidence of him receiving any payments for his inventions. Similarly, despite presenting himself as a handyman, he is unable to provide proof of the necessary permits to perform these repairs. It’s difficult to believe that he’s made a living from these activities with no paper trail. He did quite well selling the illegal cable boxes right from his Facebook page, but when he was running for office he deleted all of that. It’s hard to find, but we did, just like his account on Ashley Madison which would explain the three x-wives. The landlord’s income is a passive income from his family properties (aka inheritance) sitting back and collecting a check he didn’t earn seems about his speed.

    Remember:
    He claims to be a Republican but didn’t register to vote until he was on the ballot, and we should all just accept the situation.

    The self-proclaimed “Sovereign Citizen” title Alan Shepard Lowe petitioned the courts for was intended to put himself above everyone else. Above the constitution of our country and above the laws that govern the citizens of America.

    He wants the title of Mayor for the exact same reason: Because he is better than you.

    These statements were not approved by Ed Danko, but he still holds your leash.

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