Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

City Council

At Mayor Alfin’s Proposal, Palm Coast Council Considering a 365% Pay Raise

ⓒ Stephen Helfrich

PALM COAST – In the throes of the most turbulent week in Palm Coast politics so far in 2022, Mayor David Alfin added another factor into the mix. The Mayor passed the gavel to Vice Mayor Eddie Branquinho Tuesday night, and proposed to his fellow Council members that they give themselves a pay raise which over triples their current salary.

It would’ve been the biggest story of almost any other Council meeting, but it had just so happened earlier in the day that Councilman Victor Barbosa handed in his sudden resignation, sending shockwaves through the city’s political community. Being that it was a business meeting in which Mayor Alfin made his pitch, the idea didn’t head for final approval Tuesday night. But the Council did hold a vote to move forward on the idea. Alfin was joined by Councilmen Ed Danko and Nick Klufas in advocating for a self-raise, with Councilman Eddie Branquinho disagreeing.

ADVERTISEMENT

Read More: Palm Coast Councilman Victor Barbosa Resigns His Seat


With the way the vote last night went, an ordinance will be prepared for final consideration by the Council, and the public will have time to prepare comments to bring before the Council, advocating either for or against the raises. The presence of public commenters recently jarred the Council from a plan they’d been relatively well set in: just two weeks ago, hordes of community members successfully pleaded to get the Council to renegotiate a lease agreement with the Green Lion Café instead of auctioning off the lease to the highest bidder.

As of right now, Council members make $9,600 a year, with additional pay allowances for travel ($1,200) and for communication ($910). The Mayor makes slightly more, sitting at $11,400. Under Alfin’s proposal, the Council members would be paid $44,670 a year.

The new four-member Council met for the first time in its current iteration on Tuesday evening. L-R: PIO Brittany Kershaw, Councilman Nick Klufas, City Manager Denise Bevan, Mayor David Alfin, Chief of Staff Lauren Johnston, and Councilmen Ed Danko and Eddie Branquinho. ⓒ AskFlagler

The proposed new salaries for Council members would be in line with what other elected officials in the County currently earn. Members of Flagler’s Board of County Commissioners are paid just shy of $60,000, and the Flagler County School Board pays just under $36,000.

Council votes are now back to the way they were in the interim between mayors Milissa Holland and David Alfin: a vote of four members with a required three Yes votes to pass an item. That period seemed to lead to more deadlocks than normal, without a tie-breaking vote in 2-2 disagreements. The potential always exists in these situations to foster more compromise, but the even-numbered Council will be much more short-lived this time around.

It still remains to be seen who puts their name in the hat to serve a months-long tenure on the City Council between now and the election of a new, (hopefully) permanent occupant of the District 2 seat. The way things stand now, that winner may stand to make substantially more than they’d have expected to just days ago.

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.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. EveMarie

    March 2, 2022 at 9:37 pm

    Chris can you post the phone numbers and email addresses for the Mayor and council members? It would make it easier for the public to contact them to address their concerns.

    • Chris Gollon

      March 2, 2022 at 11:02 pm

      EveMarie,

      All this information is available to the public on Palm Coast’s website: https://www.palmcoastgov.com/council

      Just click on an individual Council member if you wish to contact them via phone or email.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

You May Also Like

City Council

The Palm Coast City Council on Tuesday selected Charles A. Gambaro Jr. to fill out the remainder of a four-year term vacated by the...

2024 Election

Pointed if civil criticism was exchanged on Wednesday between Ray Stevens and Andrew Werner, the two candidates facing off for the Palm Coast City...

City Council

A dozen residents applied for the vacant District 4 seat on the Palm Coast City Council in the allotted time agreed upon by the...

2024 Election

Mike Norris is one of two candidates who advanced of the primary election for Palm Coast Mayor in August. Along with Cornelia Downing Manfre,...

City Council

A motion to delay a voter referendum changing the way Palm Coast can borrow money failed by a 2-2 vote in Tuesday’s City Council...