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 meeting. If passed, the referendum would remove borrowing limits that have been in place on the city government since its incorporation as a city.
The outcome of the vote may well have been affected by the absence of a Council member in the District 4 seat, thanks to the abrupt resignation of Cathy Heighter. The City Council had to decide whether to include the referendum on a timeline that greatly precedes that with which they can appoint a successor that restores a fifth vote. Thus, motions of any sort can only afford one dissenter to pass in the meantime. This one had two.
The proposal to delay the referendum was made by Vice Mayor Ed Danko, who has contested that the language is too vague and that residents should have major decisions come by the replacements of the three members they voted out. Indeed, Danko along with Mayor David Alfin and Councilman Nick Klufas are all departing near the end of the year, leaving behind only Theresa Carli Pontieri with over a few months’ experience when the new Council takes office.
Pontieri initially clashed with Danko in last week’s meeting, both over the referendum and over Danko’s dogged refusal to support anything short of a full rollback on property taxes. That boiled over when Mayor Alfin, acting as the meeting’s presiding officer, struggled for minutes on end to punctuate Danko’s remarks. A screaming match ensued with both men offering each other the door, reminiscent of the more frequent spats in the 2020-22 era of the Council.
Though they were at odds just one week prior, Pontieri seconded Danko’s motion to delay the referendum and ultimately voted in line with him. Alfin and Klufas opposed the delay, thus defeating it. The referendum will be on the general election ballot come November 5th, written in language already previously approved by the current City Council. The fate of the city’s ability to borrow without the current $15 million cap rests in the hands of the city’s voters.
The full text of the proposed ordinance is available here. The ballot summary of the ordinance is as follows:
“Shall Article VI of the Charter be amended by removing provision (3)(e) related to fiscal Contracting Authority that limits the City’s ability to enter into public private partnerships, have the ability to address growth by having future residents contribute to infrastructure costs, respond to emergencies and use available financial instruments including, but not limited to, bonds.”
