[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6201894,"mediaKeyId","3788678-2302b75fd5475476358f9f765b2d28f8","parentId",3788678,"title","Flagler County sheriff warns budget strain from pensions, insurance and soaring CAD/radio fees; proposes shifting dispatch to county","audioSeconds",4169,"startMs",2941000,"endMs",7110000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3788678-2302b75fd5475476358f9f765b2d28f8&start=2941&end=7110","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3788678-2302b75fd5475476358f9f765b2d28f8/thumbnail_2941000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6201894/Flagler-County/Florida/Flagler-County-sheriff-warns-budget-strain-from-pensions-insurance-and-soaring-CADradio-fees-proposes-shifting-dispatch-to-county","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6201894-637005e5c6d0e928cd70c49bd9b26652/orig.mp4?Expires=1772916960&Signature=hruZdtThnSMksBUQHVltz5wiqszHt8wkeSK49pKtpRUIqfyfExk2B5g0b71OlG3MvuE3EPTCkpOyfB0s9ek2RW-4-uNb8KO3fyxSere3TbZdWnQlXcEl7UHw7jYkSwanzfZhcZ~ElCkrSJRPKT~JbaUBbdocl7fHsruNOUyxdVq2CKuNuqnEXdk~xK0u81vcyk5lMMHxRp71Qk~vBgaQxyw7Nv7VghDdtgNwW15X1Skk3~a0APaJfRf1aaujC2Z1xKSS8mCqA~9p7e4sBZvUWVLemz2krq8IiYibAcvl1jUihg3zzX4FQNC~yI4~dID5iGl7gxcFvhOD5A7t3qGwGA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Flagler County, FL","date","2025-06-10T08:34:56Z","article","Sheriff Staley told the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners on Monday that his office faces a roughly $4.6 million budget increase next year driven largely by a 4% cost-of-living adjustment, higher Florida Retirement System employer rates and an estimated 15% rise in health insurance costs, and that escalating vendor fees for the county'owned CAD and radio systems are making operations unsustainable.

The sheriff asked the commission to consider a structural move: transfer the county'operated 911/dispatch employees to the Board of County Commissioners. He said the shift would lower his top-line budget next year by about $2,880,000 but acknowledged that would move the cost to the county budget rather than eliminate it.

Why this matters: dispatch and radio/CAD services affect all emergency responders and the location of staff and contracts drives who pays for system upkeep, repairs and vendor fees. The sheriff said Flagler County currently owns towers, the radio system, the CAD and RMS software and the building housing dispatch, while his office supplies the personnel that answer 911 and nonemergency calls.

Major figures and drivers
- Collective bargaining, COLA and benefits: Staley presented a $4.6 million increase that includes a 4% cost-of-living adjustment, a 2.4% increase in FRS employer contributions for high-risk positions (which he said represents about $1.2 million of the $4.6 million) and the estimated health-insurance rise.
- Deputies requested: the sheriff asked for 12 new deputy sheriff positions as part of a multi'year staffing plan; he proposed that the county fund three of those and the City of Palm Coast fund nine under the existing service contract.
- CAD and radio vendor fees: Staley said radio user fees billed to his office were $285,304 in FY 2022-23 and a proposed $1,041,000 for next year (a roughly 265% increase over three years). He said CAD fees rose from about $95,000 to a proposed $346,000 (about a 262% jump) and described the increases as unsustainable.
- Alternatives and procurement work: the sheriff said his staff is evaluating alternatives, including a return to SmartCop (an earlier CAD used regionally) and newer radio models that can opportunistically route over cell networks where radio coverage is poor; he said such changes could lower recurring vendor fees.
- Inmate medical savings and grants: Staley described the sheriff'office'led inmate medical-contract changes (Prime Medical oversight) that his office says generated roughly $2,000,000 in savings to the county over two years. He also reported $2,657,000 in active grant awards, including a $1,299,000 program for inmate substance-use rehabilitation.
- Jail population and programs: Staley said average daily jail population has fallen from more than 300 to a little above 200 inmates and credited in-jail programming and partnerships with state/federal grants and Flagler Technical College.

Board reaction and next steps
Commissioners asked for details about what would change operationally if dispatch employees moved to county payroll and whether the county'owned equipment and vendor contracts make such a transfer logical. The sheriff said the dispatch director would come to county administration and report to county staff if the transfer went forward; no formal vote occurred Monday. County staff and the sheriff agreed to continue discussion, and county administration was asked to work with the sheriff on a draft transition agreement.

The sheriff repeatedly framed the issue as fiscal and operational: vendor fee inflation and statewide policy signals (PSAP consolidation recommendations from the Stoneman Douglas commission and possible state legislation) are pushing counties and emergency-service providers toward consolidating technical ownership and staffing responsibilities.

What the sheriff asked for and what remains undecided
Staley formally requested the commission consider: (1) transferring the dispatch workforce to the BOCC (which would shift $2.88 million of his projected increase into county budgets); (2) funding three deputies from county general funds and nine deputies through the City of Palm Coast under the city'county service arrangement; and (3) help addressing large recurring vendor fee increases for CAD, radio and related services. The board took the request under advisement and directed staff and the sheriff to continue negotiating and to return with details.

No formal budget decisions were made Monday; the workshop was part of an ongoing budget process with future sessions scheduled to address general-fund priorities.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Flagler County Commission Workshop 6/09/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Sheriff Staley told the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners on Monday that his office faces a roughly $4.6 million budget increase next year driven largely by a 4% cost-of-living adjustment, higher Florida Retirement System employer rates and an estimated 15% rise in health insurance costs, and that escalating vendor fees for the county'owned CAD and radio systems are making operations unsustainable.","taxTitle","Flagler County, Florida","taxId",2877,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6201875,"Flagler County seeks to intervene at Bunnell meeting over plan that could allow up to 8,000 homes on wetlands and uplands",850,10171000,11021000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3788678-2302b75fd5475476358f9f765b2d28f8&start=10171&end=11021","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3788678-2302b75fd5475476358f9f765b2d28f8/thumbnail_10171000.jpg","/articles/6201875/Flagler-County/Florida/Flagler-County-seeks-to-intervene-at-Bunnell-meeting-over-plan-that-could-allow-up-to-8000-homes-on-wetlands-and-uplands","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6201875-7ca53092a4e4108bddf5dff22c64af4b/orig.mp4?Expires=1772916960&Signature=HQ6R1AHkKVfUPoOlosYz5ayGi3dOhiflcrguOSx6octqlM5HlEdmwGCQNFAzpIlhjcMFWDz8AmVAhVolxUofFhZVAJf4bPYVDp81cGzhC~UnWo5D-CsbtwPuK6fylGsbhCuaFvxbG49oiyi5iaCOwc7HgB1vNf0QJ6AJX3MfAKTv-CB3wVqdaTVZjARHd-Z40sXBJuaczpD6C~8Z3zZ4m8iURZrGidOtN0KQ44FPh41sbTN5JhBwAjP7hKDXWchwTiuhpjqXPkaCO7vBxz7RtcJ9jgzo4sSSdeEUkF0gORoNwVYZnJEc-l0qwPK-~BA9z1ClK~cSgb2fEoaL2sMpsQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County staff asked the Board of County Commissioners on June 9 for permission to attend a City of Bunnell hearing about a proposed land-use and rezoning package that staff said could authorize a planned-unit development with up to 8,000 residences on a large tract at the headwaters of Haw Creek.

Why this matters: the county said the site is largely low-lying and includes wetlands; the development, if approved without coordinated mitigation and infrastructure commitments, could affect county-maintained roads, county fire protections, stormwater and downstream water quality.

What staff told the board
Planning staff and the county attorney'office said they had previously submitted formal comments during the comp-plan transmittal review and asked the city to address county concerns; those comments included requests for stronger fire-service and road-impact commitments and additional stormwater protections. County staff said they had not received a substantive response before the city posted the rezoning and PUD items on its agenda.

Specific county concerns listed by staff and commissioners
- Fire services and facilities: staff said a developer offer to donate four acres for a public safety site is likely insufficient for the level of fire protection a development of that magnitude would require; the county said a fully operational fire station, staffed and funded, could be necessary to maintain current ISO/fire-insurance ratings.
- Roads and traffic: portions of the new development would rely on county roads; staff asked the city to require developer-funded road improvements and traffic mitigation and to coordinate impact fees and longer-term maintenance responsibilities.
- Stormwater and wetlands: the site sits at the headwaters of Haw Creek. County staff flagged wetland impacts and the need for robust stormwater systems and mitigation.

Board direction
Commissioners provided consensus for county planning staff and county leadership to attend the City of Bunnell hearing and to voice the county's concerns publicly. County staff said if the city adopted the comp-plan amendment or rezoning without addressing county comments, the next remedies include administrative mediation or a state land-use challenge under Florida's land-use adjudicatory process.

","County staff told commissioners they would appear at a City of Bunnell hearing to raise concerns about a proposed planned unit development and comp-plan amendments that could allow up to 8,000 residences on largely low-lying land; commissioners gave consensus to send staff to the meeting.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6201880,"Flagler County tax collector highlights fee-based budget, tourist tax enforcement and short-term rental monitoring",296,8939000,9235000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3788678-2302b75fd5475476358f9f765b2d28f8&start=8939&end=9235","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3788678-2302b75fd5475476358f9f765b2d28f8/thumbnail_8939000.jpg","/articles/6201880/Flagler-County/Florida/Flagler-County-tax-collector-highlights-fee-based-budget-tourist-tax-enforcement-and-short-term-rental-monitoring","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6201880-51d121bf18d6d533d5cbf65006f273dc/orig.mp4?Expires=1772916960&Signature=VC3SB4H08LQZXAHbuowSYTAoR3cNObdRTFPpWxAEhynjm9AQLJ1aShdXtIRie8MEPL8PhfTv0XyDFSrO1MrFHbrLRsD0Yx8ZRfvrBFnEPeImvGMYuJwjB6SievAx5tM2zM8xc44SwuT~UQqhDtqj2nj3WGkkHEHkJdFXtCQRTl2ECwRjwsTR3Jgxd0o-OCtqY-jaFSzU180bO4SbaMSO5N7BAOvcGx67xsoAb2rCXzuJNbOSkX3Uk5k5qtaOw3IS09qjiUiUOyE831K7lzNSQ67Xyy-kjJiP0HtvmFUWX-gXEbNJ27OSQ7dZrPJlBwsJ2KddouZkOItzUfWtdsjw8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Flagler County Tax Collector Shelly Edmonson told the Board of County Commissioners on June 9 that the tax collector'office is a fee'based operation and that unspent fee revenue is returned to the county. She described how the office enforces transient lodging taxes and short'term rental compliance.

Edmonson said the tax collector receives a commission on property-tax collection (she referenced a 2% commission rate), but most of the office'level revenues come from DMV services, concealed-weapons permits and other state-regulated transactions. She noted the office began collecting the county'transient rental (TDT) tax in 2018 and reported it collected slightly more than $4.5 million in TDT revenues this year.

Short-term rental and TDT enforcement
Edmonson described a two'pronged enforcement approach: local business-tax receipts and a paid third'party internet-monitoring vendor that scrapes listings on platforms such as Airbnb, VRBO and others. She said the vendor captures screenshots and timestamps of public listings; the tax collector's office uses that evidence to check whether operators have the required local business tax receipt and are registered to pay the county's tourist tax. Edmonson said tourist-tax filings are confidential but that the office can investigate whether a property has the required local permits.

Why this matters: short'term rentals can create local regulatory, safety and revenue issues; enforcement affects county lodging-tax revenues and municipal code compliance.

Next steps and questions
Commissioners asked whether the tax collector coordinates with county code enforcement; Edmonson said enforcement includes cross'checks for local business-tax receipts and that field staff post notices at properties suspected of operating short'term rentals without required local registration.

No formal actions were taken Monday; the presentation clarified the tax collector's funding model and enforcement tools.

","Tax Collector Shelly Edmonson told commissioners her office is fee funded, collects transient lodging taxes, administers DMV services and uses a contracted internet-monitoring service to detect short-term rental listings for enforcement.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6201884,"Supervisor of Elections warns of website vendor change and reimbursement delays after two special countywide contests",462,8338000,8800000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3788678-2302b75fd5475476358f9f765b2d28f8&start=8338&end=8800","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3788678-2302b75fd5475476358f9f765b2d28f8/thumbnail_8338000.jpg","/articles/6201884/Flagler-County/Florida/Supervisor-of-Elections-warns-of-website-vendor-change-and-reimbursement-delays-after-two-special-countywide-contests","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6201884-1b1e926d4febec199c3654b37785a788/orig.mp4?Expires=1772916960&Signature=bTScv25xOqiNAQatA8CG0pViQ2oA2pe5eGXLH0Ith3PS1oQi82bgUgYFKHb4xNzQ5jMwRizk1alOc52s7iBHZaJykjFM78DPjmHPrah1I0WTkRa0ugtTasZf8PxuUBXB9f~4y6K-Kq~EngjmJa6LJKt1tdAE8ww7YTH0gPGQkHEBGVku72uZGR7VWu1Jm9fX0G9uw-mijALMPykLtJHxDdci8xPy3wzVXmMhRtYQl0V~J6k~am6oUOe6x1lS5pLNnaLSQr5h3jL57LaKkt8I3W2uaM9K0Y5M-gS2koRZeqswYXrpmF3WtbbxXHVST3A0AfZljQoF3FRkKJsZjBv6mw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Supervisor of Elections Katie Leonard briefed the Flagler County commission on June 9 about her office'level budget, vendor changes and recent unbudgeted election costs. She said the office planned a primary in 2026 but had to run two countywide special elections this year and used advance months of the current budget to pay those costs while seeking state reimbursement.

Leonard said her office had planned for an 8% increase but trimmed requests after staff identified efficiencies; the final proposed budget was less than a 0.5% increase on the administrative side because elections costs decline outside presidential years. She said the big unplanned cost was a change in website vendor: the incumbent vendor told the county it will no longer host election websites, citing heightened cybersecurity burdens after federal alerts about foreign threats to election infrastructure.

Why this matters: the elections website provides voter services (registration status, vote-by-mail requests, ballot lookups) that are high-traffic and security-sensitive. Vendor change increases hosting and security costs for that infrastructure.

Key details
- Vendor change and security: Leonard said her longtime website vendor opted not to continue hosting election sites because of the security burden tied to credible foreign threats identified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She said the county and other Florida counties are replacing election website vendors and that counties should prefer vendor diversity for resilience.
- Unbudgeted special elections and reimbursement timing: Leonard said two recent countywide special elections cost Flagler County about $329,241 in total. She asked county finance staff to advance the last two months of the current budget so her office could pay for the contests and said the state reimbursement process can be slow; she noted that another Florida county recently received reimbursement four years after holding a special election.
- Cyclical nature of elections budgets: the supervisor reminded commissioners that election-year costs fluctuate with the cycle (presidential years cost more). She said administrative and postage costs were the main drivers of the current-year increase, and she had reduced some election-side line items through consolidation.

Next steps
Leonard said she will continue to work with county finance staff on vendor transitions and on reimbursement filings with the state. She asked commissioners to note the reimbursement timing risk and the security-driven vendor change in the county'level budgeting process.

","Supervisor Katie Leonard told commissioners the office replaced a website vendor that opted out of hosting election sites and warned the county to expect possible state reimbursement delays for two unbudgeted special elections.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6201889,"Flagler County clerk presents needs-based budget, cites Munis rollout, records digitization and investment income",849,1364000,2213000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3788678-2302b75fd5475476358f9f765b2d28f8&start=1364&end=2213","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3788678-2302b75fd5475476358f9f765b2d28f8/thumbnail_1364000.jpg","/articles/6201889/Flagler-County/Florida/Flagler-County-clerk-presents-needs-based-budget-cites-Munis-rollout-records-digitization-and-investment-income","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6201889-c97effec4f11e3bd417890f9ac120b80/orig.mp4?Expires=1772916960&Signature=VohZvOqHtpFZaTkCFfCNulseMf5gHiH5LUpBS4nsAjSkN9MQgxZ6fXK15soqyangfn~UsIfxSq-xGonwvqgqrQRjaSYrSsEcvXJNA0dP7U1mJK2fud4asi-9kJ~k2hJCg~aU2TsUCna0CtVmoFqTY~U26nT64~uc2HgEFZjJt~YW~kzMOJ2e-Sxc3do7p8eOSkb5brZpm2JpBVh7MmmBTTcOz-EraNdarMCDSXRsLzrr20GFVGXdAV4RK1Dpzo5yOOU-b1JMZ~vFt5KwLCvZXdKxLy0HaBMThMBf~3ag5UcW--hNJ87rtHUu5KTuvmH-5cb637WDrOJRXDqsQqpyLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tom Bexley, Flagler County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, presented a needs-based budget request to the Board of County Commissioners on June 9 that asks for staff additions, technology support for the recently implemented Munis financial system and additional funding for disaster recovery and long-term records management.

Bexley framed the request as \"minimum necessary\" to run the clerk and comptroller functions: countywide accounting, custody of county funds, records, court clerking functions and the transparency tools used by county staff and the public. He said the office currently employs 62 people countywide, 37 of whom are non'court staff covered by the county budget review.

Why this matters: the clerk and comptroller is the county'wide custodian of funds, the auditor for county financial statements and the manager of official records; changes in the office'level budget affect financial reporting, system support and the county'wide transparency dashboard.

Key points from the presentation
- Five FTEs requested: Bexley said the county'wide growth since 2007, the increased volume of Board meetings, value-adjustment board work and the Munis financial system support justify five additional positions to staff IT, finance and records functions. He said the office'wide staffing level has not risen in proportion to population and workload.
- Munis and disaster recovery: Bexley told the board that the new Munis financial system requires significant internal support; the clerk'office is the hub for many departments interacting with Munis and Bexley said disaster-recovery planning and routine testing are critical after a recent generator outage at the Justice Center that affected services.
- Records digitization and storage: Bexley described a long-term program to image and digitize more than 100 years of records, reducing physical storage needs and increasing the county'held digital footprint; he said that effort shifted physical records space to IT uses and increased the need for ongoing data storage and disaster recovery funding.
- Investment returns: Bexley reported that the clerk'managed excess proceeds portfolio exceeds $200 million and that investment income averaged more than $5 million annually over the past three years, noting that investment proceeds could cover the requested budget increases.

Board questions and discussion
Commissioners sought detail about the proposed five positions and where they would be placed; Bexley said the roles would be allocated across IT, finance and records operations and that the positions would help manage Munis operations, increased meeting support and digital records workloads.

Bexley noted that some fee revenues have shifted since statute changes and that the county has at times supported the clerk'office in past years during revenue shortfalls. He reiterated that the June 1 budget submission deadline to the Board of County Commissioners and the Department of Revenue had been met by his office.

Next steps
The presentation provided context for the clerk'office request within the county'wide budget process. Commissioners and staff said they would continue to review the detailed line items with financial services and follow up as part of the county's multi'week budget workshops.

","Clerk and comptroller Tom Bexley asked the BOCC to fund a needs-based Clerk of Court budget that includes five additional FTEs, technology and disaster-recovery investments and highlighted the office'managed investments that produced multi-million-dollar annual returns.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Flagler County sheriff warns budget strain from pensions, insurance and soaring CAD/radio fees; proposes shifting dispatch to county

Flagler County seeks to intervene at Bunnell meeting over plan that could allow up to 8,000 homes on wetlands and uplands

Flagler County tax collector highlights fee-based budget, tourist tax enforcement and short-term rental monitoring

Supervisor of Elections warns of website vendor change and reimbursement delays after two special countywide contests

Flagler County clerk presents needs-based budget, cites Munis rollout, records digitization and investment income