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Palm Coast holds candidate interviews to fill District 3 council seat; council will narrow field April 8
Summary
Palm Coast City Council conducted one-on-one interviews with applicants for the District 3 vacancy. Candidates emphasized infrastructure, utilities and managed growth; council set a next-step schedule to narrow finalists April 8 and appoint a successor April 15.
Palm Coast City Council held candidate interviews Tuesday for the vacant District 3 seat, hearing three-minute statements and council questions from multiple applicants and then scheduling a two-step selection process.
Candidates repeatedly identified utilities, water and wastewater capacity, and managing westward growth as top priorities. Mark Burton, a candidate, said, “My priorities would be to increase our tax base as much as possible,” and several others said they would prioritize infrastructure investment and careful, phased development while seeking new jobs and commercial tax base.
The interviews were conducted one at a time with the public excused from the room while candidates addressed the dais. Candidates who spoke included Mark Burton (candidate); Courtney (candidate); Mr. Ferguson (candidate); Michael Flanagan (candidate); Queen Anne Downing Manfred (candidate); Candace Stevens (candidate); Mr. Perez (candidate); Mr. Sullivan (candidate); Mark Stansell (candidate); and others who told the council they would emphasize fiscal discipline, public-safety funding, or business recruitment. Several candidates described prior public‑service or planning-board experience; others framed private‑sector experience as relevant to city budgeting and economic development.
Council members asked each candidate about priorities in the city’s strategic action plan, how they would approach hiring a new city manager, and how they would balance growth with maintaining services for existing residents. Common responses were (1) rely on staff and experts for technical details, (2) protect public safety and water infrastructure as near-term priorities, and (3) seek more commercial and industrial property to expand the tax base.
Mayor Norris announced next steps at the end of the interviews, saying the council will narrow the applicant list at a public meeting on April 8, 2025, at 6 p.m., and will consider making an appointment on April 15, 2025, at 9 a.m. No appointment was made at the workshop.
The council did not take a vote on any appointment during the workshop; the interviews and the schedule were the substantive outcomes of the session.
