Flagler County presents balanced tentative budget, earmarks $14.3M for beach, roads and stormwater

Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito presented the county's balanced general fund budget at a July 2, 2025 workshop, telling commissioners the plan holds the line on millage while setting aside $14,300,000 for three infrastructure priorities: beach management, roadways and stormwater.

Petito said the plan allocates about $8,100,000 to beach management, $5,300,000 to roadways and $800,000 to stormwater next year, funded by a combination of sales-tax carryover, tourist development contributions and interfund transfers. She cautioned the board that these investments are a one-year plan and may not be repeatable without changes to property values or state funding, and she warned road and stormwater needs across a 10-year horizon could total more than $100 million.

The presentation outlined operational efficiency moves: reductions of several vacant or duplicative positions across general services and fleet, a $162,000 reduction in certain capital maintenance projects, and a suggested transition of outside-agency funding to a competitive…