County staff to begin public-education campaign on half-cent sales tax for beach management

Flagler County commissioners at a March 3 workshop directed staff to develop and begin a public-education campaign on a proposed countywide funding package to pay for beach renourishment and long-term coastal maintenance.

The county administrator, Heidi Petito, outlined a funding gap and a multi-year strategy to cover initial construction and recurring nourishment across the county’s 18 miles of coastline. Petito said staff will seek interlocal agreements with municipalities and pursue a mix of funding tools — including a proposed new half-cent local option sales tax, Tourist Development Council (TDC) funds, grants and a potential MSBU (municipal services benefit unit) — and begin outreach now. “If you direct me and staff to move forward with the campaign… Protect our beaches, strengthen our future,” Petito said during the workshop.

Why it matters: County staff presented a planning-level estimate that the full construction cost to address coastal erosion countywide is just over $120 million, with a local share of roughly $42.4 million. Staff said recurring maintenance on a six‑year nourishment cycle could require an annual equivalent of about $12 million. Without local funding for periodic nourishment, staff…