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Flagler County constitutionals request COLA, merit and staff increases as commissioners seek Save Our Homes and 10%‑cut scenarios
Summary
Clerk, property appraiser, sheriff and other constitutional officers submitted FY27 budgets that include a 3% COLA and 2% discretionary merit plus staffing requests; commissioners asked staff for 10% reduction exercises and Save Our Homes fiscal scenarios before tentative budget decisions.
Constitutional officers presented their FY27 budget requests at a Flagler County workshop on June 8, with several offices seeking a 3% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and a 2% discretionary merit pool. Board financial staff summarized the constitutional officers’ combined preliminary request at about $4.9 million and said tentative budget hearings will follow in July.
Tom Beexley, Clerk and Comptroller, described a continuation budget with roughly $500,000 in proposed increases: approximately $310,000 for a 3% COLA and 2% merit pool and about $190,000 to fund two full-time positions to support financial processes between the clerk’s office and county administration. Beexley said roughly 90% of his office’s expenses are personnel-related and that earned revenue and court-related revenues affect how funds are allocated.
The property appraiser’s staff explained a large rise in a ‘‘nonoperating’’ line for FY27 that reflects Department of Revenue guidance to place requested COLA/merit-related personnel increases into a special contingency line until the board approves the budget. Jay Gardner, Property Appraiser, and staff clarified that the requested nonoperating amounts reflect proposed 3% COLA and 2% merit and related employer taxes and retirement costs.
Several commissioners pressed constitutional officers to justify travel, communications, and staffing increases. One commissioner presented comparative metrics across peer counties and noted Flagler’s clerk-related general-fund cost per resident was higher than peers; the clerk countered that metrics are sensitive to accounting and service differences and agreed to provide additional benchmarking and efficiency options.
Board members repeatedly requested that staff prepare specific fiscal exercises before the next meetings: (1) a 10% reduction exercise across departments, as discussed in April; (2) Save Our Homes homestead-exemption scenarios and their effect on county revenue and debt service (staff cited Flagler County’s ~$86.4 million outstanding debt); and (3) cash-flow analysis and an FAQ for the public. Commissioners said they need these scenarios to judge whether to approve COLA, merit, and new positions in light of possible state actions and rising costs such as health-insurance increases.
No formal budget votes were taken at the workshop; staff will return with department-level scenarios and the tentative budget in July.
