GoToby Backs New Palm Coast City Hall Plan

Now is the time. The recession is over. Property values are rising and resident homeowners are protected by new lower homesteaded values.

Palm Coast, FL – November 13, 2013 – The City of Palm Coast wants to build a new city hall in Town Center. Two earlier attempts to gain support for the project failed. GoToby.com supports the city’s current plan.

The first attempt was to be funded by bonds and repaid by taxes. The planned construction was too expensive. It was too grandiose. And it was marketed with arrogance. Palm Coasters shot down that idea with a landslide “NO” vote.

The second attempt three years ago to rally support through a series of town hall meetings fell on deaf ears. It was poorly timed. It was the middle of the recession and the tax base was still shrinking. The plan lacked substance with no clear picture of where the money was coming from. It also had a $10 million price tag. Through a GoToby.com on-line poll at the time, over 73 percent of 431 respondents registered their lack of support.

I support the city’s latest initiative. Here’s why.

Most of us have chosen to own rather than rent our residence. It makes sense for the city to do so too. At the end of the month, the rent money is gone. If the city’s lease is extended, the city will have spent millions on rent with no residual value.

This time, I think the city has it right. The projected cost is lower, the funding sources are more clearly identified and the economy has turned the corner. Property values are rising and so too is the property tax base. Thanks to the recession, resident homeowners have locked in lower homestead values, limiting future tax increases.

City marketplace was a ghost town when the city first moved in.  It’s now filling up with commercial tenants. The space occupied by the city is awkwardly configured for a city hall. It would best be utilized as commercial space. I’m sure the new landlord would rather rent the city’s present space to commercial tenants.

The new construction will create jobs and spur economic development. And a new city hall will make a good first impression on companies and individuals contemplating a move to Palm Coast or Flagler County.

I urge you to show your support.

5 replies
  1. John Boy
    John Boy says:

    City Hall Decision

    My problem is that taxes have aised much faster than inflation. In 2001 my taxes where under $2,500. This year I just paid $3,800. including an early discount. The politicans and "hired" managers have pissed away so much money on stupid and unnecessary projects. When my taxes hit the $4,000. mark I’m out of here. For that reason, I’ve started my house hunting already on the West Coast of Florida.

  2. Layla27
    Layla27 says:

    City Hall

    The Manager robbed our water account for the widening of Old Kings. I believe he took $8 million out of that account, ILLEGALLY, and we won’t get it back. We were sold a song and dance about Town Center, which now that we have Section 8 Housing there, ILLEGALLY, will NEVER develop.

    The only support I want to give this council is a perp walk, in handcuffs, out of the current city hall.

  3. Dan Priotti
    Dan Priotti says:

    City hall

    If city hall is to be built by a local general contractor with all sub-contractors being from flagler county and the follow federal guidelines of a certain percentage of the work go to MBE or DBEs then maybe yes we should all support a new city hall but if this is not feasible the answer should be NO.

  4. William
    William says:

    City Hall

    I concur with now being the time for Palm Coast to build a City Hall. The need for a dedicated building is obvious, the proposed financial plan appears viable, the scaled down square footage is more realistic and the time seems right from a cost savings standpoint. I remain skeptical however on the "no tax impact" promise. After buying my home in 1996 and observing a steady increase in property taxes each subsequent year until the recession hit in 2004/5, my property taxes "bottomed out" in 2009 at $2280 dropping from a high in 2004 of $2734. My 2013 tax bill is $2921, an increase of $641 (28%) from the 2009 tax. In that time interval (2009-2013) the portion of the overall tax attributable to the school board has increased by $54 (4% overall or 1% per year), the city tax increased $138 (40% overall or 10% per year) and the county tax increased $449 (88% overall or 22% per year). I would be quite unhappy to see my city tax increase in a manner similar to the county, which has come close to doubling my county tax burden in the last four years.

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