Hi, kids!

It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the news and newsmakers of the day who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life or detracted from it in some significant way:

State Auditors Set to Give Daytona Beach a Proctological Exam for the Ages…

“As Mayor, I welcome the operational audit approved by Florida’s Auditor General. We are confident in our financial management and view this as an opportunity to demonstrate transparency and accountability. We will provide full cooperation and access to resources, ensuring a comprehensive review. This process allows us to address any misconceptions, rebuild trust with our residents and business partners, and continue driving Daytona Beach forward. We are committed to addressing any findings and maintaining the city’s positive trajectory.”

–Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry, Tuesday, December 9, 2025

In my experience, most people struggle with criticism. 

Especially that infernal “constructive” kind, where a meddlesome critic tells you all about your faults and foibles because they have your “best interests at heart.”

Scrutiny is always uncomfortable, and few of us possess the emotional intelligence or self-confidence to submit to an independent critique then use the insights to our advantage.   That is especially true for powerful public executives who reside comfortably in the cloistered Ivory Tower of Power of local governments.   

That is because criticism leads to questions – and the right questions can lead to the door…

The City of Daytona Beach has been over the barrel of late, and City Manager Deric Feacher is facing mounting questions on a variety of fronts regarding possible purchasing irregularities, car allowances, seriously outdated personnel policies, and, most recently, salacious rumors of a supervisor/subordinate tryst that may involve the misuse of public funds.

As a result, on November 17, Sen. Tom Wright apparently took a break from skirt chasing around the capitol building and somehow mustered the moral clarity to ask the state Joint Legislative Auditing Committee to consider an external review of the city’s fiscal management practices. 

The request comes after a Daytona Beach delegation consisting of Mayor Derrick Henry, Deputy City Manager Jim Morris, and Chief Building Official Glen Urquhart were summoned to Tallahassee and publicly gibbeted by the JLAC in November.

For the uninitiated, long before the p-card debacle came to light, Daytona Beach was fading the heat for accumulating millions of dollars in excess building permits and licensing fees in apparent violation of state law.  Concerns grew when city officials considered using the excess funds to purchase a problematic building on Beach Street later found to be contaminated with deadly asbestos.

Unfortunately, a follow-up plan to unload the excess funds was also fraught with questionable purchases.

That’s when state lawmakers took notice.  

In a frustrated response to JLAC’s thrashing, Daytona Beach Commissioner Ken Strickland recently said, “Tallahassee needs to mind their own business.  They should be representing us, not ridiculing us. I’m disgusted with our representation up there.”

(I once knew a fiery civic activist named Ken Strickland who would have welcomed an external audit of city finances with open arms…wonder what ever became of that guy?)

Commissioner Strickland’s figurative middle-finger didn’t sit well with Sen. Wright who penned a request for a state audit of the city’s monetary management practices:

“The committee (JLAC) witnessed firsthand that Daytona Beach has amassed substantial and unnecessary surpluses in building permit revenues, well beyond what is permitted under state law.  The committee, alongside members of our Volusia delegation, have already expressed concern over the city’s inability to properly manage or justify these excess funds.”

Ominously, Sen. Wright went on to say “…these issues strongly suggest systemic deficiencies in Daytona Beach’s fiscal oversight and internal accountability.”

Then, last week, in one of the most dramatic exchanges I’ve witnessed at a typically tepid Daytona Beach City Commission meeting, the city’s independent auditor, Abinet Belachew, presented an overview of his recent review of the city’s archaic travel policies. 

During his report, Mr. Belachew took exception to a release by the city’s administration that called the veracity of his report into question by stating the city “strongly disagrees with several key conclusions and characterizations in the summary and findings.”

That didn’t sit well with Mr. Belachew, whose professional reputation demands unquestioned integrity, adherence to the highest ethical standards, and dedication to pinpoint accuracy in preserving the public trust.

Clearly the man knows his stuff – and he’s not afraid to stick to his guns, defend his evidence-based findings, and speak truth to power.

During his informative presentation, Mr. Belachew discussed his preliminary findings of the city’s vehicle allowance policy (25 employees get $95 or more per week in vehicle stipends?) which morphed into several testy exchanges as Mayor Derrick Henry attempted to limit the scope of the dialog, pushing back against Belachew’s disturbing reports of internal “defensiveness” and obstruction of the audit process by senior officials.

Speaking of defensiveness, Mayor Henry issued a knee-jerk admonishment to Mr. Belachew, “Your audit is not about the relationship between the commission and the staff.  Your audit, sir, is about the travel audit, not about staff relationships.”

Then things got really awkward … 

Toward the end of his presentation, Mr. Belachew announced that he has received an anonymous internal report of an alleged interoffice liaison amoureuse involving a supervisor/subordinate sexual relationship in an unnamed city department. 

According to a subsequent report in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Mr. Belachew advised commissioners that the unnamed superior is accused of “…using his city government payment card to buy personal items for his love interest and travel with her on lavish private getaways.”

Whoa.

In my view, the initial reaction of certain commissioners should give Daytona Beach taxpayers cause for concern…  

After Mr. Belachew informed his elected bosses that, as a certified fraud examiner, he is qualified and prepared to investigate the whistleblower’s claims – a weird discussion ensued about whether the allegation should first be handed off to the human resources department – citing fears of a “lawsuit” if the names of those involved become public. 

Trust me.  If true, there will be plenty of litigation resulting from this alleged ugliness – and there is little that can be done at this late date to mitigate the damages.

That’s why the current focus of the City Commission should be throwing open the curtains and ensuring complete transparency in ferreting out fraud, waste, and abuse – regardless of where the chips fall – demanding strong management and leadership, developing effective policies and protocols, fostering an organizational commitment to government efficiency, and building a culture of accountability.  

Ultimately, the commission authorized Mr. Belachew to investigate after narrowing the focus of his review to the purchasing card aspect of the allegation. 

In my experience, Gen. Colin Powell was right – “Bad news isn’t wine.  It doesn’t get better with age” – and the initial reluctance of some commissioners to allow Mr. Belachew to aggressively investigate telegraphed an instinctive organizational reaction to keep the scandal in-house, control the narrative, and contain the crisis…

Perhaps that’s why the whistleblower felt they couldn’t go to HR in the first place?

Disturbing.

During the incredibly enlightening meeting, City Manager Feacher announced his efforts to establish a 10-person Government Efficiency and Innovation Committee – based on the “DOGE” concept – staffed by city officials with a mandate to “…streamline city functions; reduce spending; eliminate waste; examine policies for efficiency and practices that protect tax dollars; and ensure policies and operations align with the city’s strategic goals.”

Things that, by all appearances, haven’t been organizational priorities. 

Until now…

On Monday, the other shoe dropped when the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee, acting on Sen. Wright’s request, voted 12-0 to conduct a thorough digital proctological examination of the City of Daytona Beach, an exhaustive rooting which could take a “few years” to complete… 

According to a report by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean writing in the News-Journal this week, legislators used the audit announcement to take a few political shots at Commissioner Strickland:

“The appropriate response to us is not pound sand,” said state Sen. Jason Brodeur, a Republican who represents Seminole County and a small portion of Volusia County. “The appropriate response to us is how can we work with you to figure out the best use of taxpayer dollars. I was interested before on behalf of the taxpayers. But now I’m real interested.”

State Rep. Chase Tramont, who like Brodeur is a co-chair of the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee, sent The News-Journal a written statement to respond to Strickland.

“I would remind the commissioner that oversight IS our business,” Tramont, R-Port Orange, wrote in his statement. “Our business is to protect the taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud and abuse. Our business as legislators is oversight. Our business is to hold you accountable when you aren’t managing your business properly.”

In my view, now is the time for the City of Daytona Beach to open itself to a thorough examination by its internal auditor, Mr. Belachew – someone with an ethical commitment to searching out waste and misspending with a demonstrated desire to help improve efficiency and oversight at City Hall – before those with more politically malevolent intentions arrive and do it for them in the most painful, pointed, and protracted way possible…    

A Very Merry Christmas for Some – Sticks and Coal for Flagler County’s Heidi Petito

“In a set of evaluations potentially devastating to Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito’s tenure, three of her commissioners—Chair Leann Pennington, Kim Carney, and Pam Richardson—concluded in their evaluations of Petito that she “does not meet expectations.”

They each rated her a failing 2 out of 5, sharply criticized her leadership, and two of them explicitly said Petito is no longer the person for the job.

“I am not confident that the current Administration or certain members of staff are fully prepared to meet that challenge or deliver the transformational change that will be required,” Commission Chair Leann Pennington wrote in a sum-up with the ring of a tocsin to Petito’s tenure. “I do believe there remains an important role for Mrs. Petito within this organization; however, as the county and legislative directives continue to evolve, I am not certain that role is best suited as County Administrator.”

–FlaglerLive.com, “County Administrator Heidi Petito ‘Does Not Meet Expectations,’ 3 of 5 Commissioners Say, Putting Her Future in Doubt,” Thursday, December 4, 2025

It appears that Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito’s propensity for blindsiding her bosses and engaging in intergovernmental controversies finally caught up to her. 

Look, I get it.  Trying to placate the five strong personalities that comprise the Flagler Board of County Commissioners is a hard dollar – and city/county management is in many ways an itinerant pursuit.  That instability is frequently cited in support of the astronomical salary, benefit, and golden parachutes showered on public executives.

It’s that time of the year when many city and county managers hear from their elected bosses – our “representatives” – albeit in a stilted (and often scripted) way, and, as Ms. Petito can attest, the news is not always good.

By contrast, just down the sandy trail in Volusia County things could not be rosier…

According to a report in The Daytona Beach News-Journal last week, “Volusia County councilmen unanimously approved a 4% raise for both County Manager George Recktenwald and County Attorney Mike Dyer during annual evaluations on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

The vote came after Recktenwald and Dyer both said they’d rather not be considered for a larger salary boost. Other county employees received a 4% raise during budget discussions.

“We would be uncomfortable taking anything more than what the general raise was for everybody else,” Recktenwald said.

Brower said he believed the 4% was appropriate and that giving the two men a larger boost might impact employee negotiations.

“I just think it’s appropriate,” he said.

Recktenwald’s salary will go from about $271,993 to about $282,873. Dyer’s salary will go from about $254,245 to about $264,415.”

The $10,000 increases are in addition to the legendary perquisites, allowances, and gimmies that round out public sector executive compensation.  That’s why Recktenwald and Dyer know better than most the importance of keeping their bosses (and those behind the scenes who truly control the rods and strings of politics) happy, content, and well-fed…   

In addition, last week we learned that the gaping leadership chasm in Palm Coast City Hall has finally been filled. 

According to a report in FlaglerLive.com:

“Incoming Palm Coast City Manager Michael McGlothlin would be paid $225,000 a year and have a total compensation package that would push the total past the $300,000 mark based on the proposed contract the City Council is set to approve on Tuesday.

McGlothlin negotiated the contract with Mayor Mike Norris, City Attorney Marcus Duffy and Human Resources Director Renina Fuller. McGlothlin got the final product on Nov. 25.

The base pay is 29 percent higher than that of his predecessor in the permanent job, Denise Bevan, who was paid $175,000 a year. Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston was paid $189,000 when hired as interim after Bevan’s firing in March 2024, as Johnston was to carry on her previous duties in addition to the manager’s duties.

When McGlothlin was hired as manager of Redington Shores two years ago, a job he no longer held when he applied for the Palm Coast job, his salary was $126,000.

Flagler Beach City Manager Dale Martin just got a 4 percent raise after two years on the job, bringing his base salary to $171,620. Bunnell City Manager Alvin Jackson in October got a 10 percent raise, to $158,000. School Superintendent LaShakia Moore is paid $182,000 a year. County Administrator Heidi Petito’s original base pay in 2021 was $179,000, but has been raised annually, matching inflation, and is closer to $222,000 a year. None of those salaries include benefits and other forms of compensation.”

According to reports, the median household income in the City of Palm Coast is approximately $75,329 – $72,923 in Flagler County – and $66,581 in Volusia County…    

I hope your small business or household incomes increase is just as lucrative this Holiday Season as it has been in the gilded halls of power across “Fun Coast” governments. 

Yeah, right… 

Quote of the Week

“To run the city, we all have to get along. I keep on hearing all these things from the community, ‘be kind,’ and ‘she’s not kind’ and ‘she’s this’ and ‘she’s that,’ but look in the mirror, because you’re attacking me, and you’re not being kind, so why don’t we all just be kind and move on from this?” Marks said. “… Look how many hours we went through with all of this nonsense.”

–Embattled Orange City Mayor Kellianne Marks, as quoted by reporter Mark Harper writing The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Orange City Mayor Kelli Marks tells angry crowd she is not a racist,” Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Earlier this week, in a classic case of defensive projection, Orange City Mayor Kellianne Marks apparently forgot that the ugly imbroglio that has engulfed the small Wild West Volusia community is unequivocally her own meanspirited fault. 

The direct result of Mayor Marks’ unbridled hubris and a vindictive desire to flex her power and destroy the careers of dedicated civil servants like City Clerk Kaley Burleson.  

Two-weeks after Mayor Marks – in a pique of personal embarrassment – demanded an “emergency” city council meeting to fire Burleson; on Tuesday, Orange City residents continued to call for her resignation. 

According to an informative report by Mark Harper writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal this week:

“Many were still angry about a Facebook Messenger exchange between Marks and a former councilman, the late Alex Tiamson, dating to October 2024. They exchanged messages sharing how neither wanted to speak at an event honoring Sharon Stafford, a Black woman and the sister of Councilwoman Lisa Stafford.

“So ghetto,” Tiamson said at one point, followed by Marks posting memes showing Black women with the phrases, “Honey, please! I’m a child of the ghetto,” and “Now everybody want to be ghetto fabulous.”

By demanding that angry residents “look in the mirror” and start being “kind” to her, Mayor Marks exposes the fact she is completely incapable of shame – or of issuing a sincere apology to Ms. Stafford for her offensive behind-the-scenes behavior.

Look, megalomania is common in politics. 

Some would argue that a narcissistic ego and manipulative mind are prerequisites for holding elective office.  However, in my view, Ms. Marks’ gross hypocrisy, and willingness to destroy others to deflect blame, marks the nadir of that particular political personality disorder…

According to the News-Journal, at the beginning of Tuesday’s Orange City Council meeting, Mayor Marks issued a statement which said, in part:

“I judge people by their character, not their color,” Marks said, as some in the audience audibly laughed. “I believe all people should be treated equal and fair. This personal conversation between the former vice mayor and myself was a private conversation … on Facebook Messenger that somehow was released in the hands of the public. Don’t know how that happened. This will be investigated as well.”

She said she has been the victim of a “witch hunt” and has faced “relentless cyberbullying on social media platforms, where false claims and defamatory (remarks) have been circulated. The behavior not only undermines my character, but it also disrupts the progress of our city.”

I agree. Ms. Marks has the right to say whatever she wants – publicly and privately – but she does not have the right to use her position to orchestrate the destruction of Ms. Burleson’s career because she responded to a citizen request and distributed an embarrassing message thread to the council.

Speech may be free, but it is not without personal and political consequences…

In perhaps the most bizarre occurrence of the evening, an 11-year-old boy approached the podium and voiced support for Mayor Marks, calling out assembled residents for “disrespecting” the mayor.  According to reports, Sharon Stafford later learned that Mayor Marks had asked the child to speak on her behalf…

Sick.

In my view, it is time Mayor Marks overcomes her pathological persecution complex and awakes to the sobering realization that she alone is responsible for this distraction.  No one else. 

The good citizens of Orange City have every right to feel anger and disappointment, and to seek the removal of Mayor Marks as they work to restore dignity to the dais and public confidence in their municipal government.

And Another Thing!

–“Anything Can Happen” Words and music by Jimmie Dodd

Buckle-up, my fellow Mouseketeers…

In just over a month’s time, longsuffering Floridians will gird our loins and brace for the beginning of the 2026 State Legislative Session – a dark and apprehensive time when, like Wednesdays on the Mickey Mouse Club, literally anything can happen…

One thing is certain, whatever legislation is successfully extruded from that diseased alimentary canal in Tallahassee will have two things built in:

1. Pandering to the mercenary interests of their political overseers in the real estate development industry. 

• Circumventing the venerated tradition of Home Rule and gutting the ability of communities to determine their own destiny by controlling growth, density, and malignant sprawl.

That’s a given.

But like many of you, I am utterly confused by jumbled reports that our state legislature will attempt to free us from the yoke of property taxes…

The chaotic proposal(s) is keeping many engaged citizens and legislators on both sides of the aisle up at night as they consider the possible ramifications of lame duck Governor Ron DeSantis’ half-baked proposal to dramatically cut or eliminate property taxes on homesteaded properties across the state.    

Sounds good? 

Maybe.  But be careful what you wish for…

We live in a state where our bought and paid for ‘powers that be’ take immense pride in having allowed unchecked growth to far outpace transportation infrastructure, public utility capacity, water quality/quantity, and critical services, such as law enforcement, fire protection, and emergency medical services.    

In addition, one glance at a local television news segment will tell you that Central Florida ranks as one of the most dangerous places in the nation – with a murder rate that must now rival Ciudad Juárez – and Volusia County’s crowded roadways hold the dubious distinction as one of the deadliest places for pedestrians in the United States… 

By and large, in Florida, essential infrastructure and services are paid for with ad valorem taxes – meaning “according to value” – a system where taxes are based on the fair market value of property – with an annual millage rate set by the local governing body with “one mill” representing $1 for every $1,000 in assessed value.  

This system of taxation remains the critical funding mechanism for local and state governments to pay for essentials like police, fire services, parks, and schools.

Now, Gov. DeSantis is pushing an unvetted “plan” to reduce or eliminate property taxes in favor of (insert theoretical tax alternative here). 

Will we radically increase the sales tax?  See the imposition of a dreaded income tax?  Eliminate municipalities altogether?  Dramatically increase impact fees on new development (yeah, right…), Grow the size of an unapproachable centralized government?  Consolidate essential services to homogenize and drastically reduce service delivery while increasing response times?  Turn local governments into state dependents beholden to the whims of the developer-controlled legislature?  Transfer the cost of services to business, industry, apartments, and commercial property owners? 

All of the above?     

Regardless of how you cut it, the DeSantis proposal eventually kills local governments by exsanguination…

In my view, after years of preempting local control, forcing unfunded mandates, and whittling away at Home Rule, that is the true plan no one in Tallahassee is talking about.

Unfortunately, in many ways, county and municipal governments across the state have no one to blame but themselves.   

For instance, there is little taxpayer sympathy for local governments in Florida who have allowed astronomical increases in ad valorem taxes – which, over the last decade (2014-2024), have skyrocketed more than 108 percent, or by $28.7 billion – outpacing both population growth and inflation.

Sound familiar? 

If you live in Volusia County, it should.

In my view, it is high time our elected officials rethink the Taj Mahal government facilities, eliminate corporate welfare, curtail massive executive salaries, monarchical benefits, and clockwork increases for redundant senior staff, reverse the bureaucratic gluttony, and begin reducing the tax burden. 

That begins with a return to triaging the basic necessities we depend on for our safety, security, and quality of life.

In my experience, small cities and fiscally constrained counties have traditionally lived within their means. They make ends meet by focusing on quality service delivery, maintaining an accessible and responsive government, doing more with less, prioritizing existing assets and facilities, keeping salaries and benefits reasonably competitive, and maintaining a watchful eye on spending.

As the 2026 legislative session approaches, I haven’t seen one legitimate alternative proposed by the DeSantis administration (or anyone else) for ensuring the continuation of quality local services so that homeowners and businesses in municipalities will be able to keep their beloved police and fire departments, utilities, public employees, and responsive government services.  

Why is our Governor doing everything in his considerable power to expand the influence of state government, consolidate control, manipulate the purse strings, and destroy local government on his way out the door without an articulable plan?  

Fortunately, the elimination of property taxes would require a constitutional amendment with 60% of voters in agreement.  A referendum that, at this point, would be based on murky speculation and a hodge-podge of disjointed “plans” that could see us say goodbye to our community firefighters, police officers, EMT’s, and essential workers…   

It is a frightening proposition – considering Floridian’s still don’t have a clue how you and I will eventually pay for our essential local government services long after he is gone from the governor’s office.   

In my view, rapidly transitioning from one extreme to another – based on a dangerous and half-baked political charade – proposed by a term limited politician desperate to remain relevant as he considers ‘what comes next’ – is not in the best interest of Floridia taxpayers.   

That’s all for me. 

Enjoy the City of Daytona Beach’s “Dashing Through Daytona” Christmas parade, which rolls along Beach Street and the Riverside Esplanade beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday!

Tis the Season! Have a great weekend, y’all!