Candidate: Nick Klufas

My name is Nicholas Klufas, and I have proudly served the Palm Coast community for the past 8 years with unwavering dedication and impactful leadership. As my term reaches its limit, I am eager to extend my commitment to Flagler County. With a proven track record in responsible growth, technological innovation, and fiscal responsibility, I am prepared to continue making a positive impact in the region. My vision and experience make me a standout candidate, ready to bring the same passion and dedication to a broader community.

In my tenure as councilman, I've had the privilege of delivering on my promises and then some, directly contributing to Palm Coast’s development and prosperity.

These include:

• Voting to reorganize the Palm Harbor golf course management agreement to be run by City Staff instead of an outside management firm. Now our golf course is revenue positive vs losing an unsustainable quarter million dollars a year in 2015.
• We built a brand new, state of the art multi-generational community center in the heart of Palm Coast. Not to mention the brand new southern recreation facility with 12 new pickleball courts. Also known as the RORC
• I championed a Fibernet (which is our municipal broadband utility) feasibility study which laid the framework for Metronet to enter our community in a big way, providing gigabyte internet access to residents while investing over 50 million dollars here locally.
• I also championed the creation and adoption of our cellphone wireless master plan
  • We have substantially improved cell phone reception within the City and it could be even better if we had a majority of our council willing to vote for an additional tower on our golf course identified by our Master plan. That would have a direct result on cell phone service on this side of the bridge, so please lobby my fellow Council Members to get on board.
• I championed our continuous street lighting program which brought light to the remaining unlit thoroughfares including Belle Taire and Lakeview off of Matanzas Woods parkway.
• I fully supported and voted for efforts which led to Town Center being transformed into a  medical nexus which hosts the University of Northern Florida’s remote campus and offers a pipeline for medical students to enter the medical field here locally, even perhaps filling one of the over 700 new jobs created at the brand new Advent Palm Coast Parkway Hospital which opened just this past year.
• I was there when we adopted our new strategic action planning process which is still the framework we use today to quantify individual council members priorities and gain consensus to budget for them.
  • This year I’m advocating we budget for a solar feasibility study of City Facilities determining the payback period for solar panel installation. Secondly, I’m proposing that these installations provide a partial funding mechanism for a dedicated cultural arts program in Palm Coast which we lack today.
• I’ve never wavered from my commitment to public safety
  • I’ve voted to fund over 20 additional deputies dedicated to the City of Palm Coast since 2016, contributing to Palm Coast being recognized as the second safest city in Florida. 
  • We’ve renovated Fire Stations, added firefighters and firetrucks, with another two stations in the works as well.
• Most importantly the City of Palm Coast taxes have remained amongst the lowest of any Cities our size in Florida. In 2017 I voted to adopt a millage rate of 4.245 mills vs 4.257 mills today. I believe what’s best for our community this year is to hold flat on our tax rate, not a rollback. This is an opportunity to potentially slightly bolster our emergency reserves prior to what is allegedly going to be a very bad hurricane season. Knock on wood I hope it’s not.
• I was also the first council member ever consecutively appointed as Vice Mayor and I’ve had the privilege through our councils appointment of serving on the Flagler County Tourism Development Council for the past two years. This council is responsible for the recommendations on how to use tourism dollars brought into our County, which I have voted for the full allowable allocation to be used for beach renourishment.
• I understand that an incomplete solution to our dunes and beach renourishment efforts is one that has its days numbered. I vow to prioritize the criticality of our dunes being rebuilt and to work with all governmental agencies to accelerate these programs. You have my word.
• I also commit to never supporting speculative rezoning, our ecosystem and the overall beauty that Mother Nature provides to Flagler County and specifically the Hammock is far too delicate to not be explicit with what type of development we allow here.

In 2016, I chose to be the change, becoming the youngest elected official in Flagler County history. Today, I stand before you, ready to bring my experience, my dedication, and my proven track record to the Flagler County Commission.