Candidate: Kim Carney
Position Sought: Mayor of Flagler Beach
1. Please tell readers about yourself.
I was raised in a small town similar to Flagler Beach during the 60s and 70s in Massachusetts. I attended 3 colleges and I obtained degrees from each college. My husband was asked to relocate when he was working for a NY based company. We moved to Flagler Beach 22 years ago from Delaware. Several family members joined us after relocating to Flagler Beach. Everyone loves it here. My stepson, his wife and my grandson live in Sanford. My stepdaughter, her husband and my 3 granddaughters live in Lakeway, TX. I not only live here Flagler Beach is where I work. I love being a Realtor. Community tours and telling the history of Flagler Beach helps other people moving to this area understand why I love it so much. I have been involved for years in our community with the Rotary Club, the Flagler Beach Historical Museum, Flagler Auditorium, Open Door Ministries, Flagler Open Arms Recovery Services and Christmas Come True just to name a few. I am a member of Parkview Church and love to get involved in their ministries. I, like many other people, consider Flagler Beach paradise.
2. What experience makes you uniquely qualified to hold the position you are seeking?
I served on the City Commission from 2011 – 2020. I sponsored ordinances that impacted the environment like bonfires on the beach during turtle season, wetland setbacks and protecting the gopher tortoise. I am an advocate for the environment because that is why many of us moved here. I have been involved in Beach Management and the USACE dune extension project since the inception. I have a voting record to show my concern for the environment. I am most proud of my ability to listen to what citizens have to say. I have observed the growth in our area. Planning is key to keeping essential services funded and functioning. I miss former City Manager Larry Newsom and learned a lot about local government from him. I look forward to working with the new City Manager.
3. What do you think are the Top 3 issues facing Flagler Beach in the next five years and how will you address each?
#1 Maintaining a balance between tourism and local resident needs. I know from my former work on the EDTF (Economic Development Task Force) and the TDC (Tourist Development Council) that the City of Flagler Beach is heavily influenced by tourism. Our Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) needs to have appropriate goals and objectives so we can balance the impact tourism has on our citizens. I am a proponent of a vibrant downtown area as long as local citizens do not bear the cost.
#2 Continue to work on A1A dune extension project. This project will impact our community for several months just like the A1A reconstruction project did a couple of years ago. The project needs to have minimal impact on our environment and minimal impact on our businesses. Communication will be key. Although the City is not the non-governmental sponsor we do have the ability to interject our needs into the project scope.
#3 Replacement of infrastructure. The City is poised to undertake 2 large infrastructure projects. One being the construction of a new pier and the other being the upgrading of the waste water treatment plant. Flagler Beach needs to deal with our waste water effluent. This project will require a large investment. Getting it right is important to our community and to our environment. As for the replacement of the pier, with the funding secured I look to move toward a project so our destination area will be maintained and updated to meet the needs of today.
4. Local, state and federal officials must work together to ensure the community is successful as a whole. What qualities do you possess that make you a consensus builder?
I am a seeker of information. Sharing information, clarifying expectations and reaching a negotiated outcome is something I do every day. Negotiations should always be truthful with all necessary information shared and discussed. I have demonstrated times when I entered a situation and changed my mind once I better understood the information. I do not assume my opinions are the only opinions on an issue. I do not boast an individual achievement most decisions are made as a board of commissioners and should be treated that way. Winning at all cost is not part of my vocabulary. I find that as long as I put forward my best effort and I am open to the best outcome I am successful at building consensus.
5. What is the number one issue you hope to address as an elected official?
I’m sure there will be many issues. There always are. It is important for the Mayor to have a pulse on the needs of the community as well as how citizens perceive their voice being heard. I will work on having more open communication with the citizens of Flagler Beach. I plan to implement a Mayor Kim Carney business Facebook page to communicate and update citizens on issues and events. I would like to work toward a weekly or biweekly communication email that will keep citizens informed about City issues. I will hold monthly Town Hall meetings for open discussion. When citizens come to the bimonthly business meeting they have something to say. It is intimidating and sometimes stressful to deliver their message to the commission. With a town hall style meeting, I think citizens will be more relaxed and have the ability to speak freely.
Bonus Question:
Tell readers something about you that will help them connect with you on a person-to-person level. (Something you’ve done for Flagler Beach that has made it a better place.)
As a City Commissioner it was important to me to have a living document that would be a driving influence in the management of our beach. I understand the beach is a public beach but if citizen funds are used to maintain it and to provide safety for beach goers in addition to the fact it generates revenue for the City, I felt is was important to have a plan. I requested the City Commission organize a Beach Management Plan committee. We now have a Beach Management Plan.
