Fought Against Unfair Taxation in Western Flagler

Flagler County Commissioner Leann Pennington is hoping county government will rethink the special tax Daytona North–also known as the Mondex–residents have been paying since the 1980s for road maintenance, either to scrap it altogether or to better define its purpose, and lay out specifically what benefits residents get out of it.

Article Courtesy of Flagler Live

Reviled Daytona North Special Tax Will End. The elimination of the tax is a victory for Commissioner Leann Pennington, who has been pushing for that elimination almost since her election less than two years ago. 

Article Courtesy of Flagler Live

 Commissioner Leann Pennington said. “When the county lost a rurally located restaurant that had long served as a gathering place for ranchers and farmers—offering breakfast, lunch, and a space to connect and conduct business—many feared Bull Creek would never return. Its destruction during the hurricane was deeply felt. That’s why I’m especially proud that the county was able to secure state funding to bring this cherished establishment back. With the planned expansion of the adjacent RV park, we’re optimistic that this can grow into a successful economic driver for the county moving forward.”

Article Courtesy of Flagler Live

Vice Chair of the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners Leann Pennington, who has championed the project from its early stages, expressed her excitement about seeing the long-envisioned plan move forward.

“How amazing? I can’t even put it into words. This started as a small little conversation about the facilities we currently have for Cattlemen’s and it just developed into a project that benefits the entire community, not just the west side,” shared Pennington, grateful for the state funding provided to support the project that ensures additional space for special needs sheltering during disasters.

“This was my first project, I took it under my wing and we got the initial funding of $5 million and I was happy to have that. (We) obviously needed the full funding to complete it, so we, my son and I, drove back up to Tallahassee. We knocked doors not just of our leaders but appropriations chair, Senator Tom Leek. He really believed in the project and he promised he’d help us, and he did.” 

Article Courtesy of Flagler New Weekly

The Canal Expansion Capacity Project consisted of the maintenance, clean out and capacity expansion of approximately ±12.72 miles of drainage canals and the removal of debris, vegetation, and sediments from County stormwater infrastructure.

• CR 302 Canal
• Canal Avenue Canal
• Firecracker Canal
• CR 302/CR 65 Box Culvert
• CR 305 – Quigley Bay Canal
• Cross Over Canal – CR 302 to SR 100

Article Courtesy of Ask Flagler

 Flagler County was notified that it is the recipient of an Annual Regional Awards for Excellence from the Northeast Florida Regional Council (NEFRC). The honor was awarded for “Environmental Stewardship” because of the county’s recent – and in progress – purchases through its Environmentally Sensitive Lands (ESL) program.

Flagler County in October 2025 closed on its fourth Environmentally Sensitive Land (ESL) purchase within a year. This latest purchase is a 5.15-acre parcel to the west of the Hammock Dunes Bridge for the City of Palm Coast, giving it room to expand its Linear Park to the north.

More than half the money spent since 1988 within Flagler County on environmentally sensitive lands has been spent within the municipalities, or within state parks. Within the City of Palm Coast, ESL funds contributed to the purchase of Linear Park, Long’s Landing, and Mulberry Branch.

Other recent completed purchases within the calendar year include:

• 25 acres adjacent to Princess Place Preserve, which closed for $700,000 (more than half from ESL funds) in March 2024.
• 27.5 acres at Bull Creek to expand conservation and recreation, which closed for about $1.15 million on March 31, 2025.
• 307 acres in Pringle Forest along Pellicer Creek was purchased for $3 million on June 9, 2025. It was funded by state appropriation to protect critical wetlands and wildlife habitat.

Flagler County has under contract to purchase 3,819 acres – a collection of 10 adjacent parcels located to the north of Daytona North and south of Potatoville Road – referred to as the “Peterson property,” for a purchase price of $6.11 million. It will be part of the Florida Wildlife Corridor for long-term conservation.

Additionally, the county is progressing towards the purchase of 35 acres in Marineland for preservation. No purchase price has been set.

As of December 15, the Board of County Commissioners voted to ratify the application process seeking conservation funds from Florida Forever to buy 153 acres to protect the headwaters of Bulow Creek.

Article Courtesy of Flagler County

Leann  has supported business incentive programs that attract new employers and help local companies expand, while ensuring those incentives are performance-based and protect taxpayers.

She has also supported the role of the Flagler County Industrial Development Authority (IDA), which helps bring tax-exempt financing opportunities to qualifying projects, making it easier for businesses to invest and grow in Flagler County.

From strengthening the Flagler Executive Airport as a business hub to advancing site-ready industrial land, she has worked to position Flagler County as a competitive place to do business.

At the same time, she remains committed to balanced growth, supporting economic opportunity while protecting the rural character, natural resources, and quality of life that make Flagler County special.

The Flagler County Historical Society launched a plan to create an Art Mural District to “Beautify Bunnell” while celebrating its history and culture. With the support of Flagler County Commissioner Leann Pennington, the project was revived and partnerships were formed with R.L. Lewis and mural artist Brooke Page.

The mural, located on the former Bunnell Library, features the R.L. Lewis painting alongside local landmarks. Work began in March 2026 and continues to progress daily.