THE HAMMOCK
Observer YOU. YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
VOLUME 1, NO. 38
GALA RAISES $150,000 PAGE 1B
FREE ON NEWSSTANDS | THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2026
‘One of the saddest cases I’ve seen in my entire career’ Flagler Sheriff confirms Palm Coast woman stayed in the bathroom while baby drowned in toilet. PAGE 3A
County drops fight over Veranda Bay annexation
YOUR TOWN
Study underway for beach funding tax
17th annual Power of the Purse set for on April 9 at Hammock Dunes
Questions remain over residents’ rights. PAGE 6A INSIDE STATE OF HOUSING 36% of Flagler, Volusia households face financial hardships. PAGE 8A
PARKING DISPUTE
Uncertainty lingers over Hammock Dunes, European Village parking dispute. PAGE 10A
SCHOOL STRATEGY Flagler School Board gets first look at outline for next strategic plan. PAGE 5A
STICK SEASON
Matanzas boys lacrosse team has reason to celebrate amid tumultuous season. PAGE 10B
INDEX
Business..................... PAGE 9A Calendar..................... PAGE 2B Cops Corner................PAGE 2A Crossword.................. PAGE 2C Opinion......................PAGE 12A Public Notices............ PAGE 5C Schools....................... PAGE 3B Sports......................... PAGE 8B Tributes ...................... PAGE 4C Real Estate................. PAGE 4B
The entrance to the beach at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park. Here to Varn Park makes up Reach III of Flagler County’s beach renourishment plan. Photo by Sierra Williams
Study could determine how much money Hammock residents will pay for their portion of the Flagler shoreline. SIERRA WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
Flagler County could soon be reviewing the results of a study determining how much Hammock residents could be taxed for beach maintenance. The Flagler County Commission first established an MSBU, a special taxing district, in The Hammock in December 2024, as just one avenue to generate funding for beach maintenance. No tax has actually been levied against Hammock residents yet. After establishing the MSBU for the unincorporated area of the barrier island, the commission ordered a study to be conducted to find out how much may be levied. During the monthly Hammock Community Association meeting on March 3, county engineer Hamid Tabassian said the county
will have the study back by the end of May. A previous study, conducted in 2023, was done in house, Tabassian said to the HCA group. The new study is being conducted by professional engineering consultants. “In order for the county to make that assessment, we need that to be done by professionals,” Tabassian said The existence of the MSBU has caused tension among Hammock residents. In August 2025, the county sent out a notice stating the MSBU would appear on Hammock residents’ tax bills as “($0.00).” Some residents mistakenly took that to mean it was a “blank check,” but the line item was legally required to keep the MSBU active. That September, Hammock residents showed up in force at a Flagler County Commission meeting to protest the MSBU. Many Hammock residents have said in the past they are willing to pay their share toward the beach, but believe the rest of the county should, too. The issue is that Flagler County does not have the funds to maintain its beaches after the initial renourishment work is completed. It will
cost an estimated $8 million a year to maintain, Tabassian said, and while the county expects some of that will be covered by state, federal or grant funding, there will be a local match component of 20%. Maintenance for just The Hammock’s portion of the shoreline — over 5 miles of beach in Reach III, from Varn Park to Washington Oaks Gardens State Park — will cost around $2 million per year. That 20%, he said, will have to come from the county somehow. Funding for beach management will come from multiple sources, including a dedicated millage, the tourist development tax, The Hammock MSBU, grants and possibly a sales tax. The Flagler Commission has spent the better part of the last two years deadlocked over whether or not to implement the sales tax for beach management.
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Women United Flagler will host its 17th annual Power of the Purse: Garden of Giving Soirée at 11 a.m. on April 9 at Hammock Dunes Club in Palm Coast. The annual luncheon brings together community supporters to benefit programs that strengthen individuals and families across Flagler County, a press release said. Women United Flagler is an affinity group of the Community Foundation and United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties. Its focus is on creating local impact through philanthropy and volunteerism. Event proceeds support Flagler County initiatives through the United Way’s four pillars: Youth Opportunity, Financial Security, Healthy Community, and Community Resiliency, as well as the Flagler Fund, which directs resources to local programs addressing critical community needs. Tickets and sponsorships are available at: https://e. givesmart.com/events/MEZ/
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