PALM COAST, Fla. — Palm Coast officials are considering turning over the city’s animal control operation to Flagler County, a move that could consolidate services now divided among multiple agencies.
The proposal came up Wednesday during a joint meeting of the Palm Coast City Council and Flagler County Commission, where officials discussed whether animal control services handled separately could be consolidated. No decision was made.
Under the proposal, Palm Coast would transfer its animal control responsibilities, vehicles and equipment to Flagler County and could cover the salaries of its current staff for a one-year transition.
But how a consolidated system would operate — including who would handle calls, what services would be provided and how much it would cost — remains unresolved.
Flagler County Commissioner Andy Dance said he wasn’t yet convinced consolidation would accomplish what it is intended to do.
“The goal would be to improve service and reduce costs. That would be the net goal of this exercise,” Dance said. “Nothing I’ve seen yet makes me feel comfortable that that’s happening yet, and ther’s not enough information. I think we continue the conversations but currently as it stands, I’m very leery.”
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Palm Coast currently operates its own animal control division with two officers and two technicians. The officers respond to calls six days a week during business hours, relying on the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and local animal organizations for some incidents outside those hours.
The city spends about $313,668 on salaries for its animal control officers and technicians and $118,975 on overhead and vehicle maintenance, according to figures presented at the meeting. The city also contracts with the Flagler Humane Society to shelter animals picked up by its officers, with $210,000 budgeted for that agreement in 2027.
Flagler County, meanwhile, does not employ its own animal control officers. Instead, it contracts with the Humane Society to provide 24-hour animal control services. The county has budgeted $320,000 for the contract in 2027.
That overlap is one reason some officials agree that animal control should be handled by a single operation.
“I consistently feel that we should have one group doing animal control because it just gets too complicated,” Palm Coast Councilmember David Sullivan said. “So therefore, I have always been in favor of having one organization do animal control.”
One possibility discussed Wednesday was a larger role for the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, which already responds to animal-related calls after hours.
FCSO Chief of Staff Mark Strobridge said recent cases have underscored the need for a more reliable animal control response when deputies encounter situations that require assistance.
“Recently we’ve had more than our fair share of abandoned animals in storage facilities and garages and such,” Strobridge said. “So we need a routine ability to go after hours and handle those things with animal control.”
Strobridge said the Sheriff’s Office could put together estimates showing what it would take for the agency to take over animal control services. Commissioner Kim Carney Pennington said the agency would need to determine which calls it could handle, pointing to its existing workload and saying the county does not have the “bandwidth” to absorb additional responsibilities.
There’s also the question of what happens to animals once an officer responds.
Strobridge cautioned officials against limiting a future system to dangerous animals or those involved in investigations, saying officials would still need a way to deal with surrendered animals.
“If we limited the scope to just that, we have people out there that are going to be abandoning their animals on the side of the road,” he said.
City and county officials agreed to continue exploring consolidation while staff develops more information about potential costs, funding and service levels.
Those discussions could eventually extend beyond Palm Coast and Flagler County. Officials said Bunnell and Flagler Beach could be approached about joining a unified system, although neither municipality has committed to participating.
