At the conclusion of the commission meeting on Monday night, Flagler County Commissioner Greg Hansen gave his colleagues and the public a bit of a surprise when he declared that he will not be running for office again. He plans to make the most of his remaining 15 months in office.
I’ve given it some serious thought and have chosen not to run again. Thus, after a two-and-a-half-hour meeting, Hansen declared, “I’m not going to seek re-election.” We can discuss why I did this and how much I will miss it at a later date. It’s just time, though. I should let someone else do it now. In the hopes that some strong candidates may run, I’m starting it early—one year before the primary.
That was it. Nothing more spectacular, but Hansen’s voice had a hint of emotion: he will be leaving behind something he has loved deeply and frequently done brilliantly. He became increasingly adept at it as he gained knowledge, and the rare sour or unsuitable coworker emphasized the value of the practicality and sour-tongued decorum that Hansen exemplified.
After Commissioner Frank Meeker passed away in July of last year, then-Governor Rick Scott appointed him to the position in January 2017. “What would you think if I applied for Frank Meeker’s seat on the county commission?” Greg asked me one morning. Linda Hansen, his wife, remembered. “Why would you want to do that?” I asked him, looking up at him. He said that I could have an impact, particularly on improving ties between Palm Coast and the county. “I’m going to get the nod if I send in my resume because no one else has a resume like mine,” he informed Linda, and he was correct. (Among the applicants were former Palm Coast mayors Jon Netts and David Alfin.)
Although it likely helped a lot that Hansen is the brother-in-law of Sen. John Cornyn, who was then and is currently one of the more important Republican senators in Washington, Scott had appreciated Hansen’s promise to keep taxes under control. (The relationship was misreported as being through Linda Hanse in an earlier version of this article.)
In addition to having a lengthy political career of her own (primarily in Washington, D.C.), Linda has always worked closely with Greg. According to her, they had been discussing Greg’s third retirement for a week.
Do you think you would be giving people your best self if you were Greg, who would have been 80 when you took office and 79 in December? Linda uttered those words. The majority of people also remark, “Wow, I didn’t realize you folks were that old.” They believe we are in our sixties. “There are other lives to live,” she remarked, adding that it’s good to be told. His level of relief is comparable to mine. Even if I’m becoming less interested in running, I would have been okay with him if he had stated that he wanted to run again. This is what I’ve done throughout my life at the federal level.
Hansen, who had been more dogmatic prior to the commission, became more pragmatic and moderate over time as the local political climate grew more polarized. In the last two years, he has particularly aligned himself with Commission Chair Andy Dance in an effort to establish a long-term beach-management strategy. They failed, which somewhat influenced Hansen’s choice. However, the resignation of Hansen will be especially detrimental to Dance’s consensus-based governance style.
In an interview this morning, Hansen referred to Commissioners Kim Carney and Pam Richardson, saying, “There was some frustration and inability to get the beach funding this year, that’s kind of nagging at me, and the problem with the two new commissioners.” They simply haven’t discovered it yet. Perhaps they will next year. The main motivating factor, though, is that I’m looking at eighty.
In addition to seeing Montana, Wyoming, and a few other unexplored U.S. locations, Hansen hopes to resume playing golf. However, he has stated time and time again that his pronouncement does not lessen his will to keep working hard on specific initiatives. He has yet to experience another budget season. Next year, he plans to make another attempt to obtain beach money.
Two persons who are interested in his seat have approached him. He hasn’t formed a viewpoint about them. Being more direct, Linda stated that she didn’t believe they were qualified. (Neither gave names.)”They’re not suitable for this position,” Linda stated. They’re not, even if I would have said they were. With Pam Richardson, I discovered that. We are suffering because certain candidates may win an election but lack a clear understanding of their responsibilities and bounds, while more qualified candidates will not come up and reveal their true selves due to the ugliness.
Due to spending a portion of the day in surgery, Dance was unable to attend Monday’s meeting. Although they spoke after Hansen in their concluding remarks, Carney and Richardson did not mention his news. Richardson expressed gratitude to the crowd, the staff, and the new lawyer.
The announcement was made with dignity by Leann Pennington, the meeting’s chairperson. “You were there to coach me in the beginning when I was clueless on maneuvers,” said Pennington, who defeated Hansen’s opponent Jose Mullins in 2022 to take her seat and represent the county’s West Side. I can’t think of anything in District 4 that you haven’t backed. You made a lot of effort for Bull Creek. You put up a strong fight and assisted me with the Daytona North special assessment, which was later revoked at Pennington’s request. Up here, you assisted me in framing arguments. You were helpful and focused. We need to come together and work to get the beach funded, and I am aware that you have done a lot for your area as well.
In Hansen’s final year, he was certain to have noticed any indication that Pennington, who had opposed financing the beach with an addition to the sales tax, may be an ally on that score.
Joe Saviak, who still serves as the head of the county’s leadership academies, complimented Hansen on his leadership, commitment, and achievements on the Flagler County Commission shortly after the announcement was made on his Facebook page! You have served people for a lifetime, and your leadership has had a very beneficial impact on the county commission, the business sector, the U.S. Navy, and the halls of Congress, Saviak continued. When you step down from the county commission next year, I hope you have many more years of enjoyment!
Hansen remarked, “I have to say this: I absolutely love being a commissioner,” after speculating about what life will be like after the commission during this morning’s interview. Of course. Other than being in charge of my own ship, this was perhaps one of the best jobs I’ve ever had.
