Dylana Galery is running for Palm Coast City Council District 4. In a recent interview, she discussed her background, her campaign platform, and her views on several issues facing the city.
Background and Why She’s Running
Galery said she has lived in the Palm Coast area for about 10 years total, first attending high school there before leaving for college and later returning. She said she has spent her career leading teams in retail store remodeling for companies such as Target and Walmart, managing budgets and training staff. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Central Florida and currently works for the state of Florida with students who are deaf and blind. In her spare time, she said she teaches children to read music and perform on drum lines.
Galery said she decided to run because she felt residents’ concerns were going unheard by the city. “I was like, something has to change. So I jumped in the race,” she said. She said she built her campaign platform, which she calls the “Palm Plan,” around feedback gathered while collecting signatures to get on the ballot. The platform focuses on protecting quality of life and water, attracting jobs and investment, “leadership that listens,” and managing smart growth.
Property Tax Amendment
Asked about a statewide property tax reform measure on the November ballot, Galery said she remains torn on the issue. She said she supports tax relief for residents but is concerned the city could be forced to cut public safety staffing, along with services like code enforcement and public works, to manage a smaller budget. She said if elected, she would push for transparency and work collaboratively with other council members on the issue, and said she would want safeguards to prevent the city from introducing new fees to offset lost property tax revenue without public input.
Road Maintenance
Galery acknowledged the city is behind on road maintenance and said she has studied the issue through the city’s Citizens Academy program. She pointed to the city’s “Palm Coast Connect” project tracking dashboard as a tool that could better inform residents about road project timelines, though she said its accuracy needs improvement. “That’s the transparency that residents are looking for,” she said. She also said the city needs more sidewalks in addition to road repairs.
Utility Rates and Infrastructure
On rising water and utility bills tied to aging infrastructure, Galery said protecting the city’s water supply is central to her platform. She said the city needs to balance long-term infrastructure investment with clear, plain-language communication to residents about why rate increases are happening. “We gotta bring it down in layman’s terms because not everybody knows… CRAs, you know, MPDs and things like that, DRIs,” she said, adding that she would want officials to explain rate changes using simple, direct examples residents can understand.
Westward Expansion
Asked about the city’s westward expansion project, Galery said she supports planned growth but wants to see developers, rather than residents, cover the cost of new infrastructure. She said she was encouraged that the city’s planning board recently denied related land use requests and pushed for more community input, including a seat at the table for Flagler County. “I’m not anti-growth, I’m pro-planning,” she said. She said her standard for evaluating westward expansion proposals would be whether they make the city better for current residents, not just for the developer.
City Manager Evaluation
When asked about public debate over the city manager’s performance and salary, which some estimate between $223,000 plus a lengthy list of benefits, Galery said she has met with him and attended his public “Coffee with the City Manager” events. She said she does not believe his performance can be fairly evaluated within his first several months on the job, given the scope of the role. She said she would fall somewhere in the middle of public opinion on his performance so far. “Do I think it’s a $300,000 job? I don’t know,” she said.
Staffing and Accountability
On concerns that city government has too many highly paid administrative positions, Galery said she is not interested in layoffs but would want to review city departments for duplicate roles. “I would look to see if there are duplicates and really evaluate… what those duties of those positions are,” she said. She said if positions were found to be redundant, she would prefer having the city manager reassign employees elsewhere in the city rather than eliminate jobs outright.
Rebuilding Public Trust
Galery said restoring public trust in the council will take time and should start with more proactive communication before decisions are made, not after. She said she supports holding town halls for both District 4 and the city as a whole, outside of election season, and said she wants to be personally accessible to residents. “Trust is built before decisions are made, not after,” she said.
Closing Pitch to Voters
Asked why voters should choose her over her opponents, Galery pointed to her combination of leadership experience, project management background, and detailed platform. “I also believe the community deserves a council member who’s visible, accessible, and willing to listen year-round, and not just during election season,” she said. She described her campaign commitment as “leadership that listens, progress with purpose.”
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