Palm Coast City Council Candidate Ejected by Mayor

Palm Coast resident and City Council candidate Jeani Duarte was ejected from the City Council’s Tuesday meeting. The dispute arose at the end of the meeting during the final public comment period which Duarte herself kickstarted by approaching the podium to remind Mayor Mike Norris. Upon beginning her remarks, Duarte addressed Palm Coast City Attorney Marcus Duffy. She asked Duffy where on a series of ballot samples she claimed she gave him it suggests removing requirements for a special election in the event of the mayor’s seat being vacated. Requirements for a Special Election The Palm Coast City Charter explicitly requires such an election be called within 30 days of the mayor’s seat being vacated, as occurred when Milissa Holland resigned in 2021. Duarte then asked when it was approved to have the Palm Coast vice mayor assume the role of mayor for the duration of the mayor’s term in lieu of a special election. Duarte then said she’d “give a minute” to answer her question and instructed him to pass the paperwork to the city clerk once he was finished. She paused her comment, awaiting response. Mayor Norris asked if she was finished speaking. Public comments are normally kept from being a back-and-forth dialogue, with the Council instead addressing residents after the comment period has concluded. Duarte responded that she still had two minutes to speak. “You can stand there all you want, it’s not going to do anything,” Norris said. At this point Duarte told Norris that the Council was being contradictory in its policy about special mayoral elections. Norris responded clarifying that the city charter was explicit about the issue, but Duarte accused Duffy of contradicting this. “That’s the same altered language that was given to the charter review committee,” Duarte said about her ballot samples. “Would you agree that the ballot, the copies of the ballots I gave you, are deceptive?” Duarte asked, turning in Duffy’s direction. “Where is that language that says that we removed the special election? The required mandatory special election, where did the citizens approve that?” With just under a minute left in her comment time, Duarte did not receive a response in accordance with standard City Council procedures. She then accused Duffy of being deceptive and lying, before telling him and the City Council that they were under oath inherently by sitting on the dais. “I’m done now, thank you,” she said, before returning to her seat. Norris Calls for Duarte’s Ejection With public comments now concluded, Duffy responded. “I have been on this dais for two years now, and for a year and a half Ms. Duarte has plead stuff that [is] incorrect, and she does not do her research,” he said. “This has already been litigated, it is already done. Five people up here have moved on. You need to do the same. By the way – don’t you dare try to come back up here…” Duarte then walked back up to the podium to rebut Duffy, asking what had been litigated. At this point according to the meeting agendas, Duarte was violating the meeting rules. Residents are told not to “delay or interrupt the proceedings or the peace of the City Council”. At this point Mayor Norris stepped in. “You are about to be removed, you are outside the bounds,” he warned her. Undeterred, she retorted that “I am more than happy to be removed, go ahead and hit your ballot, your whatever.” Norris then asked law enforcement to remove Duarte from the Council chambers. Before adjournment, Duffy resumed his comments. “Everything you guys have done is done legally. I am not going to keep going round and round with her on this issue. The charter has been followed, the charter committee followed everything, this issue is closed and we are done with it. I’ve given my advice, I am moving on.” Background Tuesday marks the second time this year that Jeani Duarte has been made to leave a Palm Coast City Council meeting. The first instance occurred just over two months ago. At a workshop on January 13, she was ejected by Norris after returning to the podium out of order to argue against the validity of Councilman Charles Gambaro’s appointed seat. Jeani Duarte is filed to run for the District 2 seat on the Palm Coast City Council in the 2026 election cycle. This seat is currently occupied by Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri, who’s running for County Commission instead of seeking re-election. One other challenger, Antonio Amaral Jr., is also filed to run for the seat.