Volusia County will send five County Charter amendments to the ballot in November and leave one off the table indefinitely.
The County Council held its final public meeting on June 16 on five charter amendments submitted by the Charter Review Commission. The council also considered an amendment proposed by County Council Chairman Jeff Brower for the ballot.
If it had gone to the ballot and been approved, Brower’s proposal would have required a unanimous vote of the County Council in order to sell or transfer property acquired through the county’s Endangered Lands or Volusia Forever programs, with a couple of exceptions.
“Let’s trust the voters to make this decision and not take it out of their hands,” Brower said.
Despite Brower’s push, the County Council voted 4-2 to remove the item from consideration. Brower and District 4 Councilman Troy Kent opposed the action. At-Large Representative Jake Johansson was absent from the meeting.
The County Council had the option to submit its own proposed charter amendments to the ballot. But unlike Brower’s proposal, the County Council does not have the authority to keep the Charter Review Commission’s five amendments from going to the November ballot. The council also couldn’t change the amendments.
Brower’s proposal was in response to one of the Charter Review Commission’s amendments that some believe does not go far enough to protect conservation lands.
That amendment (Amendment No. 5) if it passes in November, would create a registry of county owned conservation land. It would require 5 of the 7 votes of the County Council to add land to the registry or remove land for sale or transfer. The amendment would require a minimum 30-day notice posted on the county’s website before removing a property from the registry.
The proposed charter amendment received some public pushback, especially a provision that says land on the registry could be used for public purposes. County officials and some residents disagreed on whether the amendment would actually strengthen protection for conservation lands.
Councilman David Santiago was one of those who opposed adding Brower’s alternative unanimous-vote amendment to the ballot. Santiago said he was concerned that having two opposing amendments would result in neither of them passing.
“That’s what we’ve had historically because it has confused the people,” he said.
Under Amendment No. 1, Volusia County chairman would no longer be elected
One of the Charter Review Commission’s proposed amendments would affect Brower’s seat.
Amendment No. 1 would change the chairman’s seat from an elected position to a role chosen by fellow councilmembers. If approved, council members would select a chair each year from among their ranks. One person could serve up to two years consecutively in that role.
“In addition, Council member term limits would be restricted further, by expanding the application of the County’s term limits to apply to any seat on the Council rather than only a singular office,” according to the county.
Daytona Beach resident John Nicholson said he’d rather the voters continue to elect the county chairman.
“When six or seven guys get together and they vote for one of their own, it doesn’t really come out the same way,” Nicholson said.
The charter review process is required by the County Charter. At least once a decade, the County Council must select a Charter Review Commission. The Commission considers whether to recommend any potential charter changes to send to voters. The County Council holds three meetings on the amendments to discuss and share information before sending them to the ballot.
What are the other Volusia County amendments on the ballot?
The other three amendments, as previously reported:
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia Charter items heading to ballot, and one that was shot down
Reporting by Sheldon Gardner, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sheldon Gardner, Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY Network
