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Volusia County government provides a wide variety of services to residents and visitors, from beach management to road repair, fire protection and law enforcement.
The County operates under a Council/Manager form of government. Voters elect a seven-member County Council, five of whom are elected by district. The County Chair and the At-large representative are elected countywide, and all serve four-year terms.
The County Council serves as the legislative and policy-making body for Volusia County government. The County Manager, who is hired by the County Council, works with its members to assist in formulating policies and programs. The County Manager also is top administrator for approximately 2,500 full-time County employees and is responsible for the ongoing operations of all County services as set forth by the County Council.
County Council meeting information
The Volusia County Council usually meets on the first and third Thursday of each month, on the second floor of the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Center, 123 W. Indiana Ave., DeLand. To view the Volusia County Council tentative calendar of events, which includes Council meetings, click here.
All County Council meetings are open to the public. The County Council welcomes and encourages public comments during meetings. Public comments on items not on the County Council's printed agenda can be presented to the County Council Chairman or County staff members at 8:30 a.m. on meeting days. Public comments on any matter also are heard at the end of each meeting.
If you wish to speak during the meeting on matters on the printed agenda, please fill out a Request to Appear Before the County Council form found at the back of the County Council chambers near both doors. Please give the form to a County staff member and your name will be called when it's your turn to speak. For more information, contact the County Manager's Office at (386) 736-5920.
To view the upcoming agenda of the Volusia County Council, click here.
To view the actions taken by the County Council, click here.
Volusia County's Home Rule Charter
The Volusia County Home Rule Charter is the foundation for Volusia County's Council/Manager form of government. It provides the framework for self government within the guidelines of Florida law.The Home Rule Charter was approved by Volusia voters in a special countywide referendum on June 30, 1970. The Charter was created by a 21-member citizens committee which spent nine months of intensive study developing the framework for local government in Volusia County.
The passage of the Home Rule Charter set a precedent as Volusia was the first County in Florida to adopt home rule powers, pursuant to the 1968 Florida Constitution. Today, most of Florida's urban counties have followed Volusia's leadership and have approved their own versions of home rule charters.
The Home Rule Charter created a Council/Manager form of government which took effect January 1, 1971. The County Council is the legislative arm of Volusia County and sets policy for the government.
The County Manager, who serves at the pleasure of the County Council, executes the policies established by the County Council and oversees the daily operations of the government. County employees work under the direction of the County Manager within the structure of the system of merit rules and regulations.
The Charter was amended by voters during a special referendum election Tuesday, November 5, 2002. Some of the changes included County Council term length and making the County Chair an elected (not appointed), four-year position.
Amendment to the Volusia County Home Rule Charter
(pdf format)The Home Rule Charter mandates a review at least every 10 years by a Charter Review Commission. Proposed amendments to the Home Rule Charter must be approved in a countywide referendum. The Charter was reviewed in 1975, 1985, and 1995 and 2005. For more information on the last review, click here.
To view the Home Rule Charter in its entirety, click here. If you have any questions about the Home Rule Charter, please write the County Manager's Office at 123 West Indiana Avenue, DeLand, Florida 32720-4612 or call at (386) 736-5920.
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