In their words...
The Charter Review Commission members on the amendments

On the charter review process
“The review of the Volusia County Charter was a very public process conducted by 15 Volusia citizens who represent a broad spectrum of our county. If there was one theme that resonated throughout the 150 meetings we held, it was that Volusia citizens want significantly less development and much tighter growth management. We listened; we studied; we debated; and then we made our recommendations for charter changes that will be decided upon by voters November 7.”
     – Bill Scovell, DeLand, retired business executive

On keeping an open mind
“I went into this process with an open mind to learn as much as I could. Having been a VP of Government Relations for a large Volusia company, I had quite a bit of knowledge about working with county government, but you can’t know everything. Being able to hear the input of government representatives and citizens throughout the county and even part of the state was very beneficial at arriving at the decisions we did in this process.”
     – Joe Benedict III, Samsula, retired business executive

On doing what’s good for the whole county
“Even though there are various viewpoints on many issues and there are differences between the county and cities, at the end of the day we’re all Volusia County residents. There are some issues that require a countywide perspective. The Charter Review Commission’s proposals deal with the greater good of the whole county.”
     – Clarence “Bo” Davenport, DeLand, retired city employee

On the school planning amendment
“The school planning amendment is necessary to prevent our public schools from being surprised with a flood of students, thus impairing the ability to serve the community. Schools are an essential part of any community, and for that reason, must be involved early in the planning process. Doing so would be much better for all parties involved.”
      – Patricia Drago, Daytona Beach, Volusia County School District employee

On the water planning amendment
“The intent of the water plan amendment is to reform current water management plans, which are believed to be inadequate. In addition, this amendment would encourage regional planning and protection. The amendment does not direct county government to become a water service provider or operator of water facilities. Rather, this amendment calls for the development of a countywide master plan to preserve and protect our county’s only water supply.”
     – Tom McClelland, Daytona Beach, retired military/public works director

On the dispute resolution amendment
“The Charter Review Commission heard many complaints about the effectiveness of the Volusia Growth Management Commission (VGMC). There is a feeling among many citizens that the VGMC has outlived its usefulness, since it was created to resolve disputes between the comprehensive plans of the county and the cities. This role has been taken over by the Florida Department of Community Affairs, and the public has a desire to reform or replace the body.”
     – Glenn Storch, Alamana, attorney

On the charter commission’s growth amendment
“If the comprehensive planning districts amendment passes, in the designated areas within the Natural Resource Management Area (NRMA) boundaries, county government’s comprehensive plan would remain until 10 years past the point of annexation, a joint planning agreement with the county was formed, or the County Council signed off on the city’s plan for the annexed land. In the latter case, the city would not be able to change the area’s comprehensive plan without County Council approval.
     – Alex Ford, DeLand, attorney

On the County Council Vice-chair amendment
“Since the County Chair has been made an at-large position, a logical connection to this was to make the second at-large position the Vice-chair of the County Council. Since the at-large position is voted on countywide and is a position that requires large sums of money for an expansive election strategy, the charter commission felt it was appropriate to distinguish the vice-chair position from the other County Council members who are voted on by districts.”
     – T. Wayne Bailey, Ph.D., DeLand, Stetson University political science professor

On the County Council pay amendment
“The Volusia County Charter prohibits the reimbursement to County Council members for in-county expenses. Therefore, to deal with the issues of compensation, it was the intent of the charter commission that the compensation level of County Council members be increased to take into account the expenses each County Council member accrues while serving the public. This would encourage more people to run for County Council office.”
     – T. Wayne Bailey, Ph.D., DeLand, Stetson University political science professor

On the County Council’s growth amendment
“What the Volusia County Council has said is that the comprehensive planning districts amendment doesn’t gofar enough if we are going to protect the rural and the unincorporated area of our county. That is why we proposed the final amendment about county planning authority. We don’t mind if there’s an annexation. We will work with the municipalities on an annexation and we want to work with them on joint planning agreements as to how our comprehensive plan may change to increase the densities in those areas. Our position is there should not be a 10-year limit.”
     – Frank Bruno, Ponce Inlet, Volusia County Chair

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