Hi, kids!

It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the news and newsmakers of the day who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life or detracted from it in some significant way:

Bait and Switch: Weakening Conservation Protections in Volusia County

Forever

“For all future time; for always.  Permanent, continual, and perpetual.  Endless or indefinite; eternity.  The state or quality of lasting forever.”   

We all know what it means…

Twenty-five years ago, voters initially approved a concept known as Volusia Forever – described on the county website as a tax supported land conservation program that “…finances the acquisition and improvement of environmentally sensitive, water resource protection, and outdoor recreation lands, and the management of these lands as conservation stewards in perpetuity.”

In 2020, a profound 75.6% of voters reauthorized Volusia Forever in an effort to protect and preserve their drinking water, lakes, rivers, coastal waters, springs, woodlands, and greenspace in the face of aggressive development that continues to threaten access to passive outdoor recreation lands, foul the aquifer, and destroy sensitive wildlife habitat.   

Trust me.  75.6% of Volusia County residents can’t agree on whether they like ice cream – but they resoundingly want sensitive areas publicly acquired and conserved in perpetuity. 

Forever.  

For the past quarter-century, Volusia County residents have seen with their own eyes the threats we collectively face in an age of metastatic sprawl – perpetuated by a transactional political scheme – based on the shady concept of quid pro quo, “something for something.”

Now, several of those compromised shills that comprise the Volusia County Council of Cowards wants to arbitrarily change the rules on us.

Earlier this month, during a goal setting workshop Councilman Don Dempsey – who has spent the bulk of his term ramrodding his pet multi-million-dollar motorcross facility on land purchased with Volusia Forever and ECHO funds – said he wants to revisit the concept of “forever” and “perpetuity,” using the nonsensical argument that 75.6% of Volusia voters didn’t understand what we were voting for…

Bullshit.

According to an article by Al Everson writing in the West Volusia Beacon last week:

“Council Member Don Dempsey, for his part, urged his colleagues to consider time limits and the effects of use constraints on land set aside for conservation, and purchased with Volusia Forever dollars, as well as funds from state or federal agencies. Some uses and in-perpetuity clauses, he noted, are written into the covenants of land acquisitions, and such provisions.

“The voters never voted to make it in perpetuity,” Dempsey said. “Imagine 100 years from now we want to do a commercial well. … We’re basically making half of our county off-limits. … Farmers 100 years from now cannot water their crops.”

To borrow a phrase from big Jeffrey Lebowski, What in God’s holy name is he blathering about? 

In my view, there is something inherently deceitful about a self-serving politician – one with a history of working to weaken growth management measures and facilitate more, more, more sprawl – who presumes to tell me what I did or did not vote for when I cast my ballot. 

The condescending tactic raises its ugly head every time an elected official/special interest (the two terms are now interchangeable) decides they want to change a voter approved initiative that now impinges on their ability to get fatter.  

So, they quibble the nuances of ballot language, tell a few scary stories of potential unintended consequences, before finally claiming voters were too stupid to understand what they were voting for…

In my view, Councilman Don Dempsey and his bobble-head cohorts – Councilman Danny “Gaslight” Robins and Councilman David “No Show” Santiago – seek to weaken conservation efforts by questioning the appropriateness of certain parcels, insinuating the potential for abuse by property owners (something that wasn’t a concern when Dempsey’s motorcross acquisition was being considered), and opposing the issuance of bonds to finance the purchase of identified conservation lands.  

Why?  Good question…

According to a December 2025 article in the Ormond Beach Observer:

“In the Volusia Forever ballot initiative, it was stated that the county would borrow money through bonds to purchase land acquisitions, Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower said. Staff also explained that the council’s preliminary authorization on bonds would allow the money to be available when a purchase is approved.

Councilman Don Dempsey disagreed with this approach.

“I don’t like the fact that we can borrow into the future to buy more conservation land,” he said. “We’re already number two in the state. It scares me that we’re rushing towards a 50% acquisition rate, that we are going to basically encumber half of the property in the county.”

Robins agreed with Dempsey and Santiago.

“What I don’t want to see is take a good program like this and use it as the easy way out to not put in a development application because people don’t want to go through the squeaky wheels and deal with the development application in unincorporated Volusia,” Robins said. “I’m not saying I’ve seen it happen, but I do have ears and I’ve heard certain things like, ‘Hey, this is an easier way to do it, to get paid and stuff.'”

Per usual, Robins’ logic is clear as nutrient clogged mud in a Volusia County estuary.

What “Gaslight” Robins fails to mention is Volusia Forever has an extensive application process – which includes land evaluation and appraisal – along with a citizen advisory committee and staff reviews that guide the program, determine appropriate acquisitions, and recommend those properties to the Volusia County Council for consideration.

In addition, since the program’s renewal in 2020, Volusia Forever has successfully partnered with various state and federal organization, and the St. Johns Water Management District, to leverage tax dollars resulting in $4.00 from partner match funds for every $1.00 in taxpayer investment.  

Regardless, now that manipulating Volusia Forever is an official “goal” of the Volusia County Council, I’m told the discussion may come before the council in February.  That gives concerned citizens ample time to consider the true motivations of Councilmen Dempsey, Robins, and Santiago, then let their voices be heard.    

Why do you think these dull tools of development interests want to manipulate Volusia County residents into second-guessing why they taxed themselves to protect environmentally sensitive conservation lands from being churned into a muddy miasma to facilitate their greed-crazed ‘growth at all costs’ strategy? 

In my view, this bait-and-switch shim-sham will result in even more loss of the public’s trust – the same suspicion and doubt that resulted in Volusia County voters overwhelmingly nixing a shady sales tax increase ostensibly earmarked for transportation infrastructure…   

Regardless, these political sock puppets have repeatedly demonstrated they do not represent your interests or mine – and it is time to reject their unscrupulous horseshit once again. 

We know what we voted for.    

The people have spoken.  Twice.

Leave Volusia Forever and ECHO alone.    

Replacing Secrecy with Commonsense at Volusia County Schools

“I’m right and you’re wrong, I’m big and you’re small, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

— Narcissistic Headmistress Agatha Trunchbull in Roald Dahl’s Matilda

The operative ethic in the administration of Volusia County Schools is loose lips sink ships – and shady school administrators…

Unguarded discourse outside the confines of a professional spinmeister’s pap and fluff is never tolerated – and no expense will be spared when the district sees the need to defend Superintendent Carmen Balgobin’s subjective edicts from external scrutiny.

In fact, controlling the narrative and silencing contrary opinions has become the overriding focus of Superintendent Balgobin and her dwindling “cabinet” of obsequious drones – a well-crafted and intensely protected storyline (with Balgobin as the heroine) that has captivated the majority of our so-called “independent oversight” on the Volusia County School Board. 

Those sycophantic elected officials who prefer to rubber stamp the administration’s whims and wishes rather than question their purpose, expense, or legality…

For instance, last year, School Board member Donna Brosemer was shocked to learn some 110 non-instructional staff members had been directed to sign a non-disclosure agreement by the Balgobin administration – an overbroad gag order that silenced the release of information specifically made public by Florida’s open records law – something many saw as a means of bureaucratically silencing those who accept public funds to serve in the public interest.

To her credit, Ms. Brosemer didn’t take “shut up and know your role” for an answer – and she wasn’t intimidated by nasty glances and swipes from her “colleagues” – spending her own money to fight for her constituents by personally funding an independent review by outside counsel, all while being billed by the very administration she was elected to oversee to obtain public record requests.

The attorney hired by Ms. Brosemer came to a legal determination that the NDA was most likely “void, illegal and unenforceable under Florida law.”

In turn, the district used taxpayer funds to hire Aaron Wolfe, an attorney with Doran, Foxman, Sims, Wolfe & Yoon of Daytona Beach, to defend Volusia County School’s Attorney Gilbert Evans’ opinion that the Balgobin NDA was somehow legal and constitutional, even when employed by a tax supported entity subject to Florida’s open records law…

Now, after spending untold public funds to defend the controversial (and possibly unconstitutional) non-disclosure agreements, we learn that Volusia County Schools have now dropped Balgobin’s Code of Silence in favor of simply updating standards of conduct for district employees after the NDA’s “sunsetted” in December 2025.

Essentially, the policy requires that employees having access to “sensitive and confidential” information are required to “safeguard such information and must not disclose it outside the scope of their official responsibilities.”  Anyone found to have violated the policy will be subject to disciplinary action, including criminal prosecution.

The policy was last updated in 2002… 

According to a report by Jarleene Almenas writing in the Ormond Beach Observer, “I’m happy to know that, ” said School Board member Donna Brosemer, who was a vocal critic of the NDAs last year. “I had understood also that the purpose of this language was to accommodate the concerns that the NDA was intended to address.”

Of course, there was some quibbling over wording – but it appears that after a costly fight to prove Ms. Brosemer wrong – and, by bureaucratic validation, that Superintendent Balgobin was right – at the end of the day, a commonsense policy tweak was all it took to bring the controversy to a close. 

On January 9, Ormond Beach’s own Senator Tom Leek filed SB 1620, a bill which would provide members of school boards with a Bill of Rights – including the ability to review district documents, seek information from staff without begging the superintendent’s permission, a specific prohibition on nepotism, and a ban on requiring or incentivizing any district employee from signing a non-disclosure agreement.

Sen. Leek’s bill is among the best legislation of this miserable session.

In my view, the bill validates Ms. Brosemer’s concerns.  More important, it protects School Board members who act in good faith to address controversial issues, provide oversight and accountability, and speak the independent truth to their constituents.

With luck, these legislative protections will put an end to the “Balgobin Way” – a terribly expensive and lopsided strategy that employs the full might of a tax supported behemoth to defend her monarchical decrees. 

Quote of the Week

“Councilman Troy Kent posed an interesting question today. He asked why citizens should trust their government.

It’s a fair question—and one a lot of people are asking. Troy meant it rhetorically, but since he raised it, let’s talk about it.

Why should residents trust a county government that is actively working to defund voter-approved conservation programs that passed with nearly 80% support?

Why trust a county government that eliminates all arts funding under the banner of “austerity,” while simultaneously appropriating ten times that amount for a motocross track and other pet projects?

Why trust a county government that cuts lifeguards and other public safety services?

Why trust a county government that silences citizens when it comes to development decisions that directly impact their homes, water, and quality of life?

Why trust a county government that won’t even defend its own home-rule authority—choosing instead to tuck tail rather than stand up to Tallahassee overreach?

On this one point, I actually agree with Councilman Kent: why should we trust them?

Especially when the same officials criticizing government waste are cashing not one—but two—taxpayer-funded paychecks every month.

Three county council seats are up for election this year. Accountability matters.”

–Volusia County Council District 3 Candidate Bryon White, writing in the Facebook forum, “Slow the Growth Volusia,” Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Whether you support Bryon White’s candidacy or not – his social media post was spot-on.

The man ain’t lying…

During Tuesday’s Volusia County Council meeting, the always meanspirited Councilman David “No Show” Santiago clenched his tiny fists and openly threatened a Volusia ECHO advisory board member (read: engaged citizen) who dared to share his perspective regarding a proposed strategic plan for the tax supported program.

According to the member’s communication with the council, he clarified that the Committee only reviewed a preliminary spreadsheet, not the final recommendations of the ECHO Vision 2040 Strategic Plan.  At least one member of the board disagreed and stood before the Council to share her own interpretation of the process, and the lack of objections during previous board meetings.  

In turn, Brad Burbaugh, director of Volusia County’s Community Services Department, which includes the Volusia ECHO program, described the Santiago pushed kerfuffle as a “mischaracterization.”

In my experience, differences of opinion and skewed personal perceptions happen.  In fact, the competition of ideas is what makes advisory committees so important to the legislative process.

Not in Volusia County…

Without due process or formal investigation, speaking from the dais, Councilman Santiago branded the civically involved committee member a “liar” – then threatened to make a motion to remove the citizen volunteer for not sharing something Santiago called the “principles that he believes in.”  (That’s a hoot!  “No Show” Santiago claiming to have “principles,” that’s rich…)

During his diatribe, Santiago spewed his version of what constitutes “misinformation,” i.e., any idea or information that does not originate with those faux “experts” that comprise their incredibly well compensated senior staff – or is first sanitized by those spinmeisters in the “Community Information” office – then threatened to take “drastic measures” to silence the voice of a concerned advisory board member who took a view contrary to county staff’s official line…

Maybe the opposing board member’s view was right – or maybe his perceptions were wrong – but he thought enough of his role and responsibility to buck ‘groupthink’ and write Volusia County Council members to express his view on the process that will shape the direction of a program vitally important to our quality of life.

For his trouble, an advisory volunteer was viciously rebuked, and his character openly besmirched by Santiago – a manipulative shit-heel and self-serving political hack – who crushes dissenting opinions by eliminating opposing voices from his echo chamber. 

After receiving implied pushback from some of his “colleagues,” Santiago relented and withheld banishing the dissenting board member. 

For now… 

In my view, Councilman Kent was right when he said no one trusts government anymore.

For damn good reasons – many well-articulated in Mr. White’s social media post.

In my view, the “trust issue” continues to loom over Volusia County like a multi-headed typhon, and each time residents are gaslighted, voter-approved programs are arbitrarily dismantled, civically engaged citizens are pilloried, pet projects prioritized, and our collective voices ignored while the mercenary whims and wants of their political benefactors take precedence, the public trust is further eroded.   

It’s true.  Accountability matters.

And Another Thing!

“The county makes clear in the agreement that it won’t have financial responsibility for any future operational costs.

“The county never shall be required to make any other payment as a condition for the admittance of any person to the facility,” the agreement states.

The new agreement also specifies that the First Step building will serve as an emergency shelter during disasters, extreme weather conditions such as cold snaps and hurricanes, and other crisis situations.

During those events the shelter will be required to expand capacity, maintain safety for everyone in the building, and provide access to food and water.”

–Reporters Eileen Zaffiro-Kean and Sheldon Gardner, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Daytona Beach homeless shelter set to get city and county funding for the next five years,” June 30, 2025

This week started downright frigid – dangerously cold – for those unfortunate souls who, for myriad reasons of insanity, infirmity, destitution, and addiction, find themselves without adequate shelter during life-threatening weather events.

In fact, last year, those of us with full bellies and a roof over our heads took comfort knowing that our ‘powers that be’ ensured the misnamed First Step Shelter – as a contractual obligation for extended public funding – would be required to serve as an “emergency shelter” during extreme weather conditions.

Once Volusia County assured us that First Step had been directed help those most at risk during dangerous weather – I didn’t give it much thought.  Then several members of the Barker’s View tribe reached out last week and asked if I knew why First Step Shelter wasn’t listed as a cold weather option for the homeless…

When temperatures fell and the winds increased on Sunday, a public service announcement appeared in The Daytona Beach News-Journal but failed to mention First Step Shelter as a winter weather shelter. 

The PSA explained that in Flagler County, The Sheltering Tree – housed at the Rock Transformation Center in Bunnell – would be open Sunday and Monday nights, with at least six pickup locations identified by address for transportation assistance.   

In Volusia, the options were The Bridge, operated by the Neighborhood Center in DeLand; with Halifax Urban Ministries coordinating East Volusia shelters “…in partnership with local churches and nonprofit organizations.”

According to reports, in Volusia, “When available, transportation assistance may be provided through Votran in coordination with community partners.”

That didn’t sound very reassuring. 

Neither did a disturbing report in FlaglerLive.com earlier this month where we learned of the changing dynamics of poverty in the region:

“Average occupancy at the (Sheltering Tree) shelter last year was 10 to 12 people. When it last opened in late December, it drew 26 people. It’s not your stereotypical homeless population anymore.

“We had two people come in from work the last days we were open, literally leaving work and arriving at 7 o’clock and leaving the next morning and going back to work,” says Martin Collins, vice president of the Sheltering Tree’s board. “Middle class people are finding themselves struggling with working class issues, and working class people are finding themselves struggling with poverty.” Others are living in their cars.”

After reading the News-Journal’s sheltering notice, I went to the First Step Shelter’s website where (not-so-shockingly) there was nothing to indicate they were accepting at-risk people during this week’s winter weather outbreak. 

However, I noticed that the “Mayor’s Gala” was prominently advertised front-and-center… 

The “shelter’s” asinine annual “we’ve got to spend money to make money” formal soiree set for February 7 at the tony Hilton Oceanfront Resort in Daytona Beach.

Unlike homeless persons seeking transportation to a warming room this week, a shuttlebus is being provided to attendees of the “Mayor’s Gala” to ensure everyone’s timely arrival for the cocktail reception beginning at 6pm…

Then, guests are off to dinner in the resort’s ballroom where they will be entertained by a musician amidst the whimsical theme “Under the Sea.” 

Swellegant…  

As questions continue to swirl around First Step’s commitment to emergency shelter operations, perhaps it is time for Volusia County – and the City of Daytona Beach – to ask their respective internal auditors to determine if the “shelter” is living up to the contractual terms and caveats agreed to before our elected officials decided to handover another $400,000 last year, $300,000 this year, and $200,000 annually for the remaining three years? 

Maybe next year, the theme of First Step’s “Mayor’s Gala” should be “Underwater: Struggling to Get Off the Public Teat and Stand on Our Own Two Feet…”

That’s all for me.  Have a great Rolex 24 weekend, y’all!

Hi, kids!

It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the news and newsmakers of the day who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life or detracted from it in some significant way:

“A Money Pit”: Councilman Don Dempsey’s Folly Progresses in Volusia County

During the first Volusia County Council meeting of the new year, it was ‘bidness as usual’ when a measure to piss away $195,795 from Volusia ECHO funds to hire a contractor to provide advice to the county bureaucracy in developing a “P-3” – a public-private partnership (read: public funds used to underwrite a private enterprise) – ostensibly for the development and operation of Councilman Don Dempsey’s pet motocross facility.

The controversial and incredibly expensive folly was buried as Item H on the council’s consent agenda…

To his credit, Chairman Jeff Brower released the public information and input vacuum when he pulled the item for discussion. 

What ensued was a classic well-choreographed Volusia County Kabuki, fronted by perhaps the worst presentation by a publicly compensated official I’ve ever witnessed.

Trust me.  I’ve seen a few…

Our new “Assistant County Manager” Gus Zambrano earned his $185,000 salary by reading a PowerPoint, verbatim – its slides embroidered with nonsensical cartoon-like graphics – all to sell the notion of using nearly $200,000 in public funds to hire a private consultant to do the swollen bureaucracy’s work, construct a Request for Proposal, engage with bidders, and help select a private entity to operate the Don Dempsey Motocross and ATV/UTV Trail Riding Facility.

Yep.  Ol’ Gus is going to fit right in over there in the Ivory Tower of Power… 

Given the knowns and unknowns of the state’s push to reduce or eliminate property taxes – along with the council’s faux focus on funding core government responsibilities – Mr. Brower suggested the already purchased land would be an excellent location for a county owned park and supported the idea of opening the site to recreational riding.

It was apparent from the moment Mr. Brower pulled the item for discussion that the outcome had been determined well before the meeting began… 

Per usual, Councilman David “No Show” Santiago attempted to paint Chairman Brower as a liar for daring to question the project – manipulatively mewling about “deception” and “motives” – twisting inference, and claiming that because the project is exploiting Volusia ECHO and not the general fund, residents apparently don’t have a valid reason to oppose the $3.5 million+ expenditure.

Bullshit.

During what passed for public participation, “C.J.,” a citizen who identified himself as the owner of Pax Trax, a Flagler County commercial motorcross facility and a recognized expert in the sport, stood before the council and candidly explained – if Volusia County builds a track it will “shut me down” – claiming that motorcross tracks across the state are closing due to a lack of business, with several of the properties still up for sale.

In fact, the gentleman implored council members to fully understand what they were up committing to in operating a motorcross facility – explaining that if he felt a facility in Volusia was financially viable, he would have purchased the land and opened the business himself.

In an odd departure from the council’s standard practice of staring catatonically into space and refusing to acknowledge citizens who approach the dais, the track owner’s plea resulted in an agitated Don Dempsey doing the unthinkable and actually responding to the private operator’s grim prediction from the dais.

In a weird exchange, Councilman Dempsey challenged the industry expert, “You don’t remember our golf cart ride at Magic Mountain (?) three years ago where we talked about this very project?” 

In exchange, C.J. answered from the gallery, recalling he told Mr. Dempsey the project would be successful as a “night track,” before the exchange was shut down by Councilman Johansson, who knows that no good comes from openly discussing issues with constituents…

It was Councilman Dempsey’s weepy rant – arguing that concerned constituents are using his pet project as a bludgeon because he frequently votes against growth management measures and environmental protections that I found most disingenuous – and offensive to Volusia County taxpayers.

“I know a lot of people are mad at me because I vote against moratoriums and I don’t always vote the way the environmentalists want me to vote, and I can’t help but think, sometimes, that this is just a way of getting even with me.”

Say what?  How in the hell did Don Dempsey become the victim?

Councilman Dempsey’s “everybody’s pickin’ on me” pout turned into a self-serving tirade as he painted his effort as being exclusively “for the kids” – railing that the sport of motorcross is readily accessible to everyone (if you have thousands of dollars for specialty motorcycles, trailers, protective equipment, physical agility, etc., etc., that is…) and that denying the multi-million-dollar public/private facility would prevent eight-year-olds from practicing motorcross at night.

All Mr. Dempsey’s melodramatic diatribe lacked was Sarah McLachlan’s “In the Arms of the Angel” moaning gently in the background to have me bawling like a lachrymose grandmother…  

What a godawful farce. 

Don’t take my word for it. 

Watch it all for yourself here (the fun begins at 1:07:30): https://tinyurl.com/5t3tk4du

There’s something about watching a millionaire politician throw a selfish tantrum on the dais because he’s receiving moderate pushback against having a publicly funded motorcross facility built in his backyard that provides a disturbing insight into how our egomaniacal elected “representatives” think – and spend our money…

Ultimately, the always sanctimonious Councilman Danny “Gaslight” Robins (who last year ignored the $50 million annual impact of cultural events on Volusia County’s economy in his shortsighted charge to eliminate all previously budgeted arts funding) dismissed Chairman Brower’s commonsense argument as “political salad,” before arrogantly calling the vote. 

Like choreographed clockwork, the expenditure was approved 5-1 with Councilman Troy Kent absent due to a family emergency.  Now, having spent +/- $200K to hire someone else to write and administrate a simple RFP, that bloated bureaucracy in DeLand can go back to sitting on its thumbs, concocting their next nonsensical PowerPoint…

My God.

In my view, this farcical charade once again demonstrates just how far these flip-flopping shills will go to repay a cooperative “colleague” for his loyalty in helping smooth out the humps-and-bumps for their common political benefactors who control the rods and strings of government in Volusia County and beyond.

If you live and pay taxes in Volusia County – and believe as I do that the core tenets of Volusia ECHO and Forever programs have been highjacked in a crude effort to ramrod the Dempsey Family Motorcross Facility – I encourage you to vote your conscience, launch these slimy slugs onto the political ash heap, and return a sense of honor, integrity, and sanity to the Volusia County Council.

Policies and Guidelines: Improving Fiscal Oversight in the City of Daytona Beach

To say the initial probes by the City of Daytona Beach’s new internal auditor, Abinet Belachew – a hard-charging watchdog with a penchant for uncovering misspending while upholding standards that ensure the ethical stewardship of public funds – caught his elected bosses and appointed colleagues by surprise is an understatement. 

Dude kicked the proverbial door down – then hung the dirty laundry on the line for all the villagers to see…

Having just scratched the surface, Mr. Belachew has already uncovered potential misuse of city purchasing cards, travel irregularities, a lack of receipts and documentation, outdated or ineffective policies, and most recently, allegations of a scandalous liaison possibly involving a supervisor and subordinate, which may have involved the misappropriation of public funds.

Sadly, after his initial foray, Mr. Belachew reported that his efforts had been met with a disturbing degree of opposition and obstruction by some senior officials – something that often happens when the established status quo is challenged.  When some insiders questioned his audit results it appeared Mr. Belachew clearly felt the veracity of his inquiry was being disputed, which set up some tense public exchanges that made the elected officials visibly uncomfortable…

To their credit, the Daytona Beach City Commission recently agreed upon a set of rules to guide Mr. Belachew’s scope of responsibilities going forward, providing specific guidelines without neutering the purpose and authority of his vital role.

According to an informative report by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal:

“At their Wednesday, Jan. 7 meeting, city commissioners adopted a 10-page governing policy that both Belachew and other city officials will operate under for auditing issues.

The policy will include everything from how long top city employees have to respond to one of Belachew’s audit reports to a detailed explanation of the internal auditor’s mission.

The mission of the city auditor is to provide independent and objective assurance and advisory services that enhance accountability, transparency, and efficiency; and to proactively identify risks, evaluate internal controls, and make practical recommendations that strengthen city operations, safeguard public resources, support effective governance, and prevent potential fraud, waste and abuse.”

Most important, Mr. Belachew will remain independent of senior administrators – reporting to the Mayor and City Commissioners – with established protections from undue influence on the “…audit scope, methodology, findings, conclusions, or timing of the audit.”

In addition, the new audit parameters ensure the City Manager and department heads have the opportunity to review and respond to findings in a timely manner – and provide answers which can be evaluated by the auditor.  Modifications to audit reports can be made based on valid explanations supported by sufficient evidence.

The new policy provides for a dedicated hotline that will allow residents and employees to report fraud, waste, and abuse – and if Mr. Belachew finds the complaint applicable to his office and a formal investigation warranted – he will notify the city commission who will determine how to proceed.

According to the News-Journal’s report, “The city auditor is authorized to conduct investigations of complaints received from city employees relating to acts or suspected acts by city employees or agents of gross mismanagement, malfeasance, misfeasance, gross waste of public funds, or gross neglect of duty related to financial and compliance matters.

When a city employee seeking to invoke the protection of the Whistleblower’s Act discloses information to the city auditor, the auditor is authorized to initiate an investigation.”

To ensure transparency, Mr. Belachew will coordinate with the city’s public information officer to post audit reports to the public website.

In my experience, financial audits and the independent examination of policies, protocols, and managerial practices help guarantee compliance with regulations, ensures best practices, safeguard resources, and establishes a culture of accountability that leads to better governance.    

Kudos to Daytona Beach – and those local governments who employ professional internal auditors – then allow that critical position the freedom and flexibility to publicly report their findings, speak openly to the media and answer constituent questions on matters of concern, and, by their personal and professional example, set exacting standards for the ethical and efficient conduct of the people’s business. 

Quote of the Week

“Since 2017, companies linked to a multibillion-dollar investment manager in New York have spent at least $230 million buying up more than 80,000 acres across north Florida — amassing giant tracts of largely rural land near Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Panama City.

That same investment firm now wants Florida lawmakers to make it much easier to develop that land.

Records obtained by Seeking Rents show that executives at Ruane Cunniff — a Manhattan-based firm that manages hedge funds, mutual funds and other investment vehicles — are behind an obscure entity pushing bills in the Florida Legislature this year that would enable giant landowners to have their properties rezoned for high-intensity development without a local public hearing or vote in the communities where the projects would occur.

The Ruane Cunniff-backed company has hired nearly 20 lobbyists in Tallahassee who have been quietly meeting with lawmakers in support of the legislation — which, if passed, could dramatically boost the value of the vast land holdings the firm has assembled in Florida over the past decade.

That’s not all. Separate records show that another corporate entity controlled by Ruane Cunniff executives recently began showering money on key figures in the Florida Capitol. That entity has made more than $150,000 in campaign contributions in the two months since House Bill 299 and Senate Bill 354 were filed in the Legislature — including $10,000 apiece for each of the bill sponsors.”

–Investigative Journalist Jason Garcia writing in Seeking Rents, a newsletter and podcast focusing on Florida politics, “A New York investment firm with vast land holdings across north Florida wants state lawmakers to greenlight giant developments,” Wednesday, January 7, 2026

If you care about the ongoing destruction of Florida through malignant development and the overweening greed driving it, you’re going to want to down a strong antiemetic and read Mr. Garcia’s shocking expose here: https://tinyurl.com/5buer3jx

On Tuesday, we denizens of the Sunshine State girded our loins as that Turkish bazaar that is the 2026 Florida Legislative Session began in Tallahassee. 

The opening session was marked by palpable tensions among leadership – along with a shocking lack of proposed legislation that would improve the average Floridian’s life and livelihood as our elected representatives work overtime to preempt local growth management regulations and pave the way (literally) for their political overseers in the real estate development industry. 

In my view, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ blatant snubbing of House President Daniel Perez – openly ghosting Perez ahead of the State of the State address, while giving Senate President Ben Albritton a hearty handshake – makes for good political theater, but this year, petty politics is the least of our concerns…  

As Gideon Tucker so eloquently said, “No man’s life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session,” and here in Florida, that truism continues to hit increasingly close to home.

On Tuesday, the Senate Community Affairs Committee agreed to amend SB 180 – a law passed last year that essentially gutted local planning by preempting cities and counties from passing “more restrictive or burdensome” growth management regulations – and gave developers the ability to file suit if their plans were denied.

According to a report this week by Jim Saunders of the News Service of Florida, a recent legislative update from 1000 Friends of Florida explained, “The bill does not repeal SB 180’s (the 2025 law’s) retroactive provisions, instead shortening their duration,” the growth-management organization said. “As a result, communities like Orange County and Manatee County remain stymied on good-faith planning decisions unrelated to storm recovery, undermining voter- and community-driven local planning efforts.”

Not that any of that matters…

In the legislative spirit of ‘give with one hand and take with the other,’ if passed, legislation known as the “Blue Ribbon Projects” bill would cut out public hearings and citizen input to allow large-tract landowners holding at least 10,000 or more contiguous acres to do as they wish – further neutering the ability of local government to control growth and protect the character of their communities. 

Which brings Jason Garcia’s disturbing reportage on out-of-state carpetbaggers buying massive tracts of undeveloped property across the state – then showering Florida lawmakers with equally massive campaign contributions – into clearer focus… 

In addition, Mr. Garcia reports that there is a plethora of proposed legislation that would further preempt local growth regulation – such as one piece of work that would “…force cities and counties to approve any housing development up to 100 acres if half the property borders existing residential areas (Senate Bill 208). The House, meanwhile, is about to begin moving a bill that would essentially forbid local governments from enforcing strict wetland buffers that keep new development away from environmentally sensitive watersheds (House Bill 479).

“Other bills would let lawyers for developers and local government leaders do more negotiating in secret (Senate Bill 332, House Bill 655), make it easier for homebuilders to construct subdivisions on farmland surrounding cities (Senate Bill 686, House Bill 691), and set the stage for the potential elimination of all local urban-service boundaries (House Bill 399).”

According to historians, pirates and privateers began raiding what is now Florida about the time of the first European settlers, prowling the waters, plundering anything of value on land and sea in the name of King – or abject greed – and openly preying on the weak.

They’re still coming… 

Now, their gaudy costumes and sash replaced by thousand-dollar Georgio Armani suits and Gucci loafers, their trusty sword a Montblanc fountain pen – they’re “motley crew” a passel of bright real estate lawyers and brokers who cobble together LLC’s to facilitate enormous land acquisitions – a groaning chest of cash to buy the loyalty of those we elect to represent our interests. 

But what about “We, The Little People”? 

Where is the proposed legislation to ease our burden, protect our thin slice of the pie, stop this quid pro quo insanity in Tallahassee and beyond, and improve to our quality of life here on this salty piece of land we call home?  

Yeah.  We’re screwed.  Get used to it…

And Another Thing!

“After over 20 years of planning, the developers of Ormond Crossings have broken ground on the almost 3,000-acre community.

An event celebrating the recent groundbreaking of the first phase of the development was held on Monday, Jan. 12, at the Security First Insurance headquarters.

Ormond Crossings is a mixed-use project located south of U.S. 1 and along both the east and west sides of I-95, with land in both Volusia and Flagler counties. In addition to building about 2,550 residential units, Ormond Crossings will have a commerce park and a town center with retail, restaurants and outdoor areas. Planning for the development began in 2002 and is the result of a partnership with the City of Ormond Beach, Volusia County and Tomoka Holdings. The property was acquired by the Ford family, of DeLand, in 2016; they then sold it in December 2023 to Bradford Kline and Associates, of Maryland, for $62 million.”

–Reporter Jarleene Almenas, writing in the Ormond Beach Observer, “More than two decades in the making: Ormond Crossings finally breaks ground,” Monday, January 12, 2026

You read that right…

If you thought the once quaint and infinitely desirable jewel that was the City of Ormond Beach couldn’t get any more mundane, run-of-the-mill, or mediocre – guess what? 

You ain’t seen nothing yet…

For decades, forces beyond your control – with the acquiescence of visionless political hacks who infiltrated the Ormond Beach City Commission – have waited until market conditions were optimum to begin developing the community-changing behemoth that will be Ormond Crossings. 

In turn, our clueless ‘powers that be’ have prepared for the impacts of 2,550 new residential units, a two-million-square-foot “commerce park,” and town center with retail space by allowing the Florida Department of Transportation to narrow the main thoroughfare on east/west Granada Boulevard and A-1-A, impeding the flow of increasingly congested traffic with chicanes, bumps, nonsensical medians, and a slalom course of constricted lanes that will soon be overwhelmed by the addition of motorists from (enter name of a “new” or pending cookie-cutter subdivision here).

Twenty-years of so-called “leaders” who were gifted a vibrant palette filled with natural and civic amenities, rich in history, affluence, arts, and culture – features that the visionary private investor Bill Jones used to imagine and create the heart of our community on West Granada Boulevard – inspired placemaking that, unfortunately, did not extend beyond downtown…   

Rather than build on that success, those visionless dullards in City Hall – and developers who are allowed to do as they please – managed to paint a colorless tableau, filled with uninspired strip centers, where old growth forests, specimen hardwoods, and natural buffers are churned into a muddy moonscape to make way for another carwash, convenience store, or storage facility.    

According to the Observer’s report, “At the groundbreaking event, Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie said the occasion marked a “major step forward for the future of our community.”

“Ormond Crossings began with a simple but powerful question back in 2004: What should Ormond Beach look like 20, 30, and even 50 years into the future?” Leslie said.”

Is this uninspired and unoriginal “sameness” something anyone in their right mind would have wanted a beautiful blank canvas like Ormond Beach to “look like” if they had a crystal ball? 

Does Mayor Leslie think now is the right time to greenlight another massive “city-within-a-city” regional development of monumental impact on claustrophobic existing residents, especially at a time when our aging infrastructure and “patchwork” repair and replacement strategy falls short of current carrying capacity, let alone the looming impacts of Ormond Crossings, Avalon Park, Plantation Oaks, pressure from Flagler County, Daytona Beach, etc., etc.?

In my view, this isn’t a “turning point” as Mayor Leslie suggests, given the timing, it is stupid, ill-planned, and inappropriate unless and until the underlying infrastructure issues are addressed – and ‘more of the same’ isn’t “visionary” – its conventional, homogenized, and monotonous.

Of course, none of that matters to those compromised shills who invariably fall for the huckster’s ruse of “high paying jobs” – a subjective marketing term so ubiquitous with artless politicians selling massive projects to their anxious constituents that it has become a sick joke. 

Unfortunately, Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie – a chameleon-like politician who can clearly change his stance depending upon the composition of the room – is clearly no exception… 

According to the Observer, “A lot has changed in the past 20 years, the mayor said, but the vision for Ormond Crossings remains the same: to create a place where people can live, work and play in their community.

Leslie highlighted the economic development opportunities that will come with Ormond Crossings to create high-paying jobs for locals. Security First, he said, is an example.”

Perhaps Mayor Leslie should perform a simple cost/benefit analysis – preferably while he’s sitting through four or more signal cycles on Granada Boulevard and (enter any cross street here) – then determine how much more of our dwindling quality of life he and another out-of-state developer are willing to sacrifice on the altar of greed?

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend, y’all!  

Note to Readers:

I want to thank multi-media journalist and host Charles I. Guarria for having me as his guest on The Opinion Guy Podcast this week. The eclectic program features a variety of news, arts & culture, sports, food, and local politics.  Please find the episode here: https://tinyurl.com/3m3fhuaz

Hi, kids!

It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the news and newsmakers of the day who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life or detracted from it in some significant way:

Local Hero Debbie Darino Forges Another Valuable Tool for Animal Protection

Debbie Darino is my hero. 

She is also a tireless champion for the prevention of animal cruelty – and for enacting laws that hold those subhumans who intentionally hurt or kill a defenseless animal criminally accountable for their despicable actions.

In 2019, thanks to Debbie’s diligent leadership, with the help of members of her animal rights group Justice for Ponce – a nonprofit formed after Ponce, a Labrador Retriever puppy, that was brutally beaten to death by a vile piece of human excrement just after midnight on April 8, 2017 – she successfully spearheaded the effort to pass “Ponce’s Law.” 

God’s work…

This important legislation increased penalties for animal abusers and launched a countywide online registry of people convicted of animal cruelty, ensuring these despicable individuals will never have contact with a defenseless pet again.

Now, Ms. Darino has successfully fought for a statewide database of known animal abusers which went online January 1.  According to reports, she is currently lobbying for a nationwide database of offenders to make certain they never have access to potential victims in the future.

The new registry is part of “Dexter’s Law,” legislation signed into effect in May 2025, memorializing a dog that was adopted from a shelter in Pinellas County, brutally killed, and found dumped in Fort De Soto Park four days later. 

The law also requires a 1.25 multiplier to the punishment of those convicted of aggravated animal cruelty.

In addition to her strong lobbying efforts, Debbie is founder and president of the Ponce Animal Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, that assists with the care of animals in need of medical procedures or emergency treatment. 

To donate to this most worthwhile organization, please go here: https://tinyurl.com/mvu5e4tm

Earlier this year, Governor Ron DeSantis honored Debbie as a “Florida Hero” for her tireless contributions to animal welfare – a most fitting tribute for her unwavering commitment to the protection of animals everywhere.    

Well done, Debbie!   

Florida Legislature Sells Our Future Water Quality to the Highest Bidder

Up yours, Florida residents. 

You will ultimately drink your own recycled sewage – and watch more of our environmentally sensitive waterways fouled and destroyed with runoff and other pollutants to make way for even more sprawl across the width and breadth of our state – and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.

Because bought-and-paid-for Florida legislators said so…    

If Rep. Randy Maggard of Pasco County and Sen. Stan McClain of Ocala (a residential building contractor) have their way (and they will), House Bill 479 and accompanying Senate Bill 718 will prohibit local governments from adopting any ordinances or policies regulating water quality or quantity, pollution control, pollution discharge prevention, or removal, including the delineation of wetlands.   

In my view, the true definition of self-serving was exemplified in a November 2025 report on the proposed bill by Jesse Mendoza writing in Florida Politics:

“Maggard filed a nearly identical bill in 2023 that died in the Water Quality, Supply & Treatment subcommittee. Reporting by Craig Pittman of the Florida Phoenix revealed the bill was filed after Maggard’s nephew removed an eagle nest on his property against regulations, leading to the realization that building plans for the property did not match wetlands mapping.

The 2023 bill also incited outcry among environmental advocacy groups, such as the Friends of the Everglades, that decried a lack of protection for existing local wetlands and water quality protection laws.”

You read that right.

If passed into law, the regulation and management of our drinking water will ultimately be impacted as the source is fouled when all environmental protections for sensitive wetlands, waterways, and estuaries are fully preempted to the state, i.e., a cheap brothel pimped by the development machine that owns the political paper on their elected handmaidens in Tallahassee… 

What?  You don’t want faceless bureaucrats in Tallahassee neutering important regulations that protect our most precious natural resources? 

You prefer that those elected and appointed at the municipal and county level retain home rule authority to preserve the character of our communities, set public policy that protects our homes from flooding, and ensure the quality and quantity of your families drinking water? 

Hard cheese, rube… 

In Florida, you pay to play.  Money talks and bullshit “public input” walks.

Once the law is passed, any local government who dares violate the state’s preemption will be summarily handed over to the Chief Financial Officer of Florida who will withhold any state funds to which the city or county may be entitled. 

Essentially punishing Florida residents by denying an equitable return of our tax dollars – public funds that are repackaged as state “grants” so legislators can come down with one of those giant cardboard checks, stage a silly campaign photo-op, and act like they’re doing us a favor.  

Shameless assholes…   

This should all sound familiar to waterlogged Floridians.

Last year, our craven legislators overwhelmingly passed SB 180 – a law cloaked as an “emergency management” measure to provide probable deniability, then sold as a means of assisting homeowners with expediting rebuilding following a natural disaster.

That was complete bullshit. 

After some twenty Florida cities and counties pushed back with legal action – and citizens besieged their local legislative delegations at town halls – compromised lawmakers finally confessed that the new law went too far in preempting local growth management regulations and have agreed to make a few tweaks to the law in 2026.

Don’t hold your breath… 

So, how do you think our local legislative delegation will couch this new preemptive law gutting water quality regulations to conceal its true purpose?  Legislation clearly designed to pave the way (literally) for more malignant growth by eviscerating local control of water quality and quantity?

For reasons known only to those mysterious puppeteers who keep us squabbling and divided – always expanding the partisan chasm that separates us as a means of controlling our destiny (and the results of elections) – the Florida legislature seems intent on pitting local governments against the state, asserting dominance by eliminating or reducing property taxes that pay for local essential services in favor of (who knows?).

All while abusively preempting local control of environmental protection, growth management, and development regulations to destroy the character of our communities.

In my view, the real reason is clear, and there appears to be no limit to how far these compromised shills in Tallahassee will go to centralize control and ensure the profit motives of those corporations, out-of-state hedge funds, and development interests who manipulate the process with massive campaign contributions and political donations.

If, as James Madison said, “All power is originally vested in, and consequently derived from, the people” still stands as the foundational principle of our American democracy – then it is incumbent upon We, The Little People to reclaim our power – and ensure that our state government is working in the best interests of all of us, not just the mercenary special interests of their political benefactors.

That change comes at the ballot box. 

I say again:  Vote like your lives and livelihoods depend upon it… 

Volusia Residents and Visitors Deserve Answers on Beach Safety

On the day after Christmas, a Canadian visitor tragically drowned in the ocean after becoming caught in a rip current off Ormond Beach.  The sterile facts show that a 44-year-old man from Quebec was found floating face down in the water 150-yards offshore in the 200 block of A-1-A. 

According to The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Lifeguards immediately began CPR, but extremely soft sand made transport to a waiting ambulance at the nearest beach ramp difficult.”

Despite the heroic efforts of lifeguards and EMS personnel, the victim was pronounced dead at a local emergency room.

In a subsequent social media post by the Volusia Waterman’s Association – the bargaining unit representing employees of Volusia County Beach Safety – gave us the rest of this tragic story:

“It should also be noted that due to minimal staffing and secondary tasks, lifeguard patrol units had to be pulled from neighboring zones to assist with this call. At the time of the incident, the closest open lifeguard tower was more than 1.5 miles away. Swim near a lifeguard.”

In May 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law requiring that county sheriff’s assume responsibility for law enforcement in all unincorporated areas of the state, including beaches.  The law also prohibited county governments from maintaining any law enforcement agency not supervised by the county’s elected sheriff.

The law essentially eliminated the Volusia County Beach Patrol, long comprised of triple-certified law enforcement, lifeguards, and emergency medical personnel who patrolled area beaches.  As I recall, reports at the time indicated that not all of the former Beach Patrol members transferred to the Sheriff’s Office. 

In 2023, during a trial run of the county’s new split responsibilities for beach safety, WESH -2 quoted Sheriff Mike Chitwood, “There were a lot of rescues out there, a lot of EMTs out there. That’s what they’re supposed to do, and we’re out there doing the law enforcement. We’re doing what we do best. They’re doing what they do best. It’s a win, win,” Chitwood said.”

By July 2023, there appeared to be cracks developing in one side of the new beach safety equation…

At that time, in a disturbing exposé in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, reporter Sheldon Gardner explained that Volusia County Beach Safety and Ocean Rescue was experiencing a chronic shortage of qualified lifeguards.

By any metric, protecting 47-miles of everchanging coastline is a challenging task. 

That’s why (we’re constantly told) department directors responsible for these things are paid astronomical six-figure salaries to oversee – tactically, logistically, and administratively – the protection of Volusia County residents and visitors.   

During the summer of 2023, reports indicate protection was provided by what Volusia County Beach Safety estimated at 44 full-time lifeguards/EMTs and “about” 190 part-time lifeguards, many of whom operated on a weird “come as you want” work schedule.

Not so prophetically, nearly three-years ago, I ended a rant in this space on the frightening issue of beach safety with the warning:

“I fear if the Volusia County Council continues to do nothing, all beachgoing residents and visitors can do is wait helplessly – hoping their name doesn’t follow the next grim headline, “Another victim dies on Volusia County beaches…”

So, what has been done by Volusia County leaders to ensure adequate beach safety staffing in the nearly three-years since the state mandated split in responsibilities?

I’m asking.

It appears Sheriff Chitwood has lived up to his end of the bargain, providing effective law enforcement services on Volusia County beaches.  However, in the aftermath of the Christmas tragedy in Ormond Beach, and the disturbing remarks of the Volusia Waterman’s Association, many want to know what changes are planned to ensure that the “minimal staffing and secondary tasks” lifeguards face are not a contributing factor in the outcome of beach emergencies going forward.

In the meantime, my advice is to swim near a lifeguard (if they are not otherwise indisposed), and prepare to self-rescue… 

Quote of the Week

“Nicole Crosby, a St. Johns County environmental activist and political marketing consultant, called the “Blue Ribbon Projects” bill the Legislature’s “latest nightmare,” as it will make it easier for developers of large tracts to circumvent city and county growth-management regulations.

“We’ve had an increasing number of laws that are taking away home rule,” Crosby said. “I think that’s derivative of what’s happening locally, where the slow-the-growth movements are gaining control in their county commissions and their city councils. And so the outgrowth of that is these developers going to the state, and trying to grab control that way.”

–Nicole Crosby, St. Johns County, as quoted by Mark Harper writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Fears about overdevelopment likely to drive Florida politics in 2026,” Wednesday, January 7, 2026

In a sign of what’s to come, Sen. Stan McClain of Ocala (the same Stan McClain who wants to usurp our water protections…) and Rep. Lauren Melo (a real estate broker from Naples) have each filed bills establishing “Blue Ribbon” projects, essentially incentivizing largescale developments for landowners who control at least 10,000 or more contiguous acres.

Not many of those “land barons” around, beyond out-of-state development consortiums and hedge funds… 

Ostensibly, the measures would require participating landowners to conserve at least 60% of the property.

Don’t believe a word of it…

In an excellent December 2025 piece in The Florida Phoenix entitled “Florida lawmakers promote ‘Blue Ribbon’ developers at public’s expense,” veteran environmental reporter Craig Pittman summed up the proposed law perfectly:

“No more fighting a wealthy landowner in a packed public hearing, hoping to persuade your elected representatives to vote no. These bills would give an automatic green light to some big, bad projects, as long as they check a few boxes on a form.

“This is a real estate development bill unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” investigative reporter Jason Garcia said on his “Seeking Rents” podcast.

The bills call these big developments “Blue Ribbon” projects. The term implies they would win an award for excellence, like a prize pig at the county fair.

Instead, I think these two bills should win the award for the boldest, most brazen ripoff of the public in the 2026 session. The big landowners would be the ones resembling Porky and Babe, stuffing their snouts in the trough with no one to rein them in.”

(Find Mr. Pittman’s article here: https://tinyurl.com/ywydpkv8 )

As a longtime political voyeur, one thing I’ve learned is when politicians employ the persuasive technique of repeating your own words back to you (the term is called “gaslighting”) the hairs on the back of your neck should start to rise…  

Once approved, the “Blue Ribbon” legislation would require administrative approval by cities and counties if the development meets the hazy requirements of the legislation within just 60-days, essentially removing public participation from the equation.  As I understand it, after the approval period expires, if a development fits the loose confines of the law, the project would be automatically approved for the next 50-years.  

In keeping with the current push at all levels of government to eliminate our ability to voice our concerns and participate in the planning process, the legislation would permit “Blue Ribbon” projects to be rubber stamped by government administrators – not those we elect to represent our interests.

In his incredibly cogent article, Mr. Pittman explained the fallacy of the “conservation” aspect of the bill:

“Florida has been described as a sunny place for shady people. Why that’s not our official state slogan, I don’t know.

But bear that in mind when I tell you that the one part of these two pro-developer bills that sounds attractive is as full of holes as a block of Swiss cheese.

The bills say any landowner who wants to get these development favors must set aside 60% of their property as a “reserve area.” The sponsors have been promoting this as if we’re going to get a lot of free parkland. In fact, I’ve seen it referred to in some publications as a “land conservation bill.”

But it’s not.

The language in the “reserve area” part of the bill is as loose as the wobbly wheels on an old shopping cart. It doesn’t require the landowner to keep that 60% in one contiguous area. It could be scattered here and there across the whole expanse.

Even worse, it doesn’t require keeping the land in its natural state. You could build a power station, a pickleball court, or a retention pond and call it “a reserve area” and you’d be in compliance.

Heck, put in an 18-hole golf course for your big development and call it a “reserve area.” You’ve got to reserve a tee time, right?”

This one bears watching… 

And Another Thing!

It appears another John Grisham novel is taking shape after a suspicious mass exodus of employees over at Brown & Brown…

“(David) Howden and the individual defendants filed a blistering response to the lawsuit on Dec. 26, which said neither the company nor the employees did anything wrong and that Brown & Brown workers were leaving because of a “toxic” corporate climate and pay that was below industry standards.

The 72-page response said the employee exodus happened because employees “were so unhappy with Brown’s terrible management and poor, under-market compensation” that they were prepared to leave without having another job lined up.

“The context of the departures from Brown on December 18 is very different from Brown’s narrative of a pirate raid,” Howden said in the response. “Rather, it was a prison break.”

–Executive Editor John Dunbar, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Court grants temporary relief to Brown & Brown as ex-workers sound off,” Sunday, January 4, 2026

Please find the rest of the piece here: https://tinyurl.com/5n95tw3z  

Just three years after the Daytona Beach-based insurance intermediary Brown & Brown settled a four-and-a-half-year legal Battle Royale with top talent, some of whom went on to form the phenomenally successful Foundation Risk Partners in Ormond Beach, more drama and intrigue has befallen J. Hyatt Brown in his glass-and-steel monolith that overshadows his realm on Beach Street.

I found the accusations eerily familiar… 

According to a December 2025 News-Journal report, “Brown & Brown Inc. is alleging in a Dec. 22 lawsuit that 29 top former employees hatched a plot with a competitor to execute a “mass employee raid” targeting 200 of the insurance company’s workers from Massachusetts and offices across the country.”

The locally based insurance giant is also suing British-based Howden U.S. Services LLC, which has been accused by at least three other insurers of poaching workers in the past. The suit, filed in Massachusetts Superior Court for Suffolk County, does not say whether any local employees were affected.

The mass resignations took place on Dec. 18. In addition to Massachusetts, the suit says Brown & Brown staff in Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin resigned.”

According to the report, the lawsuit claims many of the alleged “coordinators” of the employee “raid” have “longstanding business and personal relationships” with Jim Hays, who owned Hays Cos., Inc. – a company purchased by Brown & Brown in 2018 for $750 million.

Additionally, the News-Journal reports “In August 2025, Howden announced that Hays would serve as vice chairman.”

Now, Brown & Brown alleges that after profiting from the sale of Hayes Companies to Brown & Brown, Mr. Hayes “…is now assisting Howden to illegally try to steal the business back.”

Look, I don’t presume to understand the nuances of the piratical, cutthroat, and incredibly lucrative nature of the international insurance labyrinth; however, (last I checked) we don’t have indentured servitude in this country. 

In my view, people should be free to pursue their trade – and be compensated for their skill and effort – when and where they want, within the confines of professional ethics and fairly entered contractual obligations.

According to Mr. Dunbar’s report, one of the alleged “masterminds” of the “plot” to lure Brown & Brown employees voiced his displeasure with Brown in Howden’s legal response:

“Donald McGowan, former regional president of Brown & Brown in New England, now with Howden, was dubbed a ringleader of the employee “raid.” He denies it in the Howden response.

“I had been unhappy with Brown, its management, its corporate governance, its stock price, its unwillingness to fairly compensate its employees, all while overcompensating the Brown family, for some time,” he states.”

I guess when your names on the door you can do whatever you want, but this isn’t the first time we’ve heard similar claims oozing out of Brown & Brown HQ…

During the four-years of legal wrangling that finally freed those former Brown executives who went on to form Financial Risk Partners, we heard similar tales of “betrayal” when, in 2009, J. Hyatt appointed his son, Powell Brown, to succeed him as CEO – an apparent reversal on a previous promise to Brown & Brown’s then-vice chairman to elevate him to the position.

In a revealing peak inside, made possible by legal filings and the excellent reportage of the News-Journal’s business editor Clayton Park, we also learned that some executives came to believe J. Hyatt’s kingdom wasn’t the “meritocracy” the organization had long claimed to be. 

According to a November 2018 story by Park writing in the News-Journal:

“Brown & Brown for many years under J. Hyatt Brown’s leadership had hailed itself as a “meritocracy” where employees earned promotions based solely on merit and ability.

“The sudden elevation of the younger Brown to chief executive “created a crisis of confidence in the current and future leadership of (Brown & Brown) that, in one fell swoop, shattered the trust of a workforce who was led to believe in the meritocracy Hyatt had preached,” according to the legal response.

“Right there, for the (Brown & Brown) world to see, merit and loyalty were discarded for nepotism,” the legal response states.

“The executive ranks of the company soon became the Brown family employment center, with Brown family children and relations being elevated to the highest positions in the company regardless of the merit,” the legal response adds.”

Eerily similar, indeed… 

According to the News-Journal, Brown & Brown recently won an initial victory in what will undoubtedly be a long and costly war when, in late December 2025, a Massachusetts Superior Court Judge issued a temporary restraining order against the 28 individual defendants and Howden U.S. Services LLC, prohibiting them from “…recruiting current Brown & Brown employees or soliciting Brown & Brown insurance customers.”

Like me, if you love a good legal thriller – an intricate plot interweaving boardroom intrigue and courtroom maneuvering – laced with some behind-the-scenes drama as billionaires bicker with billionaires, you’ll want to get the popcorn ready for this edge-of-your-seat clash of the titans…

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend, y’all!

Hi, kids!

“There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind…”

–C.S. Lewis

As we say goodbye to what was and prepare for the excitement and uncertainty of another statewide election year, let’s remember that our democratic processes work best when vigorous political discussion produces a variety of views and opinions.

This is why the United States Constitution places such emphasis on protecting our inalienable right to free speech, the ability to peaceably assemble, and petition the Government for a redress of grievances – allowing the vigorous competition of ideas debated with the knowledge and consent of the governed – resulting in informed and inclusive public policy.

That important process begins with an aware and engaged electorate. 

If you are reading Barker’s View, I naturally assume you are educated voter who cares about the future of our region – something politicians fear the most…

I appreciate your important contributions.   

Those who read, contribute, opine, comment, argue, develop solutions, moderate social media sites, participate in politics, attend civic meetings, educate our children, speak out, campaign for public office, serve on advisory boards, operate a business, seek justice, plan for our future, offer criticism, demand accountability, serve their community, care for the sick, risk their lives in service to others, raise the bar, give generously, provide encouragement, and anyone who can still be my friend when the heated debate is over.

Thank you.

Most of all, I sincerely appreciate the faithful readers of Barker’s View.  The independent thinkers who contemplate and interpret my warped thoughts on the issues of the day – and those who further a larger discussion in the community – an important exercise that can lead to innovative ideas and solutions to the myriad problems we face.

Thank you.

For good or ill, in the new year I will be here, spectating from the cheap seats – cocktail and smoldering Marlboro at hand – a rheumy-eyed witness to the machinations of our local players, “power brokers,” and perennial politicians – providing you, the devoted members of the Barker’s View Tribe, with one man’s jaded thoughts on the important issues that affect our lives and livelihoods.

Thank you all.

May God bless each of you and this beautiful place we call home.

Here’s wishing everyone a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!

Now, let’s welcome 2026 by turning a jaundiced eye toward the news and newsmakers of the day who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life or detracted from it in some significant way:

Shameless Mayor Makes Mockery of Charitable Giving This Holiday Season

In the days before Christmas, Deltona Mayor Santiago Avila, Jr. – in my view, a shameless grifter and congenital liar with the political ethics of a broke-back snake – issued an open letter to his constituents (on letterhead cloaked with the backdrop of Deltona City Hall) trying desperately to explain away the raging controversy surrounding his calculated shim-sham known as the “Mayor’s Winter Ball.”

Unfortunately, Avila’s desperate attempt to “set the record straight” artfully dodged the swirling question of Cui Bono – who benefitted – and why he and something called the Volusia County Hispanic Association used the imprimatur of both the City of Deltona and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler Counties to solicit funds, knowing that the BGCVFC was totally unaware that their organization’s good name was being used to lure donors.

Now Mayor Avila would have us believe that the City of Deltona was totally disconnected from the event – claiming the ball was not a city function, rather a “…collaborative fundraiser between my office and the Volusia County Hispanic Association not a campaign event as falsely suggested” – explaining that using city resources and social media to promote the event was “consistent with city practice.” 

Bullshit.

In marketing material for the “Mayor’s Winter Ball,” (which was prominently displayed on Avila’s campaign website) the city was inextricably linked to the event with the self-created badge of Avila’s “Office of the Deltona Mayor,” which was prominently exhibited on event solicitations. 

In addition, Mayor Avila unequivocally stated in advertising videos, “for the first time ever the City of Deltona will host the Mayors winter ball.” 

So, let’s really attempt to set the skeevy record straight: When Mayor Avila was soliciting money for his ball, the City of Deltona was named as the “host.”  After being caught in flagrante delicto by the Boys & Girls Club misappropriating their good name, Avila now claims the city was never associated with the event.

That’s called a bald-faced lie.

Seriously, does anyone see any ambiguity in that?

In an op/ed published in the West Volusia Beacon earlier this month, former Deltona City Commissioner David Sosa gave his thoughts on one possible motivation for the “Mayors Winter Ball”: 

“The Mayor’s Winter Ball notably featured an out-of-town contingent from the residential building industry — developers, properties, financial investors and real estate agents from firms based outside Volusia County, including Miami and Orlando.

The event seemed less like a community gathering and more like a celebration of potential profits, with attendees envisioning deals worth millions that could turn Deltona into the next hot spot for real estate speculation. Cassie Landron of the Volusia County Hispanic Association expressed her enthusiasm about partnering with these builders, highlighting the promising prospects for economic development.

From the outset, the event was clouded by questionable actions, including displays of half-truths and unclear financial responsibilities. It was unclear whether it was officially endorsed as a city-sponsored event, as claimed by the mayor, or if it was a private fundraising affair aimed at supporting his political ambitions.”

Interesting.

The fact is, Mayor Avila has no one to blame for this unmitigated shit-show but himself and those who work him like a sock puppet.   

Despite what Mayor Avila would have us believe, the righteous pushback by concerned Deltona residents isn’t a conspiracy concocted by his political opponents.  Now, Mayor Avila is trying desperately to rehabilitate his horribly stained image after being publicly called out by the victim of his ruse.

Expect that purely political hogwash to continue into the new year.   

Despite Mr. Avila’s furious backpedaling, many believe this imbroglio is the result of a sleaze-glazed plan – secretly devised in the shadows by a small cabal of political hacks – designed to misdirect charitable donations for personal/political gain under the guise of a self-promoting soiree, fronted by an egotistical mayor with a dubious history, who routinely plays fast-and-loose with public funds for his political benefit… 

In my view, nothing about this continuing shit-show should be acceptable to Deltona voters.

FDOT:  Brace Yourselves, Ormond Beach – Here It Comes Again…

Just when Halifax area motorists didn’t think it could get worse, the Florida Department of Transportation has announced plans to inflict another traffic nightmare on unsuspecting drivers, this time on the increasingly congested Nova Road in Ormond Beach.

After reducing east/west Granada Boulevard and A-1-A to a series of nonsensical obstructions, medians, chicanes, twists, turns, humps, bumps, and moguls – all specifically designed to impede the flow of traffic on major thoroughfares – area residents will now be treated to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride on a four-mile stretch of Nova Road between Flomich Avenue in Holly Hill and U.S. 1 in Ormond Beach.

Last week, following massive public outcry, FDOT completed “reconstruction” of their five-alarm foul-up on South Atlantic Avenue, including the modification of a senseless raised median that blocked access to Steve’s Famous Diner and created hazardous driving conditions along the busy stretch near Bellaire Plaza.  

The $20 million road project impeded access to area businesses and residences fronting A-1-A using a series of dangerous swerves, “lane narrowing features,” (you read that right) and other obstacles that FDOT claimed were designed to encourage safer driving speeds.

It didn’t. 

In addition, on certain sections of A-1-A north of Granada Boulevard, residents have experienced diminished driveway access requiring lawn companies and other service providers to park in the street – on a painted median between traffic lanes in the middle of the narrow roadway – to access beachfront homes.  The configuration creates an extremely unsafe condition that requires motorists navigate around parked commercial vehicles.

In an article reporting on FDOT’s decision to reverse course on altered sections of Atlantic Avenue, Spectrum News 13’s Jerry Hume reports:

“Up the road from the diner at the Bellair Condos, though, condo association president Joann Cappella said the changes actually made things worse.

“These lane swerves are not slowing anybody down,” she said. “They are increasing the danger. They make it much more dangerous.”

As part of the overall goal of slowing down drivers, lane narrowing features like bulb-outs and curb extensions were added.

After they were installed in front of Cappella’s condo complex, the building’s security camera caught a truck driving off the roadway and onto the new bulb-out.”

“Shock. Absolute utter shock at the idiocy of it,” Cappella said. “It makes no sense at all.”

According to the report, FDOT District 5 deputy mouthpiece Matthew Richardson claimed state transportation mavens know what’s best for those of us who live here – and the changes were “…made to ensure the final project reflects the community’s needs, while still meeting safety and operational goals.”

I found it interesting that after modifications on both Granada Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue, FDOT still cannot estimate how much the changes will cost taxpayers… 

Last week, in the wake of the asinine debacle that has affected traffic throughout the city, state transportation officials held a workshop with Ormond Beach elected officials to explain changes to the Nova Road project, claiming the original plan was based on traffic counts that were “several years old.” 

You read that right.

According to a report in the Ormond Beach Observer, “Ultimately, when we first did our study and our design, the counts that we performed were several years old,” said Jim Stroz, FDOT District 5 director of transportation development. “We were encouraged to get some new counts. There’s been some increase in traffic, and so we did that.”

Seriously?   

Where were these so-called “traffic engineers” the day they taught traffic engineering at the Rocco-Clubbo School of Highway Gridlock?

Area taxpayers deserve better from those who hold themselves out as experts – and we have a right to know how many millions-of-dollars in public funds were wasted during the project design phase when FDOT knew their plan was based on antiquated numbers? 

(Hey, CFO Ingoglia. How about DOGEing FDOT’s design and development process? With knobs on it…)

In my view, based upon our collective experience on area roadways, those we have elected and appointed to represent our interests in Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach, and beyond should put an immediate stop to this absurdity before one shovel of dirt is turned at the misdirection of those infernal dullards at FDOT.

In my view, city officials should demand that the revised plans be carefully reviewed by an independent traffic engineering firm – with a focus on current and future traffic infrastructure needs – in the face of explosive overdevelopment that has reduced many main thoroughfares to a parking lot at various times of the day.   

Frankly, those of us who pay the bills and are forced to navigate the slalom course that FDOT has created on major thoroughfares are tired of hearing our local elected officials shrug their stooped shoulders and mewl “Aw, shucks.  It’s a state road – our hands are tied, y’all…”  

Look, I get it.  The butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker holding office on local councils and commissions, and their dilettante liaisons to the Transportation Planning Organization, aren’t traffic analysts – and they should not be expected to understand the geometry of intersections, signals, controls, or the minutia of intelligent traffic management solutions.

That’s why we rely on the so-called “professionals” at the Florida Department of Transportation – especially during this critical time in our state’s history – when those same state and local elected officials have allowed the unchecked sprawl of their political benefactors in the real estate development industry to outpace essential infrastructure.

Now that millions-of-dollars in scarce traffic infrastructure funds have been wasted on piss-poor planning and expensive reversals to “improvements” on Granada Boulevard, A-1-A, and elsewhere, in my view, ignorance and gross maladministration are no longer valid excuses for FDOT – or those local officials and claustrophobic motorists who are forced to take their word for it…

Quote of the Week

“After taking a battering from hurricanes and other storms in recent years, about 27 of 37 miles of Volusia County-managed coastline is considered critically eroded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Hurricanes Ian and Nicole wiped out over 6 million cubic yards of sand in Volusia County, said Jessica Fentress, director of the county’s Coastal Division. That drastically changed the shoreline. Now the county is in a “sand-starved” state, she said.

“We went from being in a ‘monitoring, probably should do something’ (state), to ‘We are on life support,'” Fentress said.”

–Director Jessica Fentress, Volusia County Coastal Division, as quoted by reporter Sheldon Gardner writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Volusia County crafting long-term plan for ‘sand-starved’ coastline,” Monday, December 22, 2025

From the Army Corps of Engineers essentially telling the waterlogged residents of Daytona Beach Midtown there’s “Nuttin’ we can do” regarding disastrous recurrent flooding, to Volusia County’s Coastal Division wringing their hands about all the things they probably should, could, would have done (but didn’t) to control erosion on the coastline as eight horizontal feet of sand wave bye-bye each year, it is increasingly apparent existing residents are on our own… 

When I read these articles about clearly clueless government officials desperately searching for solutions to the manmade problems we face – with many of the impacts exacerbated by their unwillingness to stop overdevelopment and the resultant environmental atrocities that are destroying our quality of life – I am reminded of an old Three Stooges episode.

Remember the one where the boys took a rented boat to the middle of a lake?   

When they reached open water Moe noticed that their vessel was leaking.  Bad. 

Thinking fast, Curly Joe took out an auger and began feverishly boring holes in the bottom of the boat to allow the water to run out.  As more water flooded the boat, the more holes he drilled, and the usual hysterics ensued. 

I loved those guys…

Of course, the moral of the story was (and is) – when your ship is sinking – stop drilling holes.

Unfortunately, political arrogance prohibits reason.  Now Volusia County is acting as if they give two-shits about citizen input on beach management by creating a “long-term vision” in the form of a beach management plan. 

According to the News-Journal’s report:

“Volusia County received about $82 million in grant funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to help the coastline after Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, Fentress said.

As part of that funding, the county has to create a Beach Management Plan, Fentress said. That plan has to identify the risk areas within the county and review options for placing sand on the beach and reducing erosion.”

In addition to a “plan,” I’m sure the cash grab also requires that senior county officials’ pantomime being interested in what John & Jane Q. Public have to say on the abject disaster that is Volusia County’s shoddy excuse for beach management.

Hell, I recall when Gov. Ron DeSantis showed up one sunny January day in Daytona Beach Shores in 2023 carrying one of those goofy oversize cardboard checks for $37.6 million earmarked for restoring Volusia County beaches in the aftermath of Hurricane’s Ian and Nicole.

Remember?

Oh well, here in Volusia County money comes and money goes but things always stay the same… 

Unlike “government guesstimation,” in any legitimate decision-making process there should be the option of doing nothing.  Simply letting nature take her course.  

I’m not talking about more bureaucratic indecision and foot-dragging. 

I mean putting a stop to expensive and experimental artificial methods in favor of permitting ecological processes to correct previous mistakes, erase manmade insults, organically rebuild environmental barriers, and return a symbiotic balance to our shoreline.   

By getting jacklegs like Jessica Fentress and greed-crazed beachfront developers out of the mix – then prohibiting any additional development or rebuilding east of the Coastal Construction Control Line – we can allow natural dunes and coastal vegetation to return and stabilize the beach, prevent erosion, and stop further loss of sand. 

Naturally.

The one constant in government is that senior bureaucrats will continue to busy themselves boring holes in our collective boat – spending what they see as an unending supply of our tax dollars commissioning expensive engineering studies, regurgitating paralytic analysis on PowerPoints, and desperately trying to imitate environmental processes – all to accomplish what nature got right in the first place.

What?  You think letting nature take its course sounds crazy? 

Maybe it is.  But my suggestion is no more ludicrous than throwing another $82 million in taxpayer dollars fighting against the inexorable effects of time and tide…

Don’t worry, none of it matters, and I don’t know why I take Volusia County’s “we want your grassroots input” bait time-after-time.   

Trust me.  My silly submission won’t gain any more traction with those deaf ears at the Coastal Division than yours will.  Like everything else, expect the stagnant status quo to continue driving Volusia County’s incomprehensible “beach management” strategy as history repeats in 2026…

And Another Thing!

“In a closed society where everybody’s guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity.”

–Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream

On Christmas Day, Politico published an excellent piece penned by veteran Florida government and politics reporter Gary Fineout, detailing a telling kerfuffle in Tallahassee that saw House members receiving some embossed swag from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. 

The goodie bag apparently contained a “Bluetooth speaker, a “Go Outdoors Florida” branded Yeti tumbler and a small blanket also featuring some Florida branding.”

According to the report, “…by the end of the day, employees with the House sergeant-at-arms went office to office to collect the bags after the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission “rescinded” its distribution of Go Outdoors Florida “marketing materials” to House members.”

It seems the “generosity” of the FFWCC may have violated Florida’s 20-year-old law barring legislators and other senior government decision-makers from receiving “anything of value,” especially from lobbyists and those entities who procure their influential services.

(Not so) shockingly, Politico reports, “The law’s passage followed a series of incidents detailed in news reports at the time, including a state senator leaning on lobbyists to pay for a trip to South Africa, reports of legislators routinely calling up lobbyists to get their credit card numbers to pay for meals and a gambling company paying to jet four legislators to Canada to visit a casino.

In fact, after the ban went into effect, some Tallahassee restaurants complained that the law was substantially hurting their business, even causing some establishments to close permanently.

My God…

The article is eye-opening.  Please find it here:  https://tinyurl.com/5cbmv6zk

I found it interesting that a Tallahassee-based attorney specializing in ethics and elections issues who was quoted in the article attempted to make the argument that things went a lot smoother when lobbyists could have “social interactions” with lawmakers over dinner and drinks; claiming things became more “transactional” after the ban went into effect, with “relationships” now “…based on contributions to a members political committee and campaign.”

Sound familiar?

Others believe the recent “swag bag” fiasco proves that knowledge of the so-called “gift ban” has largely been forgotten by many current elected and appointed officials. 

Whatever.

I would argue the fact that Florida Senate Bill 180 – which granted real estate developers carte blanche to build when, what, and where they want, while gutting the Home Rule authority of local governments – was unanimously approved by the Senate, with only one dissenting vote in the House, is prima facie evidence that our legislature has been bought-and-paid-for by special interests…

The fact local governments are openly afraid of thuggish retaliation from Volusia’s legislative delegation if they dare stand up for their right to self-determination, defend their ability to control growth at the local level, and protect the character of their communities proves how compromised those pompous shitheels in Tallahassee truly are.

Is there another explanation?

Frighteningly, this is what we have come to expect at that shadowy nexus of private wealth and political power – a bizarre time when some believe we should just go back to the bad old days, when unscrupulous influence peddlers could buy the loyalty  of shady politicians outright – rather than go through the flimsy charade of funneling cash through campaign contributions and political donations. 

The obvious question is why We, The Little People have acquiesced to this corruption in plain sight? 

When did bribery, graft, abusing one’s public office for private gain become the accepted norm? 

Why do we simply accept the fact we can no longer trust our elected representatives to respect the sanctity of their office and refuse to take “gifts,” favors, gratuitous advantages, or anything of value for themselves or others associated with them?

Perhaps returning the public’s trust in the process could begin with strong campaign finance reforms that limit or remove undue influence in the form of massive infusions of special interest cash into the war chests of hand-select marionettes? 

Look, I may be a rube, but I am not naïve, and neither are you. 

Here in Florida, the Biggest Whorehouse in the World, all levels of governance have been fouled by the stain of transactional politics. 

In my view, it’s vile presence is self-evident every time malignant sprawl is allowed to encroach on environmentally sensitive land, the idea of sustainable or low-impact development is kicked down the dusty political trail, the concept of Home Rule is further trampled, or an influential donor is allowed to circumvent the rules or gifted greater access to the public teat.  

This election year let’s send a message that quid pro quo politics will no longer be tolerated.

It is time we demand good governance based upon transparency, a loyalty to one’s oath, and the competition of ideas, rather than the mercenary wants of the donor class, where those who can pay to play are handsomely rewarded, and the needs of those of us who can’t are quickly forgotten…   

That’s all for me.  See you next year, y’all! 

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.  And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men...

– Luke 2:4-14

One of the great gifts in my incredibly blessed life is the sense of purpose this weekly opinion blog brings to my life.  The opportunity to foster and participate in a larger discussion of the challenges we collectively face, and a forum to vent my often-irreverent take on the news and newsmakers that impact our lives and livelihoods here on Florida’s beautiful “Fun Coast.”

Thank you for being such a big part of it. 

Whether or not we agree on the myriad social, civic, and economic issues of the day, I hope we can remain friends and neighbors – grounded in the common purpose of seeking a better tomorrow for our children and grandchildren through the vigorous debate of ideas – and a common desire for honorable, accessible, and principled governance.

Many thanks to the loyal members of the Barker’s View tribe.

Your civic awareness, willingness to speak your truth, and dedicated activism continue to make a difference in our community, and I sincerely appreciate your efforts in defending what remains of our unique quality of life.

May peace be with you, today and always…

From the Old Barker Place to yours, here’s wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and all best wishes for a Healthy, Happy, and Prosperous New Year!

MDB

Hi, kids!

It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the news and newsmakers of the day who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life or detracted from it in some significant way:

Mayor’s Self-Serving Soiree Leads to Major Controversy in Deltona

The Lost City of Deltona is once again embroiled in controversy after the age-old question of “Where’d the money go, Santiago?” arose following the “Mayor’s First Annual Winter Ball” held at the city owned The Center earlier this month.   

Unlike the normal political contretemps that plague progress in Deltona, this one could have serious repercussions for those involved…

According to advertisements that were posted to social media, local businesses, and websites affiliated with the municipal government and event organizers, the formal black-tie event was “presented by the Volusia County Hispanic Association in partnership with Mayor Santiago Avila Jr.” 

In addition, the gala was promoted on the City of Deltona’s calendar, to include a city sponsored link to an Eventbrite page where tickets to the “Mayor’s Winter Ball” could be purchased. 

According to a promotional article in the West Volusia Beacon, admittance to the soiree was listed at “$108.55 general admission, with an elegant dinner and evening program, with live music, dancing and entertainment; $161.90 VIP admission, with early access, a networking reception, champagne toast, premium dinner seating and photo opportunities.”

In addition, several “Platinum, Gold, and Silver” sponsors – identified by Mayor Avila as “community partners” (to include several city contractors…) – were conspicuously promoted as having contributed to the gala.   

According to Mayor Avila’s campaign website, “A majority of the proceeds from this year’s Mayor’s Winter Ball will go toward the renovation and expansion of the Harris Saxon location in Deltona — a cornerstone project dedicated to empowering youth and families in our city.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler Counties vision is to:

“Provide a world-class Club Experience that assures success is within reach of every young person who enters our doors — with all members on track to graduate from high school with a plan for the future, demonstrating good character and citizenship, and living a healthy lifestyle.”

As often happens in the shadowy world of Mayor Santiago Avila, Jr.’s skeevy politics, personal finance, and method of governance, that’s when things took an ugly turn… 

Last week, former Deltona City Commissioner and civic activist David Sosa revealed that before collecting an undetermined amount of cash from attendees and “sponsors” ostensibly to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler County, neither Mayor Avila nor the Volusia County Hispanic Association bothered to notify the Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler Counties that they would be the beneficiary of a “majority” of the proceeds.

You read that right.

After being widely billed as a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs, on the late afternoon of December 5 (one day before the event) Mayor Avila, Deltona City Manager Doc Dougherty, and the Volusia County Hispanic Association received a terse email from Dr. Camesha Whittaker-Samuel, Chief Executive Officer of the BGCVFC, questioning why neither her leadership team or Board of Directors had been previously consulted about the charitable designation, clarifying that the organization has no plans to renovate or expand the Harris Saxon facility.

In turn, Dr. Whittaker-Samuels asked that the event organizers explain how BGCVFC came to be listed as the beneficiary, to include a “formal, immediate meeting” with event organizers and relevant “city partners” to “discuss the plans, clarify intentions, and ensure proper alignment,” and an assurance that the BGCVFC name will not be used in the future “without prior consultation and written approval.”

Whoa.

Now that the “fundraiser” has been exposed as a potential fraudulent use of the name and imprimatur of the Boys & Girls Clubs, many angry Deltona residents are demanding answers as to how this shameless self-promotion by Mayor Avila became quasi-officially associated with the highly respected youth organization?

Things got worse on Saturday when The Daytona Beach News-Journal started asking questions… 

That’s when Mayor Aliva (per usual) attempted to paint himself as the victim – claiming the criticism was a “political stunt by some of my political opponents” – and that he was merely attempting to save Deltona taxpayers money on the renovation of the Harris Saxon Park.   

After initially claiming the Mayor’s Winter Ball was a “remarkable success” – when pressed, Avila now claims “…the cost to put on the event — including food and decor — leaves little in the way of proceeds, far less than the half-million he estimates the building renovation might need, so what was raised will instead go directly to the Boys & Girls Clubs, he said.”

According to Mayor Avila, “We’ll just figure out what needs to get renovated and expanded, and we’ll add it to next year’s budget under park renovations, which is what I was trying to avoid because I was trying to save taxpayers some money.”

Bullshit. 

To clarify the entanglement for confused constituents, on Sunday morning, Commissioner Dori Howington reported on social media that in September the Deltona City Commission appropriated funds in the 2025-26 budget for Harris-Saxon Park improvements.

According to Ms. Howington, “The money is already there. The budget was already approved. There should be no increase to next year’s budget for Harris Saxon Park renovations because the $2 million was already budgeted in the current fiscal year.”

Wow.  Guess Mayor Avila once again proved the old adage “lies beget lies…”

According to the News-Journal’s report, Mayor Avila and the Volusia County Hispanic Association (which has been associated with Deltona Commissioner Emma Santiago) apparently reached out to Dr. Whittaker-Samuel and “clarified the situation,” agreeing to meet after the holidays for “futher (sp) discussion and alignment on next steps.”

“Avila characterized his conversation with Whittaker-Samuel as her asking whether he was using some of the funds to help with his campaign, to which he responded: “Absolutely not. I don’t think that’s legal.”

Good question.  Considering Mayor Avila advertised the event on his campaign website.   

(I know that because it says, “Political Advertisement Paid for and Approved by Deltona, FL Mayor Santiago Avila, Jr.” at the bottom of the webpage www.avilafordeltona.com)

In my view, Deltona residents and event sponsors have a right to know exactly how much money Mayor Avila and the Volusia County Hispanic Association took in by fraudulently claiming an association with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler Counties – where that money is now – and the names of everyone who benefitted from the scheme… 

Then, Mayor Santiago Avila, Jr. – and anyone else who participated – should be held personally accountable for their despicable actions.

Quote of the Week

“Politicians undermine our democratic values by putting a veil over government action. Those are not the actions of well-meaning public servants who want good government supported by good people. Jefferson said that “Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching.” Citizens respond with virtue when government is open and transparent.”

–Attorney Lonnie Groot, Daytona Beach Shores, as excerpted from his editorial in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Keep the clouds away from Florida’s Sunshine Law,” Tuesday, December 9, 2025

In his insightful piece regarding the growing threat to Florida’s venerated open records law, Mr. Groot quoted Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis – “Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.”

As usually happens when ordinary people are elected to positions of power – in many local governments across our region, the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker that you and I elevated to high office have now been taken into the ‘system’ – convinced that entrenched bureaucrats are the only legitimate Oracles of Truth – civic clairvoyants gifted with divine guidance on the serious issues of the day (many of which their ineptitude helped create…)

Unfortunately, We, The Little People who pay the bills and are expected to keep our pieholes shut have been painted as the babbling masses – agitators, troublemakers, and loopy gadflies who couldn’t possibly understand the realities and legalities – meddlers who lack the depth and intellect to comprehend the legislative and political nuances that make the cogs and wheels of city/county management work.

Don’t take my word for it. 

Watch any public meetings of the Volusia County Council, the Lost City of Deltona, Orange City, or several other misguided communities that have completely lost touch with those they serve and see for yourself how haughty elected and appointed officials treat citizens who approach their local government with questions and suggestions.

Better yet, spend three-minutes at a public podium yourself sometime.

Ask why anyone in their right mind would consider augmenting our drinking water with recycled sewage, provide insight on your child’s education, seek answers why your home floods each time it rains, or demand an explanation of the process by which out-of-state businesses are gifted public funds to underwrite overhead or guarantee revenue while yours is subject to the artificial ebb and flow of a now uneven playing field?    

Then watch while your catatonic elected representatives stare back at you like inert blobs as you wait for them to merely acknowledge your presence…

Disturbingly, that lack of effective communication is equally prevalent for those on the outside seeking information or public records, only to be frustrated with onerous charges, lengthy delays, “nondisclosure agreements,” and other bureaucratic roadblocks before receiving the terse reply: “There are no records responsive to your request.”  

Eventually, we begin to suspect the worst…

For those on both sides of the dais, it has now become an “Us v. Them” mentality – fueled by mercenary insiders and bureaucrats who know that persistent questions and outside inquiry can result in embarrassing revelations for those who control the rods and strings of government.

Sharing the blame is the egoistic vanity of some elected officials who believe anything they are told by those fawning flatters with a self-serving motive who laugh at their jokes and invite them to all the right parties (only to forget they ever existed once they are out of office), and you begin to understand the importance of controlling the narrative in the Ivory Tower of Power.  

Unfortunately, like many of you, I perceive a real sense of despair in many local communities, a feeling that nothing will change so long as those political manipulators who control the political landscape are committed to defending the stagnant status quo, and apathy takes the place of activism…  

We hear a lot of mewling from elected officials about how heavy the crown can be – especially when talk turns to councils and commissions giving themselves a pay raise, or they are required to make a difficult decision on a controversial issue. Poor babies.

Somehow, they always seem to miss the basics of elective service:

Developing relationships with their constituents by being trustworthy, keeping promises, being open, honest, and sensitive to their civic concerns.  Always being present and attentive during times of crisis, maintaining open communication, sharing thoughts in advance rather than ambushing those effected by decisions, being open to constructive criticism, truly listening, being a cheerleader, celebrating accomplishments and sharing defeat, being respectful of the priorities of those who pay the bills, admitting mistakes, and being compassionate with those who appear before them seeking help navigating the byzantine maze of government.  

Over time, a mutual trust will develop – the civic bond strengthens – and elected and appointed officials come to know their well-meaning efforts will be championed by those they serve in an authentic way.  

I’ve seen it happen.

By building personal connections – not just at election time – and putting the needs of others ahead of their own self-interests, good things will result as their constituents’ respond in kind, giving their trust and respect when and where it is earned.     

That starts with an organizational commitment to servant-leadership, putting the needs of real people above those of the bureaucracy, and developing a “people-first” atmosphere where excellence, efficiency, and innovation is valued over the individual self-interests of those insiders and elected dullards who gorge greedily at the public trough…

And Another Thing!

Sports competitions have referees for a reason. 

Good umpires avoid bias, ensure a level playing field, manage external influences, and foster a respect for the rules by ensuring accountability. Based upon recent evidence, I would argue that modern politics and governance here on Florida’s “Fun Coast” has become a brutal bloodsport in desperate need of impartial guardianship of the ethical and professional standards one expects from elected and appointed officials.

In my view, what passes for Florida’s ethics apparatus – comprised of political appointees, toothless watchdogs, and staffed by easily distracted pro wrestling refs with attention deficit disorder – is now totally hamstrung by an “evidentiary standard” that prevents state and local ethics commissions from launching investigations unless the complaint came from an individual with first-hand/eyes-on/personal knowledge of the violation.

That means complainants must have physically observed the unethical conduct – and those who learn of potential violations through a third-party, anonymous tips, a media report, audit review, or the whispers of a frightened whistleblower are strictly prohibited from even mentioning the matter to the Ethics Commission.

In June 2024, when Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill, Daytona Beach News-Journal editorialist Mark Lane wrote a cogent commentary on the changes that gutted Florida’s ethics enforcement arm which read, in part:

“Florida voters put the commission into the state Constitution in 1976 as part of the Sunshine Amendment reforms backed by then-Gov. Reubin Askew. Passing with almost 80% of the vote, it was the state’s first successful constitutional initiative. It’s not like the Legislature would have voted to create an ethics commission on its own. I’m kind of surprised it took legislators this long to neuter it.”

Rather than bolster aggressive policing, demand accountability, and the stress the importance of protecting the public trust, Florida legislators placed a befuddled Toody and Muldoon on the ethics beat – put a bag over their heads – and limited what they can and cannot investigate… 

When you couple the castration of our ethics apparatus with Florida’s fast-and-loose campaign finance laws – essentially blanket permissions that have turned local political contests into a Turkish bazaar – you begin to understand how the proliferation of questionable conduct by elected and appointed officials at all levels of government no longer shocks our conscience.

This week in the Lost City of Deltona, frustrated residents attempted to address their elected officials regarding swirling speculation that Mayor Santiago Avila, Jr. may have illegitimately associated his sketchy “Winter Ball” with city government for credibility – then fraudulently misrepresented the beneficiary of the event to deceive financial donors.   

In addition, questions remain about why entry fees received for the Deltona Christmas Parade were apparently routed through a private school with apparent ties to Mayor Avila – then passed to something called the Deltona Fire Foundation ostensibly to fund a holiday toy drive. 

Say what?

The City of Deltona sought out a private entity to provide bookkeeping services for the city sponsored Christmas Parade so they could, in turn, funnel the money to a private foundation associated with the Deltona Fire Department?

Why?

Adding to the frustration, on Monday evening demands for answers were met with Avila furiously pounding his gavel followed by gruff demands that Deltona taxpayers stop applauding and congratulating their neighbor’s fervent questions from the gallery – or face physical expulsion from the public meeting.

So, what agency or individual do repeat victims in Deltona and elsewhere turn to for help?

As I understand it, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) regulates the solicitation of charitable donations under the Florida Solicitation of Contributions Act.  Compliance with the statute requires that anyone involved in planning, conducting, or executing any solicitation for charitable contributions must first register with FDACS – and obtain written authorization from the benefiting not-for-profit.

A check of Florida’s Check-a-Charity website finds no listing for either Mayor Avila or the Volusia County Hispanic Association.

Further, all solicitations must contain the following:

“A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.”

Maybe I missed it, but I don’t recall that statement displayed on any promotional material for the Mayor’s Winter Ball, did you? 

Also, persons or organizations soliciting contributions are governed by strict accounting rules, which includes a prohibition on commingling charitable contributions with noncharitable funds…

To add gross insult, according to a citizen’s report on social media this week, Mayor Avila is also alleged to have been reimbursed with public funds for travel to a purely partisan political event having no connection to the City of Deltona or Mayor Avila’s elected role. 

Sound familiar? 

Recently, a majority of those baldfaced enablers on the Deltona City Commission voted down a call for a formal forensic audit of city finances and fiscal management practices, resulting in more questions of what city insiders may be trying to hide.

So, when is the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the state Department of Government Efficiency – or anyone with a badge in their pocket – going to get off their collective ass and do something to protect the good citizens of Deltona?  

This raging dumpster fire of alleged corruption and malfeasance cannot be allowed to continue.

In my view, the behind-the-scenes junta that controls the Lost City of Deltona, questions of purchasing card and spending irregularities in Daytona Beach, the recent fear of retribution from our state legislators that prevented local communities from defending their sovereignty and right to home rule, and goofy distractions like the asinine shenanigans of Orange City Mayor Kellianne Marks – an off-the-hook tyrant with a seething God complex and the political instincts of a vindictive snake – are disgusting examples of what happens when official government watchdogs are forced play the “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” charade and look the other way.

Now the normal checks and balances of government we came to rely on no longer provide stability – or personal accountability for those who receive public funds to serve in the public interest.  

Don’t expect anything to change here in the Biggest Whorehouse in the World.

It is important that anyone who cares about good governance supports quality candidates for public office next year. 

Then get out and vote.

Our fundamental concept of government of the people, by the people, and for the people depends upon it…   

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend and Merry Christmas, y’all!

Hi, kids!

It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the news and newsmakers of the day who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life or detracted from it in some significant way:

State Auditors Set to Give Daytona Beach a Proctological Exam for the Ages…

“As Mayor, I welcome the operational audit approved by Florida’s Auditor General. We are confident in our financial management and view this as an opportunity to demonstrate transparency and accountability. We will provide full cooperation and access to resources, ensuring a comprehensive review. This process allows us to address any misconceptions, rebuild trust with our residents and business partners, and continue driving Daytona Beach forward. We are committed to addressing any findings and maintaining the city’s positive trajectory.”

–Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry, Tuesday, December 9, 2025

In my experience, most people struggle with criticism. 

Especially that infernal “constructive” kind, where a meddlesome critic tells you all about your faults and foibles because they have your “best interests at heart.”

Scrutiny is always uncomfortable, and few of us possess the emotional intelligence or self-confidence to submit to an independent critique then use the insights to our advantage.   That is especially true for powerful public executives who reside comfortably in the cloistered Ivory Tower of Power of local governments.   

That is because criticism leads to questions – and the right questions can lead to the door…

The City of Daytona Beach has been over the barrel of late, and City Manager Deric Feacher is facing mounting questions on a variety of fronts regarding possible purchasing irregularities, car allowances, seriously outdated personnel policies, and, most recently, salacious rumors of a supervisor/subordinate tryst that may involve the misuse of public funds.

As a result, on November 17, Sen. Tom Wright apparently took a break from skirt chasing around the capitol building and somehow mustered the moral clarity to ask the state Joint Legislative Auditing Committee to consider an external review of the city’s fiscal management practices. 

The request comes after a Daytona Beach delegation consisting of Mayor Derrick Henry, Deputy City Manager Jim Morris, and Chief Building Official Glen Urquhart were summoned to Tallahassee and publicly gibbeted by the JLAC in November.

For the uninitiated, long before the p-card debacle came to light, Daytona Beach was fading the heat for accumulating millions of dollars in excess building permits and licensing fees in apparent violation of state law.  Concerns grew when city officials considered using the excess funds to purchase a problematic building on Beach Street later found to be contaminated with deadly asbestos.

Unfortunately, a follow-up plan to unload the excess funds was also fraught with questionable purchases.

That’s when state lawmakers took notice.  

In a frustrated response to JLAC’s thrashing, Daytona Beach Commissioner Ken Strickland recently said, “Tallahassee needs to mind their own business.  They should be representing us, not ridiculing us. I’m disgusted with our representation up there.”

(I once knew a fiery civic activist named Ken Strickland who would have welcomed an external audit of city finances with open arms…wonder what ever became of that guy?)

Commissioner Strickland’s figurative middle-finger didn’t sit well with Sen. Wright who penned a request for a state audit of the city’s monetary management practices:

“The committee (JLAC) witnessed firsthand that Daytona Beach has amassed substantial and unnecessary surpluses in building permit revenues, well beyond what is permitted under state law.  The committee, alongside members of our Volusia delegation, have already expressed concern over the city’s inability to properly manage or justify these excess funds.”

Ominously, Sen. Wright went on to say “…these issues strongly suggest systemic deficiencies in Daytona Beach’s fiscal oversight and internal accountability.”

Then, last week, in one of the most dramatic exchanges I’ve witnessed at a typically tepid Daytona Beach City Commission meeting, the city’s independent auditor, Abinet Belachew, presented an overview of his recent review of the city’s archaic travel policies. 

During his report, Mr. Belachew took exception to a release by the city’s administration that called the veracity of his report into question by stating the city “strongly disagrees with several key conclusions and characterizations in the summary and findings.”

That didn’t sit well with Mr. Belachew, whose professional reputation demands unquestioned integrity, adherence to the highest ethical standards, and dedication to pinpoint accuracy in preserving the public trust.

Clearly the man knows his stuff – and he’s not afraid to stick to his guns, defend his evidence-based findings, and speak truth to power.

During his informative presentation, Mr. Belachew discussed his preliminary findings of the city’s vehicle allowance policy (25 employees get $95 or more per week in vehicle stipends?) which morphed into several testy exchanges as Mayor Derrick Henry attempted to limit the scope of the dialog, pushing back against Belachew’s disturbing reports of internal “defensiveness” and obstruction of the audit process by senior officials.

Speaking of defensiveness, Mayor Henry issued a knee-jerk admonishment to Mr. Belachew, “Your audit is not about the relationship between the commission and the staff.  Your audit, sir, is about the travel audit, not about staff relationships.”

Then things got really awkward … 

Toward the end of his presentation, Mr. Belachew announced that he has received an anonymous internal report of an alleged interoffice liaison amoureuse involving a supervisor/subordinate sexual relationship in an unnamed city department. 

According to a subsequent report in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Mr. Belachew advised commissioners that the unnamed superior is accused of “…using his city government payment card to buy personal items for his love interest and travel with her on lavish private getaways.”

Whoa.

In my view, the initial reaction of certain commissioners should give Daytona Beach taxpayers cause for concern…  

After Mr. Belachew informed his elected bosses that, as a certified fraud examiner, he is qualified and prepared to investigate the whistleblower’s claims – a weird discussion ensued about whether the allegation should first be handed off to the human resources department – citing fears of a “lawsuit” if the names of those involved become public. 

Trust me.  If true, there will be plenty of litigation resulting from this alleged ugliness – and there is little that can be done at this late date to mitigate the damages.

That’s why the current focus of the City Commission should be throwing open the curtains and ensuring complete transparency in ferreting out fraud, waste, and abuse – regardless of where the chips fall – demanding strong management and leadership, developing effective policies and protocols, fostering an organizational commitment to government efficiency, and building a culture of accountability.  

Ultimately, the commission authorized Mr. Belachew to investigate after narrowing the focus of his review to the purchasing card aspect of the allegation. 

In my experience, Gen. Colin Powell was right – “Bad news isn’t wine.  It doesn’t get better with age” – and the initial reluctance of some commissioners to allow Mr. Belachew to aggressively investigate telegraphed an instinctive organizational reaction to keep the scandal in-house, control the narrative, and contain the crisis…

Perhaps that’s why the whistleblower felt they couldn’t go to HR in the first place?

Disturbing.

During the incredibly enlightening meeting, City Manager Feacher announced his efforts to establish a 10-person Government Efficiency and Innovation Committee – based on the “DOGE” concept – staffed by city officials with a mandate to “…streamline city functions; reduce spending; eliminate waste; examine policies for efficiency and practices that protect tax dollars; and ensure policies and operations align with the city’s strategic goals.”

Things that, by all appearances, haven’t been organizational priorities. 

Until now…

On Monday, the other shoe dropped when the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee, acting on Sen. Wright’s request, voted 12-0 to conduct a thorough digital proctological examination of the City of Daytona Beach, an exhaustive rooting which could take a “few years” to complete… 

According to a report by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean writing in the News-Journal this week, legislators used the audit announcement to take a few political shots at Commissioner Strickland:

“The appropriate response to us is not pound sand,” said state Sen. Jason Brodeur, a Republican who represents Seminole County and a small portion of Volusia County. “The appropriate response to us is how can we work with you to figure out the best use of taxpayer dollars. I was interested before on behalf of the taxpayers. But now I’m real interested.”

State Rep. Chase Tramont, who like Brodeur is a co-chair of the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee, sent The News-Journal a written statement to respond to Strickland.

“I would remind the commissioner that oversight IS our business,” Tramont, R-Port Orange, wrote in his statement. “Our business is to protect the taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud and abuse. Our business as legislators is oversight. Our business is to hold you accountable when you aren’t managing your business properly.”

In my view, now is the time for the City of Daytona Beach to open itself to a thorough examination by its internal auditor, Mr. Belachew – someone with an ethical commitment to searching out waste and misspending with a demonstrated desire to help improve efficiency and oversight at City Hall – before those with more politically malevolent intentions arrive and do it for them in the most painful, pointed, and protracted way possible…    

A Very Merry Christmas for Some – Sticks and Coal for Flagler County’s Heidi Petito

“In a set of evaluations potentially devastating to Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito’s tenure, three of her commissioners—Chair Leann Pennington, Kim Carney, and Pam Richardson—concluded in their evaluations of Petito that she “does not meet expectations.”

They each rated her a failing 2 out of 5, sharply criticized her leadership, and two of them explicitly said Petito is no longer the person for the job.

“I am not confident that the current Administration or certain members of staff are fully prepared to meet that challenge or deliver the transformational change that will be required,” Commission Chair Leann Pennington wrote in a sum-up with the ring of a tocsin to Petito’s tenure. “I do believe there remains an important role for Mrs. Petito within this organization; however, as the county and legislative directives continue to evolve, I am not certain that role is best suited as County Administrator.”

–FlaglerLive.com, “County Administrator Heidi Petito ‘Does Not Meet Expectations,’ 3 of 5 Commissioners Say, Putting Her Future in Doubt,” Thursday, December 4, 2025

It appears that Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito’s propensity for blindsiding her bosses and engaging in intergovernmental controversies finally caught up to her. 

Look, I get it.  Trying to placate the five strong personalities that comprise the Flagler Board of County Commissioners is a hard dollar – and city/county management is in many ways an itinerant pursuit.  That instability is frequently cited in support of the astronomical salary, benefit, and golden parachutes showered on public executives.

It’s that time of the year when many city and county managers hear from their elected bosses – our “representatives” – albeit in a stilted (and often scripted) way, and, as Ms. Petito can attest, the news is not always good.

By contrast, just down the sandy trail in Volusia County things could not be rosier…

According to a report in The Daytona Beach News-Journal last week, “Volusia County councilmen unanimously approved a 4% raise for both County Manager George Recktenwald and County Attorney Mike Dyer during annual evaluations on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

The vote came after Recktenwald and Dyer both said they’d rather not be considered for a larger salary boost. Other county employees received a 4% raise during budget discussions.

“We would be uncomfortable taking anything more than what the general raise was for everybody else,” Recktenwald said.

Brower said he believed the 4% was appropriate and that giving the two men a larger boost might impact employee negotiations.

“I just think it’s appropriate,” he said.

Recktenwald’s salary will go from about $271,993 to about $282,873. Dyer’s salary will go from about $254,245 to about $264,415.”

The $10,000 increases are in addition to the legendary perquisites, allowances, and gimmies that round out public sector executive compensation.  That’s why Recktenwald and Dyer know better than most the importance of keeping their bosses (and those behind the scenes who truly control the rods and strings of politics) happy, content, and well-fed…   

In addition, last week we learned that the gaping leadership chasm in Palm Coast City Hall has finally been filled. 

According to a report in FlaglerLive.com:

“Incoming Palm Coast City Manager Michael McGlothlin would be paid $225,000 a year and have a total compensation package that would push the total past the $300,000 mark based on the proposed contract the City Council is set to approve on Tuesday.

McGlothlin negotiated the contract with Mayor Mike Norris, City Attorney Marcus Duffy and Human Resources Director Renina Fuller. McGlothlin got the final product on Nov. 25.

The base pay is 29 percent higher than that of his predecessor in the permanent job, Denise Bevan, who was paid $175,000 a year. Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston was paid $189,000 when hired as interim after Bevan’s firing in March 2024, as Johnston was to carry on her previous duties in addition to the manager’s duties.

When McGlothlin was hired as manager of Redington Shores two years ago, a job he no longer held when he applied for the Palm Coast job, his salary was $126,000.

Flagler Beach City Manager Dale Martin just got a 4 percent raise after two years on the job, bringing his base salary to $171,620. Bunnell City Manager Alvin Jackson in October got a 10 percent raise, to $158,000. School Superintendent LaShakia Moore is paid $182,000 a year. County Administrator Heidi Petito’s original base pay in 2021 was $179,000, but has been raised annually, matching inflation, and is closer to $222,000 a year. None of those salaries include benefits and other forms of compensation.”

According to reports, the median household income in the City of Palm Coast is approximately $75,329 – $72,923 in Flagler County – and $66,581 in Volusia County…    

I hope your small business or household incomes increase is just as lucrative this Holiday Season as it has been in the gilded halls of power across “Fun Coast” governments. 

Yeah, right… 

Quote of the Week

“To run the city, we all have to get along. I keep on hearing all these things from the community, ‘be kind,’ and ‘she’s not kind’ and ‘she’s this’ and ‘she’s that,’ but look in the mirror, because you’re attacking me, and you’re not being kind, so why don’t we all just be kind and move on from this?” Marks said. “… Look how many hours we went through with all of this nonsense.”

–Embattled Orange City Mayor Kellianne Marks, as quoted by reporter Mark Harper writing The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Orange City Mayor Kelli Marks tells angry crowd she is not a racist,” Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Earlier this week, in a classic case of defensive projection, Orange City Mayor Kellianne Marks apparently forgot that the ugly imbroglio that has engulfed the small Wild West Volusia community is unequivocally her own meanspirited fault. 

The direct result of Mayor Marks’ unbridled hubris and a vindictive desire to flex her power and destroy the careers of dedicated civil servants like City Clerk Kaley Burleson.  

Two-weeks after Mayor Marks – in a pique of personal embarrassment – demanded an “emergency” city council meeting to fire Burleson; on Tuesday, Orange City residents continued to call for her resignation. 

According to an informative report by Mark Harper writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal this week:

“Many were still angry about a Facebook Messenger exchange between Marks and a former councilman, the late Alex Tiamson, dating to October 2024. They exchanged messages sharing how neither wanted to speak at an event honoring Sharon Stafford, a Black woman and the sister of Councilwoman Lisa Stafford.

“So ghetto,” Tiamson said at one point, followed by Marks posting memes showing Black women with the phrases, “Honey, please! I’m a child of the ghetto,” and “Now everybody want to be ghetto fabulous.”

By demanding that angry residents “look in the mirror” and start being “kind” to her, Mayor Marks exposes the fact she is completely incapable of shame – or of issuing a sincere apology to Ms. Stafford for her offensive behind-the-scenes behavior.

Look, megalomania is common in politics. 

Some would argue that a narcissistic ego and manipulative mind are prerequisites for holding elective office.  However, in my view, Ms. Marks’ gross hypocrisy, and willingness to destroy others to deflect blame, marks the nadir of that particular political personality disorder…

According to the News-Journal, at the beginning of Tuesday’s Orange City Council meeting, Mayor Marks issued a statement which said, in part:

“I judge people by their character, not their color,” Marks said, as some in the audience audibly laughed. “I believe all people should be treated equal and fair. This personal conversation between the former vice mayor and myself was a private conversation … on Facebook Messenger that somehow was released in the hands of the public. Don’t know how that happened. This will be investigated as well.”

She said she has been the victim of a “witch hunt” and has faced “relentless cyberbullying on social media platforms, where false claims and defamatory (remarks) have been circulated. The behavior not only undermines my character, but it also disrupts the progress of our city.”

I agree. Ms. Marks has the right to say whatever she wants – publicly and privately – but she does not have the right to use her position to orchestrate the destruction of Ms. Burleson’s career because she responded to a citizen request and distributed an embarrassing message thread to the council.

Speech may be free, but it is not without personal and political consequences…

In perhaps the most bizarre occurrence of the evening, an 11-year-old boy approached the podium and voiced support for Mayor Marks, calling out assembled residents for “disrespecting” the mayor.  According to reports, Sharon Stafford later learned that Mayor Marks had asked the child to speak on her behalf…

Sick.

In my view, it is time Mayor Marks overcomes her pathological persecution complex and awakes to the sobering realization that she alone is responsible for this distraction.  No one else. 

The good citizens of Orange City have every right to feel anger and disappointment, and to seek the removal of Mayor Marks as they work to restore dignity to the dais and public confidence in their municipal government.

And Another Thing!

–“Anything Can Happen” Words and music by Jimmie Dodd

Buckle-up, my fellow Mouseketeers…

In just over a month’s time, longsuffering Floridians will gird our loins and brace for the beginning of the 2026 State Legislative Session – a dark and apprehensive time when, like Wednesdays on the Mickey Mouse Club, literally anything can happen…

One thing is certain, whatever legislation is successfully extruded from that diseased alimentary canal in Tallahassee will have two things built in:

1. Pandering to the mercenary interests of their political overseers in the real estate development industry. 

• Circumventing the venerated tradition of Home Rule and gutting the ability of communities to determine their own destiny by controlling growth, density, and malignant sprawl.

That’s a given.

But like many of you, I am utterly confused by jumbled reports that our state legislature will attempt to free us from the yoke of property taxes…

The chaotic proposal(s) is keeping many engaged citizens and legislators on both sides of the aisle up at night as they consider the possible ramifications of lame duck Governor Ron DeSantis’ half-baked proposal to dramatically cut or eliminate property taxes on homesteaded properties across the state.    

Sounds good? 

Maybe.  But be careful what you wish for…

We live in a state where our bought and paid for ‘powers that be’ take immense pride in having allowed unchecked growth to far outpace transportation infrastructure, public utility capacity, water quality/quantity, and critical services, such as law enforcement, fire protection, and emergency medical services.    

In addition, one glance at a local television news segment will tell you that Central Florida ranks as one of the most dangerous places in the nation – with a murder rate that must now rival Ciudad Juárez – and Volusia County’s crowded roadways hold the dubious distinction as one of the deadliest places for pedestrians in the United States… 

By and large, in Florida, essential infrastructure and services are paid for with ad valorem taxes – meaning “according to value” – a system where taxes are based on the fair market value of property – with an annual millage rate set by the local governing body with “one mill” representing $1 for every $1,000 in assessed value.  

This system of taxation remains the critical funding mechanism for local and state governments to pay for essentials like police, fire services, parks, and schools.

Now, Gov. DeSantis is pushing an unvetted “plan” to reduce or eliminate property taxes in favor of (insert theoretical tax alternative here). 

Will we radically increase the sales tax?  See the imposition of a dreaded income tax?  Eliminate municipalities altogether?  Dramatically increase impact fees on new development (yeah, right…), Grow the size of an unapproachable centralized government?  Consolidate essential services to homogenize and drastically reduce service delivery while increasing response times?  Turn local governments into state dependents beholden to the whims of the developer-controlled legislature?  Transfer the cost of services to business, industry, apartments, and commercial property owners? 

All of the above?     

Regardless of how you cut it, the DeSantis proposal eventually kills local governments by exsanguination…

In my view, after years of preempting local control, forcing unfunded mandates, and whittling away at Home Rule, that is the true plan no one in Tallahassee is talking about.

Unfortunately, in many ways, county and municipal governments across the state have no one to blame but themselves.   

For instance, there is little taxpayer sympathy for local governments in Florida who have allowed astronomical increases in ad valorem taxes – which, over the last decade (2014-2024), have skyrocketed more than 108 percent, or by $28.7 billion – outpacing both population growth and inflation.

Sound familiar? 

If you live in Volusia County, it should.

In my view, it is high time our elected officials rethink the Taj Mahal government facilities, eliminate corporate welfare, curtail massive executive salaries, monarchical benefits, and clockwork increases for redundant senior staff, reverse the bureaucratic gluttony, and begin reducing the tax burden. 

That begins with a return to triaging the basic necessities we depend on for our safety, security, and quality of life.

In my experience, small cities and fiscally constrained counties have traditionally lived within their means. They make ends meet by focusing on quality service delivery, maintaining an accessible and responsive government, doing more with less, prioritizing existing assets and facilities, keeping salaries and benefits reasonably competitive, and maintaining a watchful eye on spending.

As the 2026 legislative session approaches, I haven’t seen one legitimate alternative proposed by the DeSantis administration (or anyone else) for ensuring the continuation of quality local services so that homeowners and businesses in municipalities will be able to keep their beloved police and fire departments, utilities, public employees, and responsive government services.  

Why is our Governor doing everything in his considerable power to expand the influence of state government, consolidate control, manipulate the purse strings, and destroy local government on his way out the door without an articulable plan?  

Fortunately, the elimination of property taxes would require a constitutional amendment with 60% of voters in agreement.  A referendum that, at this point, would be based on murky speculation and a hodge-podge of disjointed “plans” that could see us say goodbye to our community firefighters, police officers, EMT’s, and essential workers…   

It is a frightening proposition – considering Floridian’s still don’t have a clue how you and I will eventually pay for our essential local government services long after he is gone from the governor’s office.   

In my view, rapidly transitioning from one extreme to another – based on a dangerous and half-baked political charade – proposed by a term limited politician desperate to remain relevant as he considers ‘what comes next’ – is not in the best interest of Floridia taxpayers.   

That’s all for me. 

Enjoy the City of Daytona Beach’s “Dashing Through Daytona” Christmas parade, which rolls along Beach Street and the Riverside Esplanade beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday!

Tis the Season! Have a great weekend, y’all!

Hi, kids!

It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the news and newsmakers of the day who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life or detracted from it in some significant way:

Today’s production of Barker’s Theatre of the Absurd is a long one! Buckle-up, grab the beverage of your choice, and settle in for my jaded opinion on the news and newsmakers here on Florida’s “Fun Coast.”

Welcome back, y’all…

Volusia County Council of Cowards: The Final Blow for “The World’s Most Famous Beach”

On Tuesday, the Volusia County Council of Cowards dealt the coup de grâce to struggling Main Street merchants and our beleaguered core tourist area when they voted 5-2 to crush any further mention of reopening beach driving and access between Auditorium Boulevard and International Speedway Boulevard in Daytona Beach.

In exchange, some mysterious “investment group” with murky plans to “possibly” develop another hotel and half-empty commercial space in the former Boardwalk area got everything they needed.

And we don’t even know their names…  

It didn’t matter. The beach driving “discussion” was dead on arrival.

Restoring vehicular beach access was the cornerstone of Chairman Jeff Brower’s first and second terms – which means it was doomed from the beginning.  Per usual, this week the most wholly compromised group of self-serving political hacks ever assembled did everything in their power to pander to the mercenary whims of their political benefactors while crushing any hope of returning our 112-year-old tradition to Volusia County beaches.

How do I know that? 

Because whenever “staff” places an item on the agenda which begins, “At the Chair’s request…” the issue is guaranteed to go down in flames… 

Every. Damn. Time.

In April, the same council paid lip service to Chairman Brower and the Main Street Merchants Association who asked for a reversal of a 25-year-old mistake that removed beach driving from the area as part of a disastrous “deal” between the City of Daytona Beach and developers of the Ocean Walk Shoppes. 

They got an exclusive beach. We got a scary parking garage…

That lopsided development agreement, coupled with the whims of some of the Halifax areas all-powerful “movers and shakers,” convinced those in city/county government that keeping residents and visitors from driving on the beach would be the cure-all for our myriad civic, social, and economic problems.

It wasn’t.

In the lead to Tuesday’s meeting, county “staff” drug their feet for eight-months, finally reaching out to recalcitrant hoteliers and other beachfront landowners content with their quasi-private beach – five of which responded with letters in opposition to beach driving.

That strategic procrastination pushed the question beyond consideration for the 2026 state legislative session, further kicking the can down the dusty political trail. 

Unfortunately, the City of Daytona Beach couldn’t be bothered to weigh in on the issue…

We’ve heard it all before. 

The same tired arguments that are trotted out each time this age-old Us v. Them fight for beach access comes up haven’t changed:

The legislative hurdles are too steep, the incidental take permit is in jeopardy, unnamed “investors” who are “possibly” on the cusp of saving us all are now considering moving to more lucrative beachfront property (bullshit) if beach driving is even discussed, putting the wants of do-nothing hoteliers and vacant property owners who have sat on their hands for decades ahead of struggling residents and merchants, yada, yada, yada…

At the end of the day, one thing remains clear, the majority of our elected cowards still have their heads wedged firmly in their sizeable backsides – because that is what they were told to do by those who own the paper on their political souls – and absolutely nothing changes.   

That’s why the tragic stagnation of the status quo rules the day in the smoldering ruins of ‘Old Daytona.’

During the typically unbalanced and previously choreographed charade – Councilman Troy Kent, the only other councilmember to support Chairman Brower’s push for beach access – explained the obvious, “There are two words to describe the results of this experiment, and those words to me are ‘epic failure.’”

In turn, Mr. Kent reminded everyone of what’s really at stake: “When you shut off access to the beach, you basically make a private beach for the landowners that own that beach…”

For his part, the always detached Councilman David “No Show” Santiago exposed how little he knows (or cares) about east Volusia, or the concerns of struggling Main Street entrepreneurs, when he pontificated that the push to restore beach driving represented “false hope.”

“Daytona Beach is the economic engine of Volusia County.  Investment needs to occur there, and no insult to them —they are stuck in the ’80s. We need to find ways to get investment in here, and we’re hearing from people in the investment world: A solution to this in the vote of a no is a potential moving forward.” Santiago said.  

Horseshit.

We have people who invested blood, sweat, tears, and money on Main Street and beyond – and they have repeatedly told the council what they need to be successful.

They were arrogantly ignored…

Trust me – many Halifax area residents wish we had the prosperity our core tourist area enjoyed during the 1970’s and 80’s – before Volusia County took control and systematically destroyed our most important natural and economic amenity – and long before the likes of “No Show” Santiago put the wants of a few “possible investors,” over the needs of Volusia County taxpayers.

Per usual, there was the obligatory incoherent string-of-consciousness rambles from Councilman Danny “Gaslight” Robins designed to belittle Chairman Brower for being attentive to his constituents, then pushing to return beach access to this important tourist corridor.

In my view, the outcome was preordained before the meeting was ever gaveled to order.  

Sadly, thanks to the complete acquiescence of those dullards we elected to represent our interests – who so blatantly ignore their own rules time-after-time, then do whatever they want to advance the whims of their political benefactors, shadowy “possible investors,” and speculative developers with another “panacea” project – our “powers that be” finally accomplished their ultimate goal of permanently removing our heritage of beach driving from our tired and dilapidated core tourist area.

They won.  You lost.

Tragic.

Like “Gaslight” Robins mewled from the dais, he’s “frustrated,” and “something has to change.” 

He’s right.

I encourage you to vote like your livelihoods and quality of life depend upon it.  Let’s vote Danny Robins, David Santiago, and their confederated political jacklegs to the ash heap of history where they so richly belong while there is still something worth fighting for.

Orange City Mayor’s Malevolent Meltdown Raises the Ire of Citizens

On a Friday evening in late November when most residents were unwinding for the weekend, the tyrannical Orange City Mayor Kellianne Marks – a meanspirited half-bright with a God complex – exposed her overweening hubris when she hastily called an inconvenient “special meeting” of the Orange City Council with the single agenda item:

“Discuss performance of the City Clerk.”

It was clear from the onset of the standing room only meeting that Mayor Marks’ true intent was to terminate City Clerk Kaley Burleson.  To underscore Marks’ spitefulness, at the time of the meeting, Ms. Burleson was on preapproved personal leave assisting her mother who had undergone major surgery earlier in the day.

In order to defend herself against Mayor Marks’ malicious accusations of “insubordination,” “…demonstrated contempt for this government body and has undermined the authority of this council itself,” and failing to adequately respond to communications from state Sen. Tom Wright’s office which “…may have cost the city approximately $3 million” in potential state funding, Ms. Burleson was forced to leave her mother’s bedside and appear in her own defense at the meeting.

In turn, Councilwoman Dawn Tiamson piled on with references to a series of Facebook messages between Marks and her late husband, former councilman Alex Tiamson – exchanges that some felt contained racist remarks – which were distributed to the council by Burleson at the behest of a resident, and “…created public chaos, rumor and defamation, which is not the desired characteristic of a public official.”

Fortunately, Mayor Marks’ nasty attempt at personal retaliation backfired in her face.    

Horribly…

From the minute the meeting was called to order, angry Orange City residents were repeatedly gaveled down by Mayor Marks amid threats of ejection as they shouted to make themselves heard by their elected officials and jeered the officious proceedings from the gallery.

In fact, in an act of patriotic defiance, during the Pledge of Allegiance, the assembled citizens of Orange City loudly emphasized every word to remind their elected representatives of their civic duty.  

After Mayor Marks vindictively explained the reasons why she felt Ms. Burleson was no longer fit to serve the community, she called for a motion to terminate the City Clerk’s contract.  The motion was brought by the Marks’ obsequious minion, Dawn Tiamson, and seconded for discussion by Councilman Harold Grimm.

Then, Ms. Burleson had an opportunity to respond…

That’s when Ms. Burleson took off the gloves and defended her professionalism and dedication to Orange City – explaining how Mayor Marks mistreats city employees, made racist statements, berated staff, and created what was later described as a toxic work environment that has seen an incredibly disruptive turnover in senior city staff.    

Then came perhaps the most salacious revelation of the raucous evening when Ms. Burleson explained how she was on vacation when the meeting request from Sen. Wright’s office was received. 

According to an article by Mark Harper writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal:

“She (Burleson) noted that she was on vacation the week Wright’s invitation came to her email, and her auto-reply asked senders to reach out to the clerk’s office. She said Marks had a meeting with Wright, regardless, which Burleson suggested the mayor handled inappropriately.

“You,” Burleson said to Marks, “came in my office and told me how you took your intern to Tallahassee Day because she had big boobs and had her showoff her cleavage to Tom Wright because he likes that kind of stuff.”

Whoa.  It appears Sen. “Terrible Tommy” Wright’s vile reputation as a lecherous creep has escaped the cloistered bounds of his normal hunting grounds – domestic violence shelters…

In my view, if true, that shocking disclosure alone should result in the immediate resignation of Mayor Marks for her role in pandering to Sen. Wright’s prurient proclivities by suggesting a female intern dress promiscuously as a means of gaining a funding advantage…

According to the News-Journal’s report, “Burleson said she had two witnesses in her office when Marks made the remark, which the mayor did not dispute.”

I guess Mayor Marks gave her intern a valuable lesson in how things get accomplished in Tallahassee, eh? 

My God.

How many times does Florida’s senate leadership need to hear these lewd anecdotes regarding Sen. Wright’s appalling inclinations before they do something to protect the integrity of the legislature, the appropriations process, and vulnerable females subject to Wright’s well-documented predation? 

According to the report, “Burleson said some of the dispute between the mayor and herself had to do with emails regarding a meeting earlier in November, when Marks had requested the council be served food from Olive Garden “because the council expects to be fed before 6 p.m.”

When Burleson provided the Olive Garden meals on the city’s dime, she said the standard in the past had been to make the food also available to any member of the public in attendance. So she did, and Marks complained.

Burleson later said Marks told her: “My concern is I don’t want to eat from a buffet with a ton of people touching the food I’m eating. It’s not sanitary.”

I think they call that the “Dictator’s Diet,” in microcosm – feast like a queen on food purchased with public funds, while residents go hungry…

Following Ms. Burleson’s statement, more than a dozen citizens – to include current and former employees, politicians, and civic activists – rose in support of Burleson, vehemently speaking out on her behalf, with many calling for Marks immediate resignation.

Not one person who approached the podium supported Mayor Marks’ attempt to fire Burleson.

During public comment, former Orange City Mayor Gary Blair asked, “Why are we here?”

“She’s excellent. You are tearing this city down Miss Marks. You’re burning it down … Look at all the senior staff that you’ve lost because of you.”

“My mother used to use a term, and I will use it on you tonight: That you are rotten to your core. These people who asked you to resign? You better go home and think about it … So do everyone a favor, and sign out.”  

After citizen remarks, Mayor Marks – in a narcissistic pique of power – had a member of the gallery ejected from the meeting for speaking out, then called for a short recess.  When the meeting returned to order, City Attorney Paul Waters recommended a vote be taken on the original motion to terminate Burleson’s contract. 

The motion failed on a 5-2 vote with Mayor Marks and Councilwoman Tiamson apparently failing to grasp the passionate sentiments of their constituents…

In my view, the debacle in Orange City exemplifies the best and worst of municipal government, that local level of our representative democracy closest to “We, The Little People,” and most responsive (we hope) to our needs and input.

Perhaps Mayor Kellianne Marks will learn a valuable lesson from her self-created spectacle, namely that leadership isn’t about slamming gavels, positional power, or haughty honorifics – it is defined by one’s actions and character…

In the aftermath, let’s hope Mayor Marks listens to the will of her constituents and steps aside – taking the sycophantic simpleton Dawn Tiamson with her – and allow this small community to heal from her egotistic power grab and rebuild confidence in community governance.

Fooled Us Again – The Triumphant Return of JetBlue to DAB

In 2018, just three-years after Volusia County economic development types ponied up some $2.3 million in “public incentives” to lure JetBlue to Daytona “International” Airport – area residents were left holding an empty bag when the carrier fled DAB for more lucrative markets by announcing JetBlue was “consolidating underperforming routes.”

Remember?  I do.

To attract the airline to Daytona Beach, Volusia County officials went so far as developing a “travel bank” comprised of local companies – to include Brown & Brown, the former Consolidated-Tomoka Land Company, International Speedway Corporation, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – which were required to spend a quarter-million dollars over two-years with JetBlue in exchange for one flight per day to New York’s JFK.

Add thousands of dollars in marketing support from area advertising authorities, waived fees, and free upgrades to the airline’s gate location at DAB, and it was a surprisingly good deal – for JetBlue anyway…

When JetBlue left us rubes in their jetwash, I cynically called it another “investment” of public funds in a private/for-profit enterprise that never panned out, but that does not seem to dissuade our economic development officials from making the same mistake twice.  

Similar incentives have been used to entice low-cost airlines like Avelo and Breeze – including the ludicrous, unsustainable, and artificial practice of offering a “minimum revenue guarantee” to ensure income for the airlines. 

Is anyone at Volusia County offering your small business a revenue guarantee? 

I didn’t think so…

As a longtime observer of Volusia County governance, I harbor a disturbing theory that our redundant economic development apparatus (and those elected/appointed representatives who ostensibly provide “oversight”) have evolved without a somatic reflex. 

An intricate polysynaptic process of the nervous system that allows normal people to instinctively protect themselves from harmful situations, like quickly withdrawing one’s fingers from a hot stove.   

Typically, those physiological reactions – coupled with the capacity for experiential learning, reflectivity, and discernment – keeps us from making the same detrimental errors in judgement a second time.

Not here.

Today marks the triumphant return of JetBlue to DAB. 

You guessed it – ignoring the lessons of the past, once again, Volusia County lavished the carrier with more financial incentives – a horribly reckless and irresponsible move that left many Volusia County residents I spoke with shaking their heads…  

Last month, the Volusia County Council approved a request by Daytona “International” Airport officials totaling $400,000 for more public incentives.  According to the agenda report:

“The incentives consist of a waiver of all terminal rent fees, landing fees, marketing/advertising support up to $200,000 per market, and inclusion in the annual advertising program ($350,000 approx. value). A transfer of $400,000 from reserves will be executed upon approval of this agenda item to cover the remaining costs of marketing and advertising support.”

The fact is, airlines will consider demand, costs, and competition then locate where they can be competitive, selecting routes based on their profitability, in keeping with the company’s strategic goals. In my view, the fact Volusia County held out another lucrative goody bag to “lure” JetBlue back to this Hooterville market simply proves the old idiom, “A fool and our money are soon parted.”  

I often speculate if those economic development shills who gamble fast and loose with public assets would be so quick to shower the same “incentives” – on a carrier who gave them the slip seven years before – if they were playing with their own money?

In my view, every aspect of Volusia County government – including enterprise funds and previous corporate welfare giveaways – are in desperate need of a thorough independent audit. 

Once the facts are exposed, anyone who willingly ignored the lessons of history and pissed good money after bad should be terminated, prosecuted, or both. 

Despite what we are told, repeating a fiscal mistake with public funds – time after time – isn’t normal, logical, or ethical – it is the textbook definition of insanity…  

Quote of the Week!

“Just weeks after New Smyrna Beach voters killed a plan to extend the mayor’s term length from two to four years, the 2026 race for the job is taking shape.

Incumbent Mayor Fred Cleveland was already in, having filed for re-election in September. A second candidate, little-known James Curtis Taylor, had also filed a year earlier. Now Lisa Martin, the incumbent Zone 2 city councilwoman, is stepping forward.

Martin and Cleveland have been on opposite ends of key votes, including the approval of Deering Park Innovation Center, a massive multipurpose development with homes, businesses and green spaces on the southwest side of the Interstate 95-State Road 44 interchange.

Cleveland, 67, and Martin, 75, were first elected to the City Commission in 2022, inheriting a city that had suffered widespread flooding during a devastating storm, Ian. Days after the election, another hurricane, Nicole, added a double dose of destruction.

A key issue for the election will be how to handle the pace of development and its impacts on the city’s quality of life, not just Deering Park, but the impact of previous developments, such as Venetian Bay and Coastal Woods, all to the west of what Cleveland dubs “Old Town” New Smyrna Beach.”

–Reporter Mark Harper, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Incumbent commissioner enters New Smyrna Beach mayoral race,” Friday, November 28, 2025

In the view of many residents of the once quaint community of New Smyrna Beach, the reign of Mayor Fred Cleveland has been a disaster. 

Literally.

After extensive flooding left existing NSB homes and businesses inundated, Mayor Cleveland and the City Commission undertook a dubious stormwater study that many believe was tailored to tell them exactly what they wanted to hear while concerned citizens were left shaking their heads.

According to Mayor Cleveland, the analysis determined new development at the waterlogged Venetian Bay and the massive Coastal Woods “…had no impact on the flooding that occurred in other areas of the city…”  

Sure…whatever you say, Fred…

In September, a frightened New Smyrna Beach City Commission voted 3-2 to opt out of a statewide lawsuit attempting to repeal Senate Bill 180 and preserve municipal growth management regulations and home rule authority for local governments. 

The vote was based in part on Mayor Cleveland’s handwringing regarding serious repercussions from those very legislators we sent to represent our interests in Tallahassee…

At the time, Mayor Cleveland clutched his blankie tight and mewled, “I don’t want us to be on the blacklist of those that get punished, one way or another, under the radar.  A majority of our county commissioners have said to me we will get punished (if the city joined the lawsuit). And it’s not right, I don’t like it, but it’s human nature … I’m concerned about a suit being our first best step.”

Really?

In spinelessly slinking away from the biggest fight for local control in state history, Cleveland confirmed that any community who dares stand against the devastating effects of overdevelopment will be silenced by base thuggery, threats, and intimidation.  Something the majority of our state legislative delegation are going to have to answer for at the ballot box next year…

Then, New Smyrna Beach residents watched as the cheese slipped off Fred’s cracker when he openly called for using the iron boot of government to police their right to free expression on the ‘everyman’s soapbox’ of social media.

You read that right.

During a public meeting last month, the hypersensitive Fred “Fraidy Cat” Cleveland fumed over social media posts he found offensive, which resulted in City Attorney Carrie Avallone sending a letter on official letterhead to Volusia County Council District 3 candidate Bryon White – an outspoken opponent of overdevelopment and its effects on our natural places – demanding that he “correct or remove” statements critical of NSB officials from social media.

You read that right, too.

In my view it was a gross abuse of power and a heavy-handed attempt to silence a political critic using city resources.

That’s frightening.

During his rambling diatribe against anyone who expresses a viewpoint different from those espoused by the NSB spinmeisters – Mayor Cleveland ominously asked if one of the city’s thought police in the “public information” department could “monitor” the social media posts of residents and “set the record straight” with anyone who “berates” city officials or tries to “further an agenda.”

In my view, Mayor Cleveland’s rampant paranoia and willingness to censor critics at public expense is just one reason New Smyrna Beach residents approved only two of the seven city charter amendments during last month’s election. 

That included righteously rejecting extending the mayor’s term from two to four years and increasing the salaries of the mayor and city commissioners.

It is time for the voters of “Old Town” New Smyrna Beach to send Fred Cleveland packing – before he ramrods more westward expansion while crushing citizen opposition – a dangerous combination tailored to meet the mercenary wants of real estate developers, not the needs of residents in this once quaint slice of what made Florida special… 

And Another Thing!

I’m an infernal realist. 

Not by choice.  I would love nothing more than to run with the flock, shove my head in the sand, and live in the fantasy of a cotton candy world, as Harry McClintock said, “…with lemonade springs where the bluebird sings in the Big Rock Candy Mountains…”

Unfortunately, I’ve been fated to see the harsh reality of things as they are – warts and all – through a Gin-soaked haze…

As a result, I’m rarely moved by party politics or faux passion, destined to instinctively recognize politically choreographed outcomes by connecting historic lessons (that others have conveniently forgotten) with current events.

Do that long enough and you learn that leopards and politicians don’t change their spots… 

After all these years I still cling to the old-fashioned notion that good citizens who contribute to our society, struggle to make a living in this artificial economy, pay increasingly onerous taxes and fees, work hard to raise and educate their families and follow the rules, form the backbone of our community – and they deserve better from those who have been elected to represent their interests.

When it comes to politics, I am a true No Party Affiliate, with moderate, even apolitical, views on most issues.  As a result, I rarely involve myself in the terrible divisiveness of the national battle for partisan dominance, which has now devolved to savage retaliation and a seething need for vengeance on both sides of the aisle.

That probably sounds odd coming from someone who churns out a weekly political opinion blog, but, as you may have noticed, my screeds tend to take our local politicos (and those who control the rods and strings of governance) to the woodshed for their assholery, ineptitude, and petty posturing – not party politics.

That’s not going to change.

Besides, Volusia County and its various political subdivisions provide ample fodder for community discussion – and oceanic room for improvement…

Why is that?

In my view, for decades, the “Fun Coast” has been controlled by a weird oligarchy of uber-wealthy political donors seeking to control their environment.  An exclusive club which exists to serve itself – and the egocentric nature of their shadowy rule has forever disfigured Volusia County – now considered the ugly stepsister of Central Florida. 

A place best avoided, generally sidestepped by the real players in the region, who treat us like something they don’t want to step in…

Look, don’t take my word for it.

Just review any substantive local issue over the last decade or so – from the poorly planned albatross of SunRail, to the gross suburban sprawl that now blankets our region, widespread development-induced flooding, the corporate welfare and cronyism that allows deep pocketed local governments to pick winners and losers in the marketplace, our water quality and the pending implementation of toilet-to-tap, the environmental carnage inherent to overdevelopment, the lack of affordable housing, outdated transportation infrastructure, stressed public utilities, the blight and dilapidation that commercially handicaps our core tourist area, etc. – and you will find the same institutional and systematic fingerprints.

Be honest.  Have you seen any fundamental improvement over the past four-years?

I’m not talking about what we are told to think by solipsistic elected officials – or the fictional depictions of some canned video at the State of the County Address – but the true status of our civic condition as evidenced by the tangible realities you experience in your daily life and observe with your own eyes.

In less than a month, a new year – and a fresh election season – will be upon us. 

In addition to various municipal elections, in 2026, four Volusia County Council seats – At-large, District 1, District 3, and District 5, and Volusia County School Board Districts 1,3,5 – will be on the ballot.

Folks, it truly is time for substantive change. 

That begins with finding quality candidates for public office then supporting them – politically and financially – so we have a fighting chance to stop the pernicious cycle that has dominated Volusia County for far too long.

A competent choice beyond reelecting political retreads with a history of service to development interests – or those perennial politicians busy climbing the chairs to higher office.  They’re easy to spot, congenital liars earmarked by their preternatural ability to tell you exactly what they think you want to hear – then completely ignore you and your neighbors – staring down like a stone gargoyle from the dais of power whenever you attempt to participate in your local government…

Considering that modern political campaigns in Volusia County have taken on the appearance of a blood-soaked knife fight – an exercise in assured personal and professional destruction – marked by ad hominem attacks based on outright lies, carefully designed to besmirch an opponent’s character and reputation, well-placed rumors that muddy the waters, and manufactured tittle-tattles that cast doubt and deflect attention from the myriad issues we face.

Make no mistake, win or lose, wading into that fetid shitpit is going to leave a mark. 

It isn’t for everyone… 

Because the decisions of local elected officials have such a significant impact on our lives and livelihoods, I find it unfortunate that we have a large number of voters who simply accept the status quo, buying into the false promises of those candidates with enough cold cash in their war chest to get their message – as crafted by their political overseers – in front of the masses with enough frequency and flash to sway opinions.

Someone once wrote that excellence honors passion and noble purpose demands high standards – anything less results in disillusionment and drains enthusiasm.  In Volusia County politics and governance, excellence and high standards are in short supply…

Cowards hide their agenda, misrepresent, make self-protective decisions, obfuscate, deflect, and place blame.  Real leadership leans-in, commits willingly, admits mistakes, holds firm to core principles, demands transparency from the bureaucracy, and makes purpose-driven decisions – leaders reach high, accept responsibility, and inspire confidence by their personal example.

Any of that sound remotely familiar to you here on Florida’s Fun Coast?

I didn’t think so…

With that in mind, there is no reason someone like District 5 Volusia County Councilman David “No Show” Santiago – who, in my view, represents the worst of the worst of self-serving political hacks – should be running unopposed in an area encompassing The Lost City of Deltona – that raging political dumpster fire that is the largest city by population in the region.

Fortunately, a few good candidates have already thrown their hats in the ring in several districts – and I understand others are considering a run for office next year – solid citizens who want something more for their family and yours than business as usual.

If you have that ‘fire in the belly’ to serve, I encourage you to consider stepping into the fray and communicate with your neighbors how you will return honor, integrity, and the public’s trust to local governance. 

It’s important.

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend, y’all!   

Note to Readers:

I hope to see everyone in the beautiful City of Holly Hill this weekend as the community kicks off its traditional holiday celebrations!

Tomorrow beginning at 6:00pm, enjoy an evening filled with holiday cheer, festive performances, and a special visit from Santa Claus on the front steps of historic Holly Hill City Hall!

Bring the whole family and help usher in the Holiday Season as we light up the community Christmas tree together. This beloved event is free and open to all!

On Saturday morning at 10:00am, the 66^th Annual Holly Hill Christmas Parade rolls along its new route – travelling west along Second Street to Ridgewood Avenue – then north to LPGA Boulevard.   

Come join us! 

It’s a true smalltown slice of Americana and one of “The City with a Heart’s” most cherished traditions… 

Hope to see you there!

Hi, kids!

It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the news and newsmakers of the day who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life or detracted from it in some significant way:

Building Trust Through Transparency in Daytona Beach

I’m certainly not the sharpest knife in the drawer. 

In fact, I’m an uneducated rube so obtuse and monochromatic that I quickly fade into whatever environment I find myself in.  But I have two things going for me – an incredibly sensitive “bullshit detector” – and the innate ability to learn from touching a hot stove.

Having spent the bulk of my life in municipal government, I’ve seen the incredible devotion and selflessness common to those who are called to public service.  I have also witnessed the strength and frailty of human nature – the ability of some to overcome adversity, develop solutions, change tack, and correct mistakes under extraordinary pressure – while others abdicate responsibility and choose career preservation over accountability.   

With the benefit of age and hard-earned experience I have also learned, as Oscar Wilde suggested, the truth is seldom one-dimensional, “rarely pure and never simple…” Perhaps that’s what makes the search for it – especially in the fetid shitpit of local politics – such an interesting (and infinitely frustrating) pursuit.

Now long removed from the fray, I remain firmly ensconced here in the cheap seats, watching the action from afar and analyzing the mini-moves with the acquired ability to discern both the minute and significant. 

My observations allow insight into the various aspects of a civic issue, determining patterns and personalities, always comparing current events with historical outcomes with the understanding that personal and political motivations rarely change. 

I made my share of mistakes in public service – in fact, I embraced my professional faults, foibles, and missteps and shared them with others.  All part of the learning journey, passing along painful knowledge that others might use to their benefit. 

Humility is a learned trait. 

The first police chief I worked for refused to accept excuses or explanations – only personal acceptance of responsibility – and a clear understanding that the same mistake would not be tolerated twice…   

A valuable lesson for a young police officer.

Now, when I feel the benefit of my three-decades of experiential learning can help, I use this space to offer unsolicited (and terribly annoying) insights to those still ‘in the arena’ who are dealing with an acute civic crisis.

Everyone knows that hectoring and lecturing from a washed-up “has been” can be hard to listen to – so, they can take it or leave it.

But one thing is certain, any government official (elected or appointed) who falls victim to the infallibility of position and comes to believe they know it all, will soon find themselves escorted out of their comfortably appointed office (usually by a former subordinate) and thrown on the moldering ash heap of history where arrogance and dodginess inevitably lead…   

The burgeoning purchasing card catastrophe in the City of Daytona Beach is well into its second week – which means it has taken on a life of its own – and this unfolding bruhaha demonstrates the importance of transparency to building credibility, protecting the “brand,” and maintaining confidence when the chips are down.  

It’s called crisis management, a comprehensive process essential to alleviating the concerns of stakeholders and protecting an organizations reputation.                               

The process of rebuilding internal and external trust begins with proactive communication – putting the cards on the table – providing clear information on what is known, and what is being done to mitigate the situation.

In my experience, it helps to establish trusting relationships with the media then make oneself accessible to reporters, answering community questions, admitting mistakes, and humbling oneself to righteous criticism.                                 

Honesty, openness, and complete transparency in the early hours allow leaders to control the narrative with facts while staying ahead of a building crisis by reducing the inevitable conjecture, gossip, and speculation that can quickly spread like a destructive wildfire.

Issues involving fraud, waste, and abuse of public funds will rightfully (and rapidly) draw public attention.  How leadership responds before the crisis crests will determine the long-term outcome – and ultimately the professional fate of those in positions of responsibility.  

Government executives who maintain proper situational awareness will develop 360-degree relationships up and down the chain – and listen to the advice of others – then use their training, skill, and insight to perceive organizational issues before they fester. That creates time and space to think analytically, develop an effable plan, and work through a problem systematically rather than flailing chaotically.

This fact-based decision-making is important because it defines future options, just like bureaucratic spin, clumsy cover-ups, painting the issue as a meanspirited “narrative,” and wallowing in defensive self-pity limits alternatives. 

That’s why the ‘duck and cover’ response of circling the wagons, retreating into the cloistered environment of the executive suite, employing slant and deflection, and limiting external communication to impersonal canned responses quickly results in an “information vacuum” – an unhealthy environment where speculation grows…

In Daytona Beach, City Manager Deric Feacher maintained an almost hermetic seal on information related to the P-card crisis for over a week.  In the ensuing void, WFTV-9 Volusia County correspondent Demi Johnson – a tenacious investigative journalist with a knack for ferreting out the truth – began pouring over raw purchasing data and extrapolating approved spending from perceived misappropriations.

To counter what Mr. Feacher originally described to city commissioners as “misinformation,” he made the compounding mistake of appearing on a sympathetic radio forum (one paid for by the City of Daytona Beach) where the moderator all but body blocked reporter Johnson when she called the program and attempted to ask hardball questions.

It added to the public perception that Mr. Feacher was dodging the issue…

Then, almost a week after the scandal broke, Demi Johnson reported receiving a ‘calendar invite’ for a meeting with City Manager Feacher scheduled for Monday.  During that meeting, Mr. Feacher essentially explained that while he didn’t see anything “nefarious” in his review of the P-card issue thus far, there is a clear problem with outdated policies and procedures, and he will be taking measures to correct the issues.  

By last Friday, the first positive signs emerged when The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported that city officials have established a “…purchasing card information webpage to give the public a clear, easy-to-understand overview of how city and contract employees use the cards and how they’re monitored.”

Find the website here: https://tinyurl.com/5xcyfxrc (The full-access site will return December 8, 2025)

In addition to a frequently asked questions section, the informative site provides the city’s explanation of several P-card expenditures under review.  In a section entitled “Recent Media: Expanded Context,” a $12,852 payment to Seaworld covered an end-of-year trip for youth in the city’s summer camps, while a $37.72 charge to Krispy Kreme provided refreshments for a Parks & Recreation Advisory Board meeting.

Unfortunately, earlier this week, somehow the city’s Information Technology staff allowed a data breach which resulted in employee social security numbers and birth dates being inadvertently posted to the P-card website compromising their personal identifiers.

Another major gaffe that added to the instability as many onlookers asked, “How could this have happened?”

In addition, some questions arose regarding the city’s explanation for the “Marina Manager’s attendance at the Annual Marina Industries (AMI) Conference and Expo in Fort Lauderdale.”  Apparently, under terms of the city’s contract with F3 Marina, for “Fiscal Year 2024, the City Commission approved $5,000 for Travel and Per Diem and $5,000 for education and training for the marina.”

For a private contractor?

In my view, using tax dollars to pay for a private company’s attendance at industry conferences, fund training for its employees, and cover per diem expenses is counter to the reasons governments contract specialized services in the first place…

On Tuesday, WFTV-9 released an interesting report detailing a recent travel audit conducted by Daytona Beach City Auditor Abinet Belachew. 

In my view, the results prove that Mr. Belachew is a fearless defender of the public purse and an indispensable public asset.

According to the report, the travel audit identified “…multiple areas of concern, including outdated policies, weak internal controls, the use of business-class travel, excessive meal and parking costs, insufficient documentation, and noncompliance with best practices.”

Even with the best controls and oversight honest mistakes can still occur – and it is difficult to hold employees accountable for following lax and horribly outdated spending policies – but I found the lack of cooperation reported by Mr. Belachew disturbing:

“While most staff members we interacted with during this audit were cooperative and professional, there were a few isolated instances of uncooperative behavior and unwarranted defensiveness. Although limited, such occurrences should be addressed promptly to maintain a culture of accountability and transparency.”

Specifically, Mr. Belachew noted that the Chief Financial Officer’s office was less than cooperative during the audit. 

According to the report, “During our audit, we encountered several challenges in obtaining information from the CFO’s Office. Specifically, the team appeared defensive and uncooperative in providing the requested documents in a timely manner, and their approach at times created an atmosphere of hostility…”

That’s troubling.  Given the fact the city’s financial oversight is being questioned on several fronts, this lack of internal cooperation is something Mr. Feacher should rectify immediately.

Now, Mr. Belachew will turn his finely tuned microscope on the purchasing card questions, only – at the urging of Mayor Derrick Henry – the inquiry won’t be a “priority.” 

You read that right…

According to Mayor Henry, “I’m of the mind that rather than allowing our city to just become hostage to some idea that we’ve run amok, I want to let the P-Cards run their course in the way that we have previously because I don’t believe that that’s the case.”

Whatever in the bureaucratic foot-dragging procrastination that means?

In my view, the city’s explanatory website is an excellent step towards answering constituent questions, perhaps defusing another distracting controversy at a time when municipal finances are under serious scrutiny. 

In my experience, most people can forgive what they see themselves doing. 

Taxpayers simply require an honest explanation, open communication with decision-makers, and a transparent portal into the bloody abattoir where public policy is made, and their hard-earned dollars are spent…   

A Destructive Delima in Flagler Beach

The death of ‘Old Florida’ has been hard to watch for some of us geriatrics who remember what used to be – pristine beaches and quaint communities, set in a time when our natural amenities were preserved and protected as a big part of our quality of life – not stressed, exploited, and destroyed on the altar of greed.

A time before the onslaught of speculative developers bought every square inch of greenspace (and the loyalty of our state legislators) then set about paving over paradise in favor of thousands of zero lot line wood frame cracker boxes “…starting in the mid-$300’s.”

And how could I forget those ugly and ubiquitous half-empty strip centers that have replaced pristine old-growth forests.

Now, our view of the beach is obscured by a phalanx of concrete and steel “condotels” and overpriced “five star” resorts, built by South Florida entrepreneurs intent on exporting that godawful faux glitz and “SoBe aesthetic” to us yokels in points north. 

For some reason (read: $$$), those members of the community we once elected with a vested interest in maintaining our collective quality of life – the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker – have given way to hand-select marionettes of the development industry, shills who are bought and paid for by those with a mercenary interest in subverting “growth management regulations” and building when, where, and what they want.

To the exclusion of most every other pressing civic issue, it increasingly appears our local councils, commissions, and state legislature are desperately focused on running interference for those greed-hogs who own the paper on their political souls – flooding, environmental destruction, and the exploitation of our finite resources be damned…     

In some cases, encroaching development has forced elected officials to make tough decisions (before those decisions are made for them) compelling small cities to annex adjoining sprawl as a means of keeping the impacts of even more unchecked growth away from their doorstep.

A losing proposition that always results in the loss of the quaint feel and natural amenities that made their community special in the first place.

Last week, the Flagler Beach City Commission voted 4-1 on first reading to approve the annexation of approximately 545 acres stretching south from State Road 100 along the west side of John Anderson Highway.  Once approved, the annexation will incorporate the proposed “Summertown” development, a part of the expansive Veranda Bay, which is also winding its way through the annexation process in Flagler Beach.

If both subdivisions are approved, the annexations would expand the City of Flagler Beach by nearly 30%, eventually doubling the population of the once quaint beachside hamlet.

To his credit, Flagler Beach City Commissioner Eric Cooley understands the dynamics at play, and said the only way the city will have a say in the development is to annex it.

According to a report by Sierra Williams writing in the Ormond Beach Observer this week, Commissioner Cooley said, “It’s real simple: you don’t annex it, you’re out,” he said. “You have no control over anything. You’re not protecting the city. You’re not protecting anything. You’re turning it over to the universe.”

The majority of the other commissioners and Mayor Patti King agreed with Cooley.

But the projects, both Veranda Bay and Summertown, have left many residents with concerns, even beyond the number of rooftops. Flagler Beach residents urged their commissioners to protect the city’s roadways and water and wastewater infrastructure, as well as Bulow Creek, which abuts the Summertown property.

The developer has committed to multiple concessions in the name of annexing the project: building out a spine road before constructing a certain number of residential units; using 40% of the property, including some directly around Bulow Creek, as open space; applying additional buffers around the property, including a 100-foot natural buffer around Bulow Creek.”

In my view, Commissioner Cooley is right – and it is a damnable shame.   

Since neither the State of Florida, City of Palm Coast, nor Flagler County have the best interests of this small community at heart, it leaves one of the last vestiges of ‘Old Florida’ on the east coast in a terrible dilemma:

The necessity of killing the very civic attributes that make their community special in order to protect it from a worse fate…

Quote of the Week

“The audit identified multiple areas of concern, including outdated policies, weak internal controls, the use of business-class travel, excessive meal and parking costs, insufficient documentation, and noncompliance with best practices.

We would like to note that we provided only a few illustrative examples. However, even a single incident of wasteful spending by City employees is cause for concern. Public funds are held in trust for the benefit of the community, and every dollar must be used prudently and in alignment with the City’s policies and fiscal responsibility standards. Allowing even isolated cases of wasteful or unnecessary spending to go unchecked can set a poor precedent, weaken accountability, and erode public confidence in the City’s stewardship of taxpayer resources. Strong financial controls and ethical standards require that all expenditures, regardless of size or frequency, be fully justified, properly documented, and aligned with a clear public purpose.”

–City of Daytona Beach Internal Auditor Abinet Belachew, as excerpted from the “Summary of Audit Findings, Travel Audit Report,” Wednesday, November 19, 2025

To say that City Auditor Abinet Belachew’s in-depth report detailing the findings of his examination of employee travel for FY 2024 paints a less than flattering picture of the city’s transparency, accountability, and compliance with 26-year-old travel policies is an understatement… 

In my view, the report – and the painstaking efforts it documents – proves Mr. Belachew’s worth to the residents of Daytona Beach and speaks to his commitment to the highest ideals of government accounting, effective internal controls, and adherence to best practices that prevent wasteful or unnecessary spending.

It was eye-opening. 

In the view of many, Mr. Belachew’s description of the lack of cooperation and hostility toward auditors by the Daytona Beach Chief Financial Officer’s team was disturbing…   

That obstinance was especially concerning since the city’s Deputy CFO was identified as “…having used taxpayer funds to purchase a business-class airline ticket for official travel,” while refundable economy fares were available along the same route, without documented justification or pre-approval for the travel.

In addition, the report states that the Deputy CFO “overstated mileage reimbursement by approximately 96.8 miles, resulting in an excess payment using taxpayer funds.”

Disturbing indeed…

Most notably, the internal audit found a glaring lack of oversight and accountability for employee travel – including a failure to set per diem amounts or establish spending limits for meals and lodging, no pre-justification/approval or post travel verifications, weak internal controls, and the CFO’s inability to readily provide supporting documentation and receipts for travel related expenditures.

Now that the problem has been exposed to the healing light of day, the onus is on the Chief Financial Officer, and City Manager Deric Feacher, to ensure that up-to-date policies, procedures, and controls – compliant with modern government accounting standards and best practices – are put in place to ensure “transparency, accountability, and the prudent use of taxpayer funds.”

As Mr. Belachew so eloquently stated, “Working for the City of Daytona Beach is a privilege. All employees share a responsibility to uphold the highest standards of integrity, accountability, and stewardship of public resources, recognizing that we ultimately serve the citizens of Daytona Beach.”

I like that guy…

And Another Thing!

I’m not sure the slack jawed Volusia County Council understood what they were watching during Tuesday’s raucous meeting.

To me, it looked a whole lot like participatory governance in action. 

Look, I don’t care where you stand on the late Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, who was tragically assassinated during an open mic debate with a liberal ‘influencer’ on a Utah college campus in September.  Without question, Mr. Kirk was a galvanizing figure in the contemporary American zeitgeist and an icon of conservative youth.    

Admittedly, national politics isn’t my thing. 

For reasons that should be self-explanatory, I don’t pay more than a passing glance at the raging partisan rhetoric and retribution from both sides of the aisle that spews from the sewer pipe of my television 24/7.  Mostly it is because I have no way of influencing outcomes in Washington (neither do you, but that’s a discussion for another day). 

Prior to that horrific day in Orem, I had not heard of Mr. Kirk.    

In my view, by design, Mr. Kirk’s opinions on contemporary political issues and his views on religion, race, sexual orientation, and foreign/domestic policy were provocative; tailored to ignite debate and stimulate public dialog across the massive political chasms that divide us – something that made him incredibly popular with conservatives – and equally vilified by liberal progressives, particularly on college campuses, once considered bastions of free speech. 

As a charismatic and controversial figure, whether you agreed with Mr. Kirk’s politics and views on contemporary society, or hated everything he stood for, there is enough material, soundbites, and anecdotal “recollections” available online, both with context and terribly exaggerated, to fuel your position. 

(Isn’t that true of everything these days?)

In the aftermath of Mr. Kirk’s murder, Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower recently waded into the fray and announced he was planning to seek the approval of his “colleagues” in designating Ormond’s Scenic Loop as “The Charles “Charlie” James Kirk Memorial Highway” citing his “dedication to civic engagement and free speech, while acknowledging the tragedy that occurred.” 

The idea went over like a turd in the proverbial punchbowl with environmentalists and others who rightfully consider “The Loop,” and its historical significance to Volusia County, sacrosanct – a roadway already designated as a scenic byway – something to be preserved and protected. 

Then Chairman Brower shifted his sights to a section of Maytown Road from Oak Drive in Osteen to Gobblers Lodge Road. 

If you know anything about the residents of the unincorporated settlement of Osteen – they are righteously fanatical about being residents of Osteen – and they have strong opinions about preserving their heritage and unique rural lifestyle and would prefer to designate their roadways in honor of those forefathers who had a more direct impact on the tiny community. 

On Tuesday, some Osteen residents joined a parade of their neighbors from across the width and breadth of Volusia County to oppose designating any roadway in honor of Charlie Kirk – citing everything from his lack of a physical connection to Volusia County – to angry accusations of racism, sexism, homophobia, and all points in between… 

While there were a few who supported Mr. Brower’s sentiments, the vast majority of those who made their feelings known with angry hoots, hollers, shouts, and swipes from the gallery, made it abundantly clear they did not want Mr. Kirk’s name on a Volusia County roadway. 

At the end of the day, Councilman David “No Show” Santiago used his patented strategy of legislative procrastination to lead his “colleagues” out of the uncomfortable quagmire…

In order to kick the can out of sight – Mr. Santiago motioned to indefinitely table the matter until senior staff can come back with a policy for memorial designations of roadways and buildings in Volusia County. 

Expect that policy to come back before the council sometime after the return of the Comet Kohoutek… 

Regardless, it did my heart good to see so many residents of Volusia County turn out to a public meeting.  Those on both sides of an issue who courageously stood before their fellow citizens and let their elected officials know where they stood on a matter of community concern. 

It was the essence of participatory governance – the active involvement of citizens in the decision-making process – an exercise that promotes engagement and inclusivity in shaping public policy and stimulates citizen interest and participation in civic affairs.

If inspiring passionate public dialog and fostering the civil discussion of ideas and ideals was truly Charlie Kirk’s calling, he certainly succeeded in strengthening that purely American notion during a seemingly inconsequential county council meeting on Tuesday evening. 

Even with the intractable divisions we face as a nation, the discussion reminded us in the most wonderful way that, at least at the local level, we can remain neighbors and friends, still capable of enthusiastic debate – and peaceful disagreement…   

That’s all for me.  Enjoy the 52nd Annual Daytona Turkey Run, y’all!

Note to Readers:

Dear Members of the Barker’s View Tribe,

I’m taking next week off to enjoy time with family and friends. 

Writing Barker’s View continues to be incredibly cathartic for me during these weird times we find ourselves in. 

This blog continues to be a source of pride that provides a much-needed sense of purpose, and the process of contemplating the issues and expressing my thoughts keeps my Gin-soaked mind limber.

I sincerely appreciate the many wonderful, often unlikely, relationships this blog has built.  The effort has supported my long-held belief that we all want to be heard – to have our opinions considered and valued – especially by the decision-makers who establish public policy.

Thank you for listening to mine.

The best part of this forum remains your feedback, discussing differing opinions, and good-naturedly arguing the fine points.  In my view, that drives a larger discussion of the myriad problems we face in our community.

Sometimes you agree with me – other times you vehemently disagree – but we can remain friends.  Through our dialog, we gain a better perspective of the issues we collectively face, and how to solve them.

I can’t think of anything more purely American than that.

May God bless each of you, and our brave men and women in uniform, at home and abroad – our heroic military members and first responders – those who willingly go into harm’s way to protect us. 

Godspeed.

From the Barker Family to yours – have a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!

Hi, kids!

It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the news and newsmakers of the day who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life or detracted from it in some significant way:

Sounding the Klaxon in the City of Daytona Beach – A Cause for Concern?

They say the benefit of experience is hindsight. 

Having spent the bulk of my adult life in municipal government, I’ve seen instances of waste and the misuse of public funds – and I’ve been guilty of honest mistakes that cost taxpayers.

Those who manage budgets often say you can’t get blood out of a turnip. 

Trust me, I’ve tried when asked to make draconian cuts to my department’s costs and services during lean times. Based on that experience, I can attest that deep cuts to spending sounds good to some, but you won’t always like what the turnip looks like when your done with it…

In government, like the private sector, those painful errors, omissions, and extravagances allow smart elected and appointed officials to look back at successes and failures, analyze the good, the bad, and the ugly of past decisions, then apply those difficult lessons when making future judgements.

They call it “experiential learning” or “institutional knowledge,” but getting older I realize life is really a gradual release from ignorance – the hard-earned wisdom that comes from touching a hot stove – and understanding the importance of controlling the controllables.

During my productive years in public service, I used the discretion afforded my position to develop an internal policy to protect public assets in the use of government issued purchasing cards – known colloquially as “P Cards.” 

Rather than have authorized individuals carry their p-cards, I directed that the cards assigned to my department be kept in a lockbox maintained by my trusted administrative assistant.  When the need arose, the individual would sign out their respective card, complete the transaction, then both the receipt and p-card would be returned and signed for.  

The straightforward process strengthened existing internal policies governing requisitions and purchasing, and ensured every expenditure was preapproved and the transaction documented before it was routed for proper accounting and external audit.

In my experience, those simple physical safeguards eliminated the problem of “Oh, I must have gotten my city card and personal credit card mixed up,” or “I used my personal car for a work errand, so I got gas on my p-card,” or the on-the-spot conundrum of determining whether a lunch, incidental, or other expense was authorized.

It wasn’t an issue of trust – the controls merely helped ensure accountability in the expenditure of public funds.  Given the fact I was personally responsible for the assets and personnel entrusted to my department, it was something I could mitigate with little hassle or inefficiency with a high degree of integrity.

I was reminded of that process last week when The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s investigative journalist Eileen Zaffiro-Kean published an exposé headlined “Are Daytona Beach city workers abusing purchase cards? An internal auditor wants to know,” detailing potential problems with the issuance of some 280 purchasing cards provided to both city employees and private contractors.

The question arose after Daytona Beach Commissioner Stacy Cantu, a resolute watchdog who keeps the best interests of her constituents at the forefront, examined city p-card purchases and found “some of the transactions to be alarming.”

According to the News-Journal’s report, “You can’t make this stuff up,” Cantu said at the Wednesday, Nov. 5, City Commission meeting. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

Cantu has been shocked to discover about 280 of the 1,000 city employees have P-Cards. And she was especially dismayed to see even 10 contract employees who manage Halifax Harbor Marina for the city had P-cards.

City Manager Deric Feacher has department heads checking their employees’ P-Card purchases for any possible improper use. The head of the Utilities Department is reviewing more than 1,300 P-Card statements from the 57 cardholders in her divisions, and so far she doesn’t see anything “that doesn’t look reasonable.”

During a recent City Commission meeting, City Manager Deric Feacher directed the city’s new internal auditor, Abinet Belachew, audit purchases and examine the issuance and use of p-cards across all city departments and contractors.    

Last week, Mr. Feacher sent a prepared statement to WFTV-9’s Demie Johnson – a tenacious investigative reporter doing the Lord’s work who has requested an in-person interview with the City Manager for over a week (?) – which read, in part:

“Taxpayers deserve confidence that every dollar we spend is handled responsibly, and I take that responsibility very seriously. The city has significant oversight and review processes in place for employee purchasing cards, including multiple levels of approval and regular monitoring of transactions.”

According to the statement, Mr. Feacher claimed that, in addition to the city’s internal audit, he was “…assembling an internal committee of senior staff to take a fresh, comprehensive look at all of our policies and practices.”

Unfortunately, many were confused last Friday when Mr. Feacher adamantly refused to speak with the WFTV reporter and was last seen on camera getting into his car and skedaddling out of a City Hall parking lot without comment. 

Never a good look…   

With Mr. Feacher seemingly dodging the issue, on Tuesday, WFTV’s Johnson contacted Sen. Tom Leek for his thoughts on the still unexplained purchases appearing on city P-cards. 

According to Sen. Leek, “Their CFO needs to come forward with receipts. Show us what these things are being spent on. Don’t just give us a report. Show us the receipts and what it was actually spent on,” said Leek.

We asked Leek if he thinks any of this could be criminal.

“I don’t know yet. You know a couple of years ago when this stuff first started to come out. It stunk. Today it smells rotten. So, I don’t think you can rule out criminal,” said Leek.”

Whoa.

According to the report, Sen. Leek said he would not rule out involvement by the state’s chief financial watchdog, Blaise Ingoglia…

Let’s hope, as Mr. Feacher has suggested, that there are adequate controls and oversight in place to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse – and sound explanations for the expenditures.  More important, now is the time for the city’s new internal auditor to prove his worth by restoring the public’s trust in the purchasing process.

Kudos to Commissioner Cantu for remaining vigilant. 

From her work uncovering asbestos contamination at a Beach Street building slated to be purchased by the city, to her efforts to find solutions to dangerous sidewalks in the Mosaic community, clearly Ms. Cantu takes her sworn duty as an elected representative seriously. 

In my view, Ms. Cantu’s watchfulness – and willingness to ask the tough questions when it matters – is paying big dividends for Daytona Beach taxpayers.    

Lowell L. Lohman, Requiescat in Pace

Last month, the Halifax area lost not only a titan of business, but an important philanthropic source of good. Someone who, despite personal health challenges, made our lives better by his extraordinary generosity. 

According to Mr. Lohman’s beautiful obituary, “The ultimate example of positivity and perseverance, Lowell Lohman taught us that living with Type 1 Diabetes does not have to be limiting. He rose to the daily challenge and regiment required with diabetes and lived a vibrant, adventurous life for 80 years.”  

As visionary entrepreneurs, Mr. Lohman and his wife Nancy owned multiple successful businesses, including Lohman Funeral Homes.  Most recently, the Lohman’s partnered with son Ty and his wife Tova in owning apartment complexes and the development of The Cupola luxury townhome community which has enhanced North Halifax Drive in Ormond Beach.

However, Mr. Lohman will best be remembered for his incredible generosity, the enormous scope and diversity of his impactful giving, and his true sense of care for our community. 

According to his obituary, “His giving resulted in the naming of the planetarium at the Museum of Arts and Sciences, MOAS, in Lowell’s and Nancy’s honor. Lowell often shared how fascinating and humbling it was to study the universe.  Lowell’s hope was their support of the planetarium would inspire others to keep learning. They sponsor the school field study program that continues to enable 6,000-10,000 5th and 8th graders in Volusia County Public Schools to attend a day at MOAS free of charge each year; an idea his best friend, Carl Persis, presented to Lowell several years ago.

Lowell’s generosity also included the support of the Halifax Humane Society Lohman Pet Adoption Center, the Halifax Health Lohman Diabetes Center and the Nancy & Lowell Lohman Art Center at the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens.” 

Lowell Lohman’s life of dedicated service to others, both personally and professionally, has left an indelible mark on our community.  He left us better than he found us, and we join in mourning his passing at age eighty.

Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Lohman.  We’re glad you passed our way…

Go DOGE Yourself…

With Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis crowing to anyone who will listen about his incredibly risky ploy to eliminate property taxes in favor of funding essential governmental services by, well, who the hell knows? – local governments across the state are attempting to head off Gov. DeSantis’ attack dogs by “DOGE-ing” themselves…

For instance, last week, Daytona Beach City Manager Deric Feacher directed the city’s internal auditor to establish a Department of Government Efficiency using self-audit guidance from the state – a wise move – considering the mounting questions surrounding the city’s fiscal stewardship… 

According to an article by Jarleene Almenas writing in the Ormond Beach Observer, “The City of Ormond Beach will begin the process of “DOGE-ing” itself.”

“On Tuesday, Nov. 4, the Ormond Beach City Commission held a joint workshop with the city’s Budget Advisory Board to discuss the state’s Department of Government Efficiency framework to self-audit for efficiency. City staff walked the officials through where they believed they may find cost savings, such as the travel policy for staff and commissioners, memberships to various organizations, take-home vehicles, its bid platform and contract management. Based on previous discussions, the city will be focusing on reducing spending and streamlining operations.

The self-DOGE process was kickstarted by City Commissioner Travis Sargent, who presented the state’s guidelines to the commission during the recent budget discussions.”

I found that interesting.

Especially when you consider that during what passed for budget hearings earlier this year, City Attorney Randy Hayes told Ormond Beach taxpayers that a tax increase was imperative because “Sound fiscal management and responsible leadership require it.”

According to Hayes, commissioners were encouraged to vote for the increase due to “…financial risks and liabilities associated with the mayor’s (Jason Leslie’s) intention to seek deep reductions in the millage rate and the budget, and the uncertainties those reductions would have on the ability of the city to deliver quality services to residents.”

In fact, Commissioner (and current mayoral candidate) Lori Tolland – who, for dramatic effect, directed that Mr. Hayes’ handwringing missive be read aloud by the city clerk – openly accused Mayor Leslie of threatening Ormond Beach’s quality of life by even suggesting a tax cut.

Remember?  I do.

At the end of the day, Ormond’s “In-Crowd” got what they wanted – a substantial tax increase – with an annual budget now set at $142 million.  According to a September report in the Ormond Beach Observer, “From the 2020-2021 fiscal year to 2025-2026, the budget has increased by about 48%.”

In just five-years?

As a result, Ormond Beach residents are now asking the obvious: If city staff is just beginning to focus on spending reductions and streamlining operations, what have they been doing for the past five years?

Considering we are now being told there are “budget duplications,” frivolous memberships, throwing good money after bad for the asinine annual “State of the City” pep rally, redundant positions, ignored suggestions, etc., etc. – questionable expenditures that may represent unnecessary spending – why did our elected officials convince us any further budget reductions would result in financial Armageddon? 

In a recent editorial in the Observer this week, former Budget Advisory Board member Joe Hannoush, added to the concerns of chary taxpayers when he divulged:

“I am reminded that as a member of the Ormond Beach Budget Advisory Board for four budget cycles, I advised to reduce spending on several line items. The city’s budget has gone up significantly since then with none of my suggestions being implemented in any meaningful way I am aware of.”

What gives? 

Why were we blatantly lied to by those we have elected and appointed to represent our interests?

In my view, after the dumpster fire that was the 2025-26 Ormond Beach budget process – a turbulent time when Mayor Jason Leslie was publicly eviscerated for caving to the prevailing wisdom and ultimately supporting the tax increase – I think someone at City Hall has some explaining to do…

Although I have serious reservations about the motivations (and potential outcomes) of Gov. DeSantis’ proposal to eliminate property taxes, perhaps the difficult discussion – and the resultant self-audits and belt-tightening – is exactly what we need to curb overspending, reign in exorbitant executive salaries, limit Taj Mahal public facilities, and stop the clockwork annual tax increases that pay for it all.    

Quote of the Week

“Daytona Beach needs to quickly whittle its excess permits and license fees to $4.4 million or less to come into compliance with state law.

A $9.4 million proposal to build an addition to City Hall would drop the tally back into legal territory, but that project still doesn’t have a contractor, solid timeline or final City Commission approval. In March, three of the seven city commissioners voted against putting out a request for proposals to expand the 60,000-square-foot City Hall.

(Daytona Beach Mayor) Henry told the seven state representatives and seven senators on the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee that Daytona Beach “is fully committed” to coming into compliance with state law.

The mayor said Daytona Beach experienced a surge in new development over the past five years, so building permit fee revenue spiked and led to the accumulated money.

(State Sen. Jason) Brodeur asked the Daytona contingent what was being done with the roughly $500,000 in interest income that was being earned off the $10 million of unspent permitting fees. Morris said neither he nor anyone else in the group could immediately answer that question.

“You don’t know where $500,000 is?” Brodeur asked. “I hope on your four-hour drive home you realize this is getting serious.”

–Investigative Reporter Eileen Zaffiro-Kean, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Florida legislators unleash frustration on Daytona city government leaders,” Tuesday, November 4, 2025

One fixed rule for public officials, especially at the local level, is either the elected body sets sound policy based on strategic planning, maintains oversight, and provides responsible stewardship of public funds – or someone else will make those decisions for them…

As Sen. Tom Leek, R-Ormond Beach, put it during last month’s meeting of Volusia’s legislative delegation in DeLand, “…when local governments do things that are “so out of whack,” then the “state’s going to step in.”

Last week, high-ranking officials from the City of Daytona Beach – to include Mayor Derrick Henry, City Manager Deric Feacher, Deputy City Manager Jim Morris, and Chief Building Official Glen Urquhart – were summoned to the lion’s den in Tallahassee for a thorough thrashing before the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee.

The board, comprised of surly senators and representatives, demanded answers to why the municipal government has failed to follow statutory guidelines governing the accrual and expenditure of permits and licensing fees.

It was ugly.

And the legislators were right… 

There are legally established rules for how permit and licensing fees can be used – including set limits on how much of the unexpended balance can be carried forward.  According to reports, over the past four years, the City of Daytona Beach has maintained some $11 million in unspent fees collected during a period of explosive growth – far exceeding the statutory mandate. 

During the hearing, committee members openly questioned the delegation’s veracity, and panned the city’s spending plan, which appears (on its face) to be a hodge-podge of expensive nice-to-haves that Daytona Beach officials hope will comply with the state’s rules. 

According to the News-Journal, “The proposed projects included 17 pickup trucks that would cost close to $1 million, drones tallying $210,000, a $250,000 City Commission chambers upgrade and $250,000 for virtual desktop infrastructure.

Under budgeted items was about $4 million for land and facility acquisition; $3.1 million to renovate, furnish and equip a facility; $1.2 million for a mobile permitting center; $993,100 for a permits and licensing boat and boathouse; $660,000 for vehicles and equipment; and $400,000 for new permits and licensing staff.

Some of those projects came to fruition, but several did not. The mobile permitting center idea was dropped, as was the purchase of a Beach Street building that was to be used for permits and licensing staff.” 

The original plan included the ill-fated purchase of an antiquated building at 230 North Beach Street where officials planned to house the permits and licensing division.  However, that plan was abandoned when an investigation by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (spurred by City Commissioner Stacy Cantu’s concerns) found deadly asbestos in the building.  

Now, it appears as if the City of Daytona Beach is unable to develop of viable plan for properly spending the permit and licensing fee balance, and the state is prepared to step in and ensure that the funds are returned to the developers who paid them… 

The political mauling at the Capitol didn’t sit well at home. 

At the November 5 City Commission meeting, Commissioner Ken Strickland punched back, saying “Tallahassee needs to mind their own business.  They should be representing us, not ridiculing us. I’m disgusted with our representation up there.”

In my view, the meeting took on the appearance of a passel of thieves squabbling over the loot when a representative of the Volusia Business and Industry Association – who would obviously prefer the excess fees be returned to developers – appeared at the hearing to gloat and tattle on the City of Deltona’s use of impact fees (?). 

The VBIA’s peripheral involvement in the state’s vicious gibbeting of Daytona Beach officials was obvious, excessive, and extremely telling – and, in my view, it stained the state’s haughty attempt to publicly correct (denigrate?) their local “colleagues.”

Unfortunately, city officials have no one to blame but themselves.   

During the scathing hearing, Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson rightfully admonished “A city with a vision would have created a plan…” 

In my view, that lack of vision – and a viable plan – isn’t limited to Daytona Beach, and continues to plague local governments across the width and breadth of Volusia County. 

During this period of unprecedented growth when strategic financial forecasting is imperative, it appears the City of Daytona Beach is about to become an expensive example of what happens to local governments who fail to establish a civic vision… 

And Another Thing!

Few things stimulate more interest on this blog than discussions regarding Volusia County District Schools. 

Perhaps it’s because we all have a personal stake in the success of our children’s education – or the importance of high performing schools to the social, civic, and economic development of our communities – or maybe it’s because we all pay for it, whether we have kids in school or not.

In my experience, a natural curiosity emerges when the disturbing things we see with our own eyes doesn’t comport with the pap and fluff that oozes from spinmeisters in public information offices, or the gloating of senior officials intent on creating a flattering picture, regardless of evidence to the contrary.

Last month, at the bitter end of the Volusia legislative delegation’s meeting in DeLand – that stilted annual spectacle when “We, The Little People” and our local representatives, have an opportunity to grovel before those we have sent to Tallahassee – saw another embarrassing example of how things work (or don’t) in the District’s Ivory Tower of Power in DeLand.

In an odd and unexpected turn, Dr. Gilbert Evans, who serves a conflicting role as both the District’s General Counsel and the School Board’s attorney, surprised the legislative delegation with an eleventh hour, half-baked, and incredibly expensive list of requests – some of which clearly had not been vetted or approved by our elected representatives on the Volusia County School Board…

Among other requests, Dr. Evans reminded our legislators that the state currently pays for 50% of costs associated with student transportation in Florida.   

Inexplicably, during his bizarre presentation, Dr. Evans – apparently serving as a lobbyist for all 67 school districts in the state (?), asked legislators to consider covering all school transportation costs – including funds required to “attract, hire, and maintain bus attendants” – as a means of relieving school districts from the burden of “diverting resources from instructional needs.” 

Say what?

In addition, Dr. Evans asked that, due to a shortage of licensed mental health counselors in schools, the state take action to allow unlicensed supervised interns to provide critical psychological services to Florida students and permitting that “on-the-job” training to count toward the requirements of licensure.

Really?

He also asked for “some kind of bill” that would permit cameras in classrooms “for non-verbal students for safety and accountability.” 

Whatever that means… 

To his credit, Sen. Tom Leek asked Evan’s the clear and unvarnished question everyone else in the room was thinking: “How much money do you need?” 

“How much money do you need today, if we give it to you, you say, “Okay we’re good?”

The mortifying silence that ensued (broken only by raucous guffaws from the audience) made it clear that, once again, Volusia County District Schools had failed to do their homework…

Eventually, Dr. Evans explained to a perplexed Sen. Leek that he “wasn’t expecting that question.” 

Making a point, Sen. Leek explained that the honest answer to his rhetorical question was – “There is no answer,” because enough is never enough…

In taking Dr. Evans to the woodshed, Sen. Leek directed that when Volusia County District Schools comes before the state legislative delegation asking for money, they should breakdown the request into a reasonable and logical explanation of need – especially one that represents a “monumental shift in policy and cost,” like funding all transportation costs for Florida students everywhere.

In turn, Sen. Leek asked Dr. Evans if Volusia County Schools is still requiring public employees to sign nondisclosure agreements regarding public business, and Evans responded they were “asking” – not “requiring” – some employees to sign NDA’s who serve in “sensitive areas.”

A testy exchange ensued with Sen. Leek asking Dr. Evans if he felt the practice of telling public employees to sign NDA’s to prevent them from discussing public business was wrong? 

Given Florida’s venerated commitment to government in the sunshine, it remains a serious public policy question that School Board member Donna Brosemer has been demanding answers to for months…

In holding the district’s party line, Evans replied, “No sir.”

Embarrassing.

The ugly scene was reminiscent of a similar debacle two-years ago this week when District Superintendent Carmen Balgobin sent the “B-Team” – consisting of a brand-new Interim Chief Operating Officer and a clueless Deputy Superintendent – to appear before the Volusia County Council seeking $350,000 to fund additional School Resource Deputies.

Like Dr. Evans’ half-assed “presentation,” the ask to the County Council was devoid of financial and operational specifics, and Balgobin’s conspicuous absence, coupled with the ham-handed way the district’s request was brought forth, left veteran elected officials shaking their heads in a fit of fremdschämen…

At the time, Volusia County Councilman Troy Kent, a school administrator himself, remarked, “It’s borderline disrespectful, in my opinion, to come hat in hand asking for money and not having your ducks in a row, with basic statistics ready to go.”

Obviously, the repetitive nature of these public gaffes proves our “Superintendent of the Year” Balgobin hasn’t yet learned the valuable lesson that preparedness, presentation, and professionalism are the keys to securing alternative funding…

Anything less is amateurish – and humiliating.

If the benefit of experience is hindsight, what do we call those who refuse to learn from their mistakes? 

In my view, that’s the textbook definition of a fool…

That said, what do we call the majority of our elected representatives on the School Board who continue to permit these embarrassing blunders from highly compensated senior administrators time, and time again?

That’s a disturbing point to ponder come election time…

That’s all for me.  Enjoy a great final weekend of the Volusia County Fair, y’all!