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:

Before we start this week’s hayride into the wild and wacky world of “Fun Coast” government and politics, let’s have some fun with a little game I like to call “WTF were they thinking?”  

The rules are simple:  

Contestants study the image below then swing a wild-assed guess as to how this latest civic abomination came to be.   

Come on, play along!

(Cue the Final Jeopardy music)

1. “Close enough for government work, boys.  I don’t get paid to argue with the landscape design plan.”
2. “What?  You thought the sidewalks in Mosaic were screwed up?  Hold my beer…”
3. “We’re from FDOT.  We’re not happy until you’re not happy.”
4. All of the above

I don’t make this stuff up, folks. 

Couldn’t if I tried…

Many thanks to civic activist Anne Ruby for posting this photograph taken in the 400 block of the newly reworked East International Speedway Boulevard on social media this week. 

The image depicts sidewalk “renovations” on the formerly dilapidated “Gateway” to the World’s Most Famous Beach – that haunted highway that has launched thousands of tourists to Central Florida theme parks and other Florida beaches when they saw the fetid condition of the beachside.

It’s all part of a $30 million collaboration between the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the City of Daytona Beach, which, given the time it has taken, appears to have been completed by two guys working on weekends.

I got a good chuckle out of it – the abject absurdity of planting palm trees in the middle of a sidewalk.  I’m not sure those with mobility issues who rely on wheelchairs and electric conveyance vehicles will see the humor in placing obstacles literally in the middle of their path of travel…   

I could be wrong (I’m not) but when local governments erect architectural or environmental barriers as physical elements of a public space that restrict or prevent movement or access for people with disabilities, that’s a big problem…   

And it should be.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sets enforceable accessibility standards for newly constructed or altered state and local government facilities, public accommodations, and commercial facilities readily accessible to persons with disabilities.

That includes sidewalks.

Look, I didn’t go down there and measure the narrow passage left for pedestrians and wheelchairs to ensure compliance – not my yob – but someone in a position of responsibility for managing this never-ending project should probably check… 

Regardless, in my view, the idea of planting palms in the center of a sidewalk creates a maintenance nightmare leaving a collection point for weeds, trash, and trip hazards.   

WTF were they thinking?  

Thanks for playing along, y’all…  

Holly Hill Mayor Roy Johnson, Requiescat in Pace

Throughout my tumultuous life, there have been individuals put in my path who have had nothing but my best interests at heart.  True warriors I could trust to have my back, especially during the political and bureaucratic battles of my productive life.  Mentors and real colleagues who, despite the mercurial loyalties of small-town politics, asked for nothing in return.  

Good people I could trust to do the right thing, for the right reasons (when doing the opposite would have been politically expedient), and made me want to be a better person and public servant by their personal example.  

My friend Roy Johnson was a rare breed and one of the hardest working men I ever knew. 

A multitalented and specialty certified hydraulic and heavy equipment technician, successful business owner, proud United States Air Force veteran, dedicated family man, involved father and grandfather, and a true gentleman. 

In addition, Roy was a man of incredible faith and member of the Holly Hill Church of Christ.

In 2005, Roy began his lengthy career in public service as a member of the Holly Hill Civil Service Board where his dedication to good governance and leadership skills quickly became evident. 

Building on his reputation for valuing diverse opinions and a unique ability to craft consensus, he was initially elected to two back-to-back terms as Mayor of the City of Holly Hill, later continuing his active community service as the city’s longtime District 4 Commissioner. 

A quiet man of infinite wisdom, Roy was widely known for his exceptional kindness and old school courtesy, regardless of a person’s station or status, and he always recognized the accomplishments of others with great flourish and fanfare.

Unlike some who enter public service with a personal agenda, Roy’s many contributions were always team spirited and community focused, far exceeding the mechanics of politics and governance, and his example of selfless service, integrity, and great compassion will continue to guide the City with a Heart.   

Shortly before his death in 1955, Albert Einstein gave sage advice to a young man searching for guidance:

“Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value. He is considered successful in our day who gets more out of life than he puts in. But a man of value will give more than he receives.”

By any metric, Roy Johnson was both. 

A man of great success and immense value who helped so many through his inherent desire to serve others without recognition or recompense.

His service spoke to the value of small, attentive, and responsive local government, and he embodied those virtues – personally, professionally, and politically – a shining model to others of what truly dedicating one’s life to a cause greater than their own self-interest looks like.   

A rare servant/leader who gave so much of himself, loved his family and community, and never failed to dedicate all thanks and credit to God.

The City of Holly Hill’s finest champion passed away this week after a valiant struggle with cancer, and I join with so many in our community mourning Roy’s death at eighty-six.

Godspeed, my friend.   We’re glad you passed our way… 

Kudos to Daytona Beach for Giving Citizens a Say on “Toilet to Tap”

Unlike their unfortunate neighbors in unincorporated Volusia County, Daytona Beach residents will be able to answer the “Toilet to Tap” question for themselves this November. 

Last week, the Daytona Beach City Commission trusted their citizens to decide the issue of “potable reuse” – the disgusting practice of augmenting drinking water supplies with treated sewage or supplementing the aquifer by injecting treated wastewater underground to facilitate more development – by placing a charter amendment on the municipal ballot in November.

In essence, recycling blackwater is seen by greed-crazed developers and their hired marionettes in state and local governments as a means of accommodating more unchecked growth across the width and breath of Florida.  Churning more of our greenspace, wildlife habitat, and recharge areas into a black muck then paving them over with impermeable surfaces in a revolting “profits over people” strategy.  

Thanks to water quality advocacies like Let Volusia Vote, residents are increasingly educating themselves on the hazards of potable reuse, “forever chemicals,” and other environmental threats to public health and potential damage to the aquifer from the addition of chemically treated wastewater.   

If the amendment passes, the potable reuse prohibition would be enshrined in the Daytona Beach City Charter – at least until those petty autocrats in the State legislature preempt local water regulations – or another ballot initiative to remove the protections is approved by voters.

Last month, the abject cowardice of the Volusia County Council became the talk of the region when our elected “representatives” voted 4-3 to deny residents the opportunity to decide if they want recycled wastewater fouling the county’s utility service area.

The clearly orchestrated move to block residents from having a say was arrogantly approved by At-Large Representative Jake Johansson, District 3 Councilman Danny Robins, District 2 Councilman Matt Reinhart, and District 5 Councilman David Santiago…

Why? 

To hear them tell it, “There’s nothing to see here, folks.  Move along.  Volusia County has no plans to send recycled sewage to your tap, or force it into our aquifer, in the county’s utility service area.  Yet…”

Or as Councilman David Santiago couched it before voting to deny your right to vote, “This is a county solution looking for a county problem.” 

Whatever that means…

To their credit, Chairman Jeff Brower, District 4 Councilman Troy Kent, and District 1 Councilman Don Dempsey supported the charter amendment, along with an ordinance prohibiting the practice in the county’s service area, claiming they wanted to be proactive in getting ahead of this looming threat.

In a clearly rhetorical question, Councilman Kent asked his “colleagues” on the dais, “What’s the harm in not only passing the (ordinance), but allowing people to vote on it?”

Of course, the unstated answer to Kent’s query was/is, “We can’t risk giving The Little People a say in something that could prohibitively impact the profitability of our sugar daddies in the development industry in the future…”

For his part, Councilman Jake Johansson explained that he didn’t want to restrict future councils from foisting treated sewage on residents when it becomes necessary:

“No pun intended, but this idea might be a little more palatable in 40 years. I don’t know.”

I’m surprised Mr. Johansson can find the humor in any of this.  Because many of those citizens he is hoping will elevate him to the Florida Senate in November don’t think the prospect of “toilet to tap” is funny at all…   

I don’t normally say this about the elected ‘powers that be’ in the City of Daytona Beach, but it is important to give credit when credit is due. Kudos to the City Commission for demonstrating the leadership, initiative, and political courage to allow their constituents a say in shaping their future.

Quote of the Week

“Ormond Beach’s white flag in the five-year battle over the development of the Tomoka Oaks golf course came in the way of a final split vote to approve 254 homes on the 147-acre property.

After four hours and over 50 citizens speaking against the development, City Commissioners on Tuesday, March 24, voted 3-2 to issue a new development order to Triumph Oaks of Ormond Beach, LLC. Commissioner Kristin Deaton and Mayor Jason Leslie voted against.

The issuance of the development order comes as the city deals with a multimillion-dollar lawsuit with the Tomoka Reserve developers and a looming April 3 deadline to make a decision that Tomoka Oaks residents say will impact them for decades to come.

But officials had to decide: Was it worth the gamble to continue litigation, knowing losing would likely lead to a development with a higher density and a significantly smaller buffer?

Ultimately, the majority of the commission felt the gamble posed too high of a risk.

“We are in a litigation, OK? So there’s no threatening anymore,” Commissioner Lori Tolland said. “It’s a lawsuit that could potentially have a horrendous outcome, not just for the Tomoka Oaks residents, but for all citizens as well.”

–Reporter Jarleene Almenas, writing in the Ormond Beach Observer, “In split vote, Ormond Beach City Commission approves 254 homes for Tomoka Reserve,” Wednesday, March 25, 2026

“He who goes to the law takes a wolf by the ears…”

–Old legal axiom

Following a five-year game of chicken, on Tuesday evening the majority of the Ormond Beach City Commission blinked.  

In the face of a saber-rattling lawsuit filed by a consortium seeking to develop the former Tomoka Oaks Golf Course, our elected officials were clearly out of their depth, cowed by smart land use attorneys, litigators, and even their own senior staff. 

When it reached the nut-cutting hour, the commission caved on a 3-2 vote, setting a disturbing precedent about what happens when an elected body is outsmarted, outmaneuvered, and publicly bent over a barrel. 

After spending much of Tuesday evening listening to the emotional pleas of over fifty of my Ormond Beach neighbors – many of whom now face the gut-wrenching reality of having 254 new homes shoehorned into the most inappropriate place imaginable – I have enormous respect for those citizens who took the fight forward, spoke their truth, and demanded that their elected officials find a backbone and defend what remains of their quality of life over the mercenary profit motives of developers.

It was at once harrowing, inspirational, and tremendously frustrating.

The evening also provided a shocking glimpse at the behind-the-scenes friction that results when savvy land use lawyers gain the upper hand by using the city’s own weak regulations against them, file multi-million-dollar lawsuits, then sit back, grinning like a cheetah closing with its prey – holding their cards close to the vest – while the elected officials fumble and mumble, repeatedly showing their hand.

And their fear.  

Things reached an uncomfortable flashpoint when Mayor Jason Leslie insinuated he was still unsure how the city ended up in litigation with the developers, claiming he wasn’t involved in “…all the proceedings on these things and the conversations.  So I don’t know all the facts.”

It appeared Mayor Leslie was attempting a political parlor trick to extricate himself from a sticky wicket, which is rarely a good look – but as someone who stands for election – it is his prerogative, and senior staff should have given him the room to make his play regardless of appearances.

Rather than remain silent as he did the previous week when Deputy Mayor Lori Tollen attempted to explain why she voted to approve, City Attorney Randy Hayes was left faunching at the bit, calling Mayor Leslie’s statements “disingenuous,” before lecturing “This commission, including yourself, sir, has been fully informed of everything that has transpired.  You are incorrect in your statement. If you want to vote no, you can vote no, but don’t manufacture things that are not true.”

In my view, Mr. Hayes was wrong for attacking Mayor Leslie in that emotionally charged forum.  

It was ugly, unnecessary, and insubordinate; a clear attempt to rein Mayor Leslie in and limit his ability to diplomatically extricate himself after listening to his constituents, chang his previous stance, and opt to deny the agreement.   

At the end of the day none of it mattered.  The developer had maneuvered the City of Ormond Beach to checkmate, and everyone knew it. 

The losers of this lopsided high-stakes game are the residents of a beautiful long-established neighborhood who must now contend with years of construction, the dangers of disturbed toxic chemicals inherent to golf courses, the loss of suburban greenspace and habitat, bone crushing traffic, and the claustrophobic effects of increased density on what was once one of the most desirable communities in the region.  

As civic activist and former Ormond Beach commissioner Jeff Boyle wrote in a recent op/ed for the Observer fittingly titled “Requiem for Ormond Beach”:

“At the moment of truth, our elected city commissioners capitulated.  A bully took our lunch money without a fight.

Other bullies will be coming for what’s left.” 

And Another Thing!

In Plato’s allegory of the cave, he wrote of prisoners who have spent their entire lives chained by their necks and ankles, their lifelong view limited to an empty wall of the cave, seeing only the shadows and shapes of statutes carried behind them and projected on the wall by the light of a fire behind them.  

The sounds of people talking out of their view echoed off the walls and the prisoners come to believe these sounds emanated from the shadows themselves.

When a prisoner was dragged from the cave, he was initially blinded, his eyes burning from the glare of the sun.  But as he slowly acclimates, growing accustomed to the sunlight, he sees that the statutes weren’t real at all.

Just a cheap illusion that was once his reality.   

With his newfound enlightenment, the former prisoner doesn’t want to go back into the cave, but he feels a need to share his knowledge and insight with his fellow prisoners.  When he returns to the dark underground, he is temporarily blinded, his eyes not yet acclimated to the darkness, and those still imprisoned in the darkness interpret that an ascent into the light will blind them.

In their fear and ignorance, they destroyed the one who tried to guide them into the light…

In my view, Plato’s fable should sound familiar to Volusia County residents searching for truth from an entrenched bureaucracy – wholly controlled by influential insiders – who prefer we remain in the dark…

I was reminded of that this week when I learned from several concerned citizens that last year’s purchase of some 356 acres of property off State Road 44 (in the middle of the wildlife corridor?) to accommodate Volusia County Councilman Don Dempsey’s pet motorcross facility came with a few expensive “extras” We, The Little People weren’t made aware of.

Namely an existing Consent Order issued in 2024 by the St. Johns River Water Management District requiring that the former landowner take corrective action to repair previous damage to identified wetlands on the property.

When Volusia County purchased the property – using $4.62 million of our money the VCC openly looted from both Volusia Forever and ECHO through a shim-sham called a “direct county expenditure” – guess who assumed the legal and financial responsibility for the wetland restoration efforts outlined in the consent decree? 

That’s right.  We did.

Do you recall anyone in Volusia County government discussing the existence of the order?

Or the anticipated cost of removing fill, mitigating water contamination, re-grading the site to its historic elevation, removing all non-native and invasive plants, returning ditches to normal grade, etc. – on nearly 17 acres of the property? 

Me neither.  

If you go back and review the fine print of the county’s purchase agreement, you see where the seller disclosed a “…current wetland violation case involving the St Johns River Water Management District,” but I guess those who accept public funds to serve in the public interest determined that the “wetland violation” didn’t carry as much weight as Councilman Dempsey’s incessant squealing and grousing for his publicly funded pet project…

Read the details in the County’s permit application here – and while you’re there – take a minute to leave a comment telling the St. Johns River Water Management District your thoughts on putting a motorcross track in the middle of a wildlife corridor:  https://tinyurl.com/4nx7hbmd

This secrecy isn’t normal in a representative democracy.   

And it damn sure isn’t ethical, moral, or in keeping with the public’s right to know, especially when connected to a $4.6 million expenditure of tax supported conservation funds.    

In my view, the failure of Volusia County officials to openly disclose the existence of this active consent decree prior to the purchase exemplifies the ongoing efforts to hide critical issues from those of us who pay the bills and are expected to remain in the darkness while those we elect and appoint perpetuate the illusion…

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