In 1970,
voters in Volusia adopted the Volusia County Home Rule
Charter, which governs county government. It provides for local
lawmaking, the establishment of the Volusia County Council,
authorizes election of the Sheriff, Elections Supervisor and
Property Appraiser, and it mandates that county government provide a
wide variety of essential services.
Volusia
was the first county in Florida to adopt a home rule charter,
subsequent to revisions in the Florida Constitution in 1968. Today,
most urban counties in Florida have some form of charter government,
many of those charters have borrowed heavily from Volusia’s
charter.
The
Volusia County Charter calls for citizens to be appointed to a
Charter Review Commission to be assembled at least every 10 years to
review the charter and ordinances of the county, the
commission is to present its recommendations to the Volusia County Council
within a year of the commencement of its work. If charter amendments
are recommended, they go directly to voters in the next general
election.
The Volusia County Council established the latest Charter Review
Commission in 2005. It consists of 15 members -- three appointed by
Volusia County Chair Frank Bruno and two each appointed by the other
members of the Volusia County Council. The commission convened for
an organizational meeting in August 2005 and expects to present its
report in August, after which it will hold three public hearings on
its recommendations.
“This is
an extraordinary opportunity to review our governance,” said
Bruno, following the organizational meeting. “It gives us a chance
to ensure that our charter is tailored to current needs and
anticipates future needs.”
The
Charter Review Commission is chaired by William H. Scovell, DeLand,
a 65-year resident of Volusia County. Scovell is a former DeLand
city manager and business owner who served on the Volusia County
Council from 1973-76. He chaired the Charter Review Commission in
1995-1996. He has been active in government and civic affairs
throughout his career.
Scovell
is pleased with the progress of the Charter Review Commission. “We
are fortunate to have an extremely well-qualified group of
individuals serving on the commission,” he said. “They bring
extraordinary expertise to the process and have a genuine passion
for the quality of life in Volusia County. I also am gratified that
many residents have attended our meetings, workshops and
presentations. However, I would like to see many more people
participate in this process.”
Scovell
encouraged people to follow the progress of the commission by
attending scheduled events, reading the minutes on the Internet or
discussing its work with any of the commission members.
The
vice-chair is John Graham Jr., who is Vice-president of Business
Affairs for International Speedway Corporation and is former
president of Daytona International Speedway. Like Scovell, he has
been involved in government and civic affairs throughout his 28
years in Volusia County. Graham chairs the Ordinance Review and
Management Recommendations Subcommittee for the Charter Review
Commission.
Other members of the
commission include Dr. T. Wayne Bailey (chair
of the Structure of Government Subcommittee), chair of the Stetson
University Department of Political Science; Joseph Benedict III
(chair of the Intergovernmental Relationships Subcommittee), retired
executive and former member of the Volusia County Council; Bo
Davenport, a former Director of Public Works for the City of DeLand
and an active community volunteer; Patricia Drago (chair of the
Integrating Economic Development and Education Subcommittee),
Executive Director of Facilities for the Volusia County School
Board; Dr. Phillip T. “Bud” Fleuchaus, an oral and maxillofacial
surgeon, former member and former chair of the Volusia County
Council; F.A. Alex Ford Jr. (chair of the Protecting the
Environmental Core Subcommittee), an attorney with the firm of
Landis Graham & French and active community volunteer; Richard
Gunter, a banking executive with SunTrust Investment Services , who
serves as a DeBary City Councilman and vice mayor; Peter B. Heebner,
an attorney and active community volunteer; Charles F. Matousek,
Branch Manager and Financial Advisor for Morgan Stanley and an
active community volunteer; Thomas M. McClelland (chair of the
Meeting the Infrastructure Needs of Smart Growth Subcommittee),
former Public Works / Emergency Management Director for the City of
Daytona Beach, former Public Works Director for Volusia County,
vice-chair of the Daytona Beach Charter Review Commission and an
active community volunteer; Patricia Northey, former member and
former chair of the Volusia County Council, former CEO of the
Chamber of Commerce of West Volusia and an active community
volunteer; Ezell Reaves, former Vice President of Methodist Hospital
in Gary, Indiana, and a graduate of the Volusia County Citizen
Academy; Glenn D. Storch, an attorney with the firm of Storch &
Morris, chair of the Volusia County Beach Advisory Board and an
active community volunteer. All members of the commission serve on
the Growth Management Subcommittee.
Minutes
of the Charter Review Commission meetings are available
on the Internet
or may be examined at Volusia County’s public libraries, the Thomas
C. Kelly Administration Center in DeLand or the County
Administrative Center in Daytona Beach.
