- April 19, 2024
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The upcoming mail-in ballot for the May special election just got a little longer for Ormond Beach residents.
Not only will residents have a chance to vote on whether the City Commission's current two-year terms should be extended to four-year terms, with staggering, but residents will also have a say on two other election aspects: Should the City Commission elections take place during a primary election, with a chance for run-off in the general election, and should there be term limits?
In a special City Commission meeting held on Tuesday, Feb. 26, the City Commission unanimously voted to place these four questions on the ballot for the special election. Voters will decide on four-year terms, staggering, primary elections and whether a commissioner's terms should be capped at three four-year terms.
Following mixed audience comments, City Commissioner Susan Persis said she had done a lot of research since the last meeting, and had reconsidered her thoughts regarding primaries and term limits. Primaries had been eliminated from the ordinance at the commission's meeting on Feb. 19.
Both City Commissioner Dwight Selby and Rob Littleton agreed with Persis. Selby said every city in Volusia has four-year terms except for Ormond, Ponce Inlet and Lake Helen. Most cities, with the exception of Ormond and Daytona Beach Shores, participate in the primaries as well. Every city except for Ormond staggers its terms, he added.
“Longer terms is not the goal," Selby said. "I really want to emphasize that. Longer terms is the byproduct of trying to achieve good government goals." He cited maximizing turnout and majority rule.
City Commissioner Troy Kent said he was okay with putting this on the ballot, saying 2008 was the last time they asked voters for their input on the city's election. However, he said no one has reached out to him asking for a change. Later in the meeting, when primaries and term limits were being discussed, he said "since we're talking about putting some different questions out there," the commission could consider adding a question about seats being city-wide races, meaning voters wouldn't have to live in the commissioner's zone to vote for them.
"Our voters are the smartest voters around, and they will get it right," he said.
Eight residents spoke about the issue during the meeting. Tim Ryan said he didn't have an issue going from two to four-year terms, as there is a learning curve when candidates first get elected. But, term limits needed to be on the table.
"For right now, it's a no," Ryan said. "It's a yes if term limits are added to this ordinance."
Ormond Beach resident Ed Kolaska said the commission doesn't pay attention to the pleas of the residents, and are now proposing lengthening their terns "so they can proceed to cater to those who paid their way into office."
"And they are attempting to do this injustice without the input of residents to formulate the wording for this referendum," he said. "This is just another example of how this governmental body exhibits strong arm control over the residents of this city."
Peggy Farmer said she felt a primary is a "safety net" that gives people more say in a general election since a runoff would ensure a higher chance of a candidate earning a majority vote. This is not a yes or no decision to be made in one night, she said. It's a decision to place it on the ballot.
"Hearing these comments that people won't have a say, I feel like if you look at this objectively, the residents are going to have more of a say," she said.
