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Commission rejects proposal to drop city attorney’s work for First Step Shelter; debate highlights funding and oversight concerns
Summary
Commissioners debated whether the city attorney should continue providing legal work to First Step Shelter after a contentious internal discussion; a motion to end the arrangement failed 3‑4. Commissioners called for more information and some asked staff to seek pro bono counsel options.
The Daytona Beach City Commission considered but voted down a motion to terminate the city attorney’s work on behalf of First Step Shelter, the nonprofit that operates the local homeless shelter. The motion failed 3‑4 after public comment and a lengthy discussion about fiscal exposure, governance and service continuity.
What was proposed and how commissioners voted
Commissioner Strickland moved to direct the city attorney to stop providing legal services to First Step Shelter. The motion was seconded and discussed at length; the roll‑call vote was 3 in favor (Strickland, Perez, May) and 4 opposed (Cantu, Reid, Reed, Mayor Henry), so the motion failed.
Why commissioners debated the attorney’s role
Commission discussion mixed two strains of concern: some commissioners and residents said the city attorney’s dual involvement created the appearance of a conflict or at least created difficult optics when legal disputes involve the shelter and the city. Others emphasized the practical risk of losing the city attorney’s institutional knowledge and…
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