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Volusia County Council asks county attorney to draft narrow fixes to SB 180, seeks state cooperation
Summary
Council voted to send language changes to staff and the county attorney for proposed amendments to Senate Bill 180, citing impacts on local stormwater and planning actions; county staff will return with options and coordination plans with Tallahassee contacts.
The Volusia County Council voted July 22 to send a request to the county attorney’s office to draft potential, narrowly targeted amendments to Senate Bill 180 (SB 180) and return the issue to a future council meeting for review.
Why it matters: Council members and municipal leaders said SB 180 contains provisions that interfere with locally adopted stormwater regulations and other local planning tools. Several council members said the bill has already forced the county to pause or alter local actions taken earlier in 2025 to address flooding.
County Attorney Michael Dyer told the council he and his staff can draft proposed revisions and return the issue as a future agenda item. Councilman Danny Robbins moved that staff bring back options to refine the bill’s language; the motion was seconded and approved. Council members asked legal staff to work with the county’s Tallahassee lobbyist and to coordinate with state legislators willing to seek changes. Vice Chair Matt Reinhardt and others urged careful, surgical language rather than broad litigation to avoid unnecessary conflict with the legislature.
Legal context: During the discussion County Attorney Dyer and others explained the constitutional limitations of home rule in Florida and said litigation challenging the statute’s constitutionality is difficult for counties because of standing doctrines and precedent. Dyer summarized background going back to the 1968 Florida Constitution change that expanded home rule for charter counties and said courts have repeatedly upheld state preemption in many subject areas.
Next steps and timeline: The council directed staff to prepare proposed amendments and bring back options “as soon as possible” so affected municipalities can receive guidance; staff also will report which other Florida counties or cities have received notices or taken related action. Council members asked for proposed amendments to be narrowly scoped to address the county’s immediate concerns, such as preserving locally adopted stormwater rules the council passed earlier in the year.
Ending: The motion to send the matter back to staff passed; the council did not direct litigation at this meeting but asked for legislative and drafting options to be returned for public discussion and possible future council direction.
