Public and commissioners press for stronger protections of Volusia Forever lands

A string of public commenters at the Nov. 10 Volusia County Charter Review Commission meeting urged the body to strengthen protections for Volusia Forever lands, and commissioners agreed to explore drafting charter language to do so.

Bob Chu of Southeast Volusia Audubon told the commission he "strongly supports Pat Northey's amendment" to ensure lands purchased with the Volusia Forever millage remain protected. Nancy Vaughn of the League of Women Voters and Melissa Lammers of the ECHO Volusia Forever Alliance also urged study of the proposed amendment; Lammers cited voter reauthorization numbers from 2020.

Commissioners discussed legal constraints. County attorney staff advised that while requiring a public referendum to dispose of property may conflict with state law in some cases, the commission can consider raising the county council voting threshold for disposal decisions or including explicit limits on swaps and surplus. Commissioner Ben Johnson cautioned that overly tight language could unintentionally block swaps or necessary property adjustments; other commissioners said they wanted stronger permanence for lands acquired with voter-approved millage.

The commission reached consensus to have staff research and draft possible charter language and bring refined proposals back to the commission for further discussion and potential ballot language.

What’s next: Staff will research legal limits (including interplay with SB 180 and state statutes), draft proposed wording that addresses swaps and disposal thresholds, and return to the commission with options for consideration.