Volusia County Council asks staff for briefings and options on major state preemption bills

Volusia County Council spent substantial time Jan. 8 discussing state legislation that council members and staff said could preempt local authority on land-use, stormwater and water-quality rules. The chair and several members singled out Senate Bill 718 (land and water management) and Senate Bill 180 (prior session item) as priorities, and requested staff return with briefings and suggested language for outreach to the county’s legislative delegation.

County attorney and legislative staff described ongoing litigation and amendment activity. Legal staff told council members that injunction requests and motions to dismiss in related litigation had been resolved for now but that the cases remain active; staff and council said amendments may change bills and that a companion house bill for SB 180 had not yet been filed.

Councilman Don Dempsey and others argued the measures would erode home rule and local standards for stormwater, wetlands and development compatibility. Vice Chair Matt Reinhart moved (and Councilman Danny Robbins seconded) a motion directing staff to compile briefings and options on SB 180 and SB 718; the motion passed unanimously. Councilmembers asked staff to provide detailed, actionable analyses (including what local authority would remain, fiscal impacts and proposed language for letters to the delegation) before taking legislative positions.

What’s next: Staff and counsel will prepare a briefing package and draft communications for council review; the item will return to the council for possible formal letters or resolutions.