DeLand resident urges commission not to add charter measures that increase costs on young homebuyers
Summary
Keith Chester of DeLand told the commission that adding permanent charter provisions would shift long-term costs onto younger generations and urged zone-based representation instead of at-large seats.
Keith Chester of DeLand used the public-comment period to urge commissioners against placing permanent burdens into the county charter that he said would disproportionately affect young people.
"I'm here to ask you not to place any additional burdens, financial burdens on our young people," Chester said, recounting his own experience buying a first home at about age 23 and contrasting that with today's first-time buyer ages he estimated as 38 to 40. He listed past local initiatives and revenue changes — county fire services shifting to paid personnel in 1984, Volusia taking over beaches in 1987, the addition of cultural grant funding, the Volusia Echo and Volusia Forever programs, the county's public-service tax on electricity and bottled gas, gas-tax changes, an ad valorem tax increase for school capital improvements and a half-cent sales tax — as measures that, in his view, have steadily passed burdens to younger residents.
Chester asked commissioners to "consider that as you move through the charter, put nothing else," and recommended eliminating at-large representation in favor of zone-based seats to improve local representation for areas such as his neighborhood, which he said is grouped with Ormond for representation.
The chair thanked Chester for his comments; commissioners did not take immediate action on his requests during the meeting.
