Charter review commission adds 30‑day notice, online disclosure to conservation‑land ballot language

The Volusia County Charter Review Commission voted to amend its previously approved ballot language for conservation lands to add a minimum 30‑day public‑notice and online‑disclosure requirement before any county action to transfer or otherwise dispose of land held for conservation.

Vice Chair Northey moved the amendment during the commission’s March meeting, saying the change would mirror recent state measures and ensure the public has time and information to weigh in. Northey said the state bills require notice and the posting of parcels, valuations and conservation justifications online before decisions are made, and she proposed incorporating those same procedural protections into the county’s ballot language.

The motion prompted debate over whether new charter language would create a path to sell conservation land or merely add transparency. Commissioner Miriam Sharp warned the amendments would "establish a method for the lands to be sold" and said they do not replicate the perpetual protections some residents expect. Catherine Pantay, a public commenter, urged the commission to adopt an Alachua‑style registry that "ensures that conservation land cannot be sold without the direct approval of voters," arguing that the Alachua approach preserves county authority while adding a democratic safeguard.

Drafting subcommittee chair Mister Sakhnovsky said the amendment brings clarity and a process where none currently exists: in his view, the county commission already has authority to dispose of assets under state law, so the charter language would create additional notice and opportunity for public input rather than stripping local authority. County counsel noted the state bills cited at the meeting had passed both chambers but had not yet been presented to the governor and therefore were not final state law.

After discussion, the commission approved the amendment by voice vote; the chair counted 11 in favor and 3 opposed. The commission directed county attorney staff and the drafting team to prepare revised ballot language consistent with the amendment and present the updated wording at the April meeting for final review.

The action does not itself change county code or bank protections for any parcel; it modifies the ballot language the commission is preparing for voter consideration. The commission’s next scheduled meeting to finalize the report and ballot wording is set for April 16 at 4 p.m., when the redrafted text will be considered.