County Council Approves Updated ECHO Plan

Available commercial land, infrastructure and a skilled workforce aren’t the only things that help attract new business development. Quality of life is also high on the list, and that includes environmental, historical, cultural and recreational issues.

Earlier this month the Volusia County Council approved an updated spending plan for the Volusia ECHO program to fund projects to enhance those quality-of-life issues through 2028.

The amended plan adds more than $10 million over five years to fund 18 new projects at 16 sites across the county. It updates the 5-year plan approved by the County Council in March 2023 that included 43 projects across the county.

According to the staff report accompanying the item on the meeting agenda, the additional expenditure is available.

“Funding for this (direct county expenditure) plan and future grant requests is fiscally feasible because ECHO has significant resources available to support both,” the report said. “The proposed projects also accomplish the mission of ECHO to improve the quality of life of our residents who overwhelmingly supported (72.6% of the electorate) reauthorization of this county program in 2020.”

Asked about some existing projects and facilities, Community Services Director Brad Burbaugh said the county is working with other local governments to complete work.

“Council has directed staff to meet with our partners, our municipal partners, so they have skin in the game,” he said.