County Council Sets Legislative Priorities for 2025

With the Florida Legislative Session beginning in less than three months, Volusia County officials recently laid out their legislative priorities for the new year. The county’s list includes items related to home rule and local government financial burdens, streamlining the state’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to target stormwater and flood mitigation programs, state financial support for tourism-based infrastructure improvements and state funding for the Floria Jobs Growth Grant Fund, among other priorities.

In a presentation earlier this month to the County Council, Legislative Affairs Director John Booker briefed members on the plan.

“This document is used by your lobbying team,” he said. “This is your document on how we proceed in Tallahassee during the next legislative session.”

In addition to the items listed in the report, council members offered other priorities to include on the list.

Council Member David Santiago said automobile insurance rates are “just as out of control as property insurance” and also advocated for tort reform issues to be included.

“I’m talking about tort reform as it affects our residents,” he said. “I would like to direct our staff to include auto insurance and tort reform. Other than that I think the list looks good.”

Council Chairman Jeff Brower said he would like to see an appeal for funding to cover stormwater costs included in the priorities list, even though it is mentioned in the introduction to the document.

“I just want it to be included because we’re going to need money for stormwater,” he said.

Council Member Jake Johannson said while the document is a legislative priority list, it does not preclude the county from getting funding for needed programs.

“If I was up there as a legislator, I would be looking up to the (federal government) for all of this money before I allocated state funds,” he said.

Council Member Danny Robins suggested including an item to create an option for residents to purchase lifetime vehicle tags and to limit sales tax on the resale of boats, vehicles and trailers.

During the public comment period, Daytona Beach resident John Nicholson asked the County Council to consider including a request to revamp how local sales taxes are distributed.

“Daytona Beach brings in about $100 million each year (and) they get back about 5% of that,” he said. “They could use $100 million a year to keep up with the tourists that we have.”

The priorities list will be presented to state legislators at a meeting of the Volusia County legislative delegation on Jan. 7.