- February 24, 2025
Also: Governor interrupts road plans and city attorney lauded.
Wayne Grant
News Editor
The 2016 Tomoka Marathon, presented by Halifax Health, will be the same format as in 2015 with the event once again starting and finishing at The Casements. The city recently approved sponsorship with no financial assistance at the request of Runner’s High Timing and Race Management LLC, the company that organized the first two annual races. The company will handle all expenses, including police support, and it will take place on March 26, 2016.
As a city-sponsored event, the organization will be able to provide complimentary food and beverages, including beer, at its post-race party.
In the March, 2015, race, there were a total of 1,427 runners with 399 in the marathon, 782 in the half-marathon and 246 in the 5K race.
A survey of runners after the race showed that every age group was represented, from teenagers to over age 70. Almost half said it was their first trip to Ormond Beach and more than two-thirds of the respondents said they would participate again.
For the first race in 2014, the company requested financial backing from the city to cover fees, police support, etc., but the commission balked at providing funds. It was agreed that the city would only assist the event with marketing on the city website and a message on utility billings, and that understanding continues for the 2016 race.
Governor vetoes Williamson project
The City Commission was set to send a letter to Governor Rick Scott to support funding by the state legislature for the widening of Williamson Boulevard, but canceled it because the governor recently vetoed it from the budget.
On June 15, Volusia County staff notified the city that the legislature included $2.5 million in their proposed budget for the expansion project, and asked that the City send a letter of support to Governor Scott. Scott vetoed it before signing the budget.
The improvements would have been to a two-mile section of Williamson Boulevard from Ormond Beach south.
The cancelled letter to Scott said “this important corridor anchored on the north by Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center is a vital arterial supporting the economic vitality of the region. The project is well advanced in planning and design and can go to construction quickly once funding is secured.”
Attorney gets high marks
City Attorney Randy Hayes received an annual evaluation by the City Commission at their last meeting, receiving a score of 4.7 out of a possible 5, with 4 meaning “exceeding expectations” and 5 meaning “outstanding.”
Commissioner Troy Kent, who works as a teacher, said the grade translates to a “strong A plus.”
“Thank you for representing the city in a positive way,” he said.
Commissioner Rick Boehm jokingly brought up the possibility that Hayes is cloned, pointing to the recently completed Interlocal Agreement for North U.S. 1 with the County.
“That was an extraordinary amount of work,” Boehm said. “He’s done a terrific job.”
Hayes, who has been city attorney for 17.5 years, said that he enjoys the legal challenges and there is no place he’d rather be.
“It’s an honor to serve this commission,” he said.
Also at the meeting, the officials approved a wage increase for Hayes and City Manager Joyce Shanahan that had been discussed at an earlier workshop. Research showed that their salaries were below levels in comparable cities and their increases had been infrequent in the past.
The city manager will receive a 2% salary increase for the current fiscal year and a 2% salary increase the following year, and the city attorney will receive a 5% salary increase for the current fiscal year and a 5% salary increase the following year.
