- February 22, 2025
Is the city of Ormond Beach headed in the right direction?
This is a concept in which the candidates running for the city's mayoral seat differ in opinion. For incumbent Mayor Bill Partington, the answer is yes. The city's slow growth rate, balanced budget and quality of life are evidence of that, said the mayor during his final remarks for the Citizens for Ormond Beach virtual candidates forum on Wednesday, Sept. 30.
For his opponent Rob Bridger, who ran against Partington unsuccessfully in 2018 but said he has decided to run again to give citizens "a choice and voice in how growth and development is to be responsibly managed," the city has work to do to restore trust. He said he 2018 clearcutting of Granada Pointe negatively impacted the city, and that not much has changed two years later.
In addition to Bridger and Partington, the forum also featured the candidates for the Florida House of Representatives for District 25 and 26. Here is a summary of how the forum went.
The first topic addressed by the candidates was Avalon Park Daytona, a master planned community west of I-95 that could bring in over 10,000 new homes to the area. Neither candidate favors the project, but Bridger and Partington did differ on their approach to deal with the development's impacts.
Bridger, a U.S. Navy veteran who worked for the state for 35 years administrating several health and human service programs, said the 2006 comprehensive settlement agreement with Daytona Beach should be revisited, as Ormond will be providing water and sewer to the development at a wholesale rate. Bridger said the city needs to exhaust legal remedies to find "every way to get in the way" of Avalon Park Daytona.
“Avalon Park will be a disaster for Ormond Beach in its small city character and quality of life," he said.
Partington said the city cannot walk away from the settlement because they have contractual court-ordered obligations within it, just like Daytona Beach. The settlement also gives the city some control in the matter as well, he explained, as the developer has to work with Ormond Beach and that will make it difficult for the developer to expand Avalon Park beyond the 3,000 homes he is already permitted to build.
“First of all, honorable people don’t walk way from their agreements," Partington said. "It’d be dishonorable and Ormond Beach is not dishonorable. We uphold our agreements.”
The candidates were also asked about their thoughts on affordable housing, and Partington said the biggest issue is finding people willing to construct workforce housing. In 2017, the commission approved an affordable housing project off Interchange Bouleavard, but the project fell through on the developer's side after he failed to obtain grant funding.
Bridger said the housing issue needs to be examined across the boarrd, and that there are several apartment complexes being built on the outskirts of Ormond Beach in Daytona's jurisdiction. When speaking about housing, he said they need to look at making sure schools have the capacity to handle more students. The cost of housing also needs to be addressed, Bridger said.
The candidates also differed on their stances regarding the city's COVID-19 response. Bridger said his family has taken the pandemic seriously, as his wife and daughter are both nurses. He criticized the city's decision to issue permits for Biketoberfest, and pointed out that he called upon the city to mandate masks and the mayor chose instead to issue a proclamation.
“My position is that our incumbent the mayor has abdicated his moral responsibility to provide leadership on this issue and to protect the health and safety of Ormond Beach citizens and residents," Bridger said.
Partington said the city's response and was appropriate and legally enforceable, and that the commission worked hard to help businesses by allowing extra signage and outdoor seating.
“And we did that, not by mandating," Partington said. "not by government coming down and telling you what you have to do, but by telling and asking folks, ‘This is the right thing to do. Please do it. For your safety, and everyone else’s.’”
The last issue the candidates touched on was protecting the Loop. Partington said everyone loves it, and that it's been preserved thanks to Joe Jaynes, chairman of the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail Scenic Byway corridor management entity board; Rita Press, past CFOB chair; and other residents who got involved in designating it as a scenic byway. The best way to save the Loop is to donate to the organization.
“It’s beautiful," Partington said. "It’s always going to be preserved and protected, and I think Ormond Beach wants to do whatever is possible to protect the Loop.”
Bridger said when the topic of "Save the Loop" comes around, they're talking about Plantation Oaks, a development that's been controversial since 2002 and is now seeking to drop the age restriction from the first phase of development as well as pursue the construction of single-family homes rather than manufactured housing. Bridger said they should establish the 175-foot buffer as an easement and close the entrance and exit of Plantation Oaks Boulevard onto Old Dixie Highway. He also suggested the city negotiate with the developer to decrease density and build bigger lots.
“Through negotiation with the developer, we would look at moving forward to save the Loop and using Volusia Forever funds to purchase any other available parcels for preservation," he said.
Running against each other again in 2020 are incumbent Republican Florida Rep. Tom Leek and Ormond Beach Libertarian Joe Hannoush. Democrat Sarah Zutter is also in the race, but opted out of participating in the CFOB forum.
Hannoush, who works for his family's dry cleaning stores in Volusia County, said he is running to give voters more choices on the ballot. He is in favor of price transparency as it relates to health care, the legalization of possession of cannabis, and is against property taxes.
Leek was first elected in 2016. His bill restricting bail for sexual offenders for post-trial motions and appeals, which he filed in response to the Mark Fugler case, passed earlier this summer.
The candidates were asked about the governor's recent decision to reopen the state in accordance to phase 3 of his plan, and both said they agreed with the decision. Leek, who was part of Desantis's reopening taskforce, said he wanted the state to reopen safely, but that ultimately, they had to reopen.
Hannoush said the state shouldn't have closed in the first place and that the decision to close was unfair, and that it harmed local businesses.
Both candidates were also opposed to the amendment seeking to raise the minimum wage to $15. Hannoush said he will be voting no because the amendment hurts businesses.
“The value for $15 an hour is just not there for these mom-and-pop businesses that get by on a shoestring budget," he said.
Leek is also voting no on the amendment, saying it should be up to the free market to decide wages.
“Every time that government tries to mess around with economics, they lose," Leek said.
When it comes to clean water, Leek said that has been an important issue for him since he was elected. He proposed a bill in 2017 that would have required a house on septic to have its tank inspected when the property sold. If a faulty system was discovered, its replacement would have to be negotiated in the sale. The bill failed, as Leek said real estate agents opposed it because it would slow down the housing market.
Hannoush said first the state needs to look at its aquifer levels and make sure necessary remedies to that are taken care of. He also said the state needs to hold accountable the entities responsible for releasing toxins into our waterways and causing algae blooms.
To watch the full forum, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIg-Bd4l10I
