- January 21, 2025
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Volusia County elected officials are gauging interest in the creation of a transportation subcommittee to address infrastructure needs amid current growth.
At the Roundtable of Volusia County Elected Officials meetings on Monday, March 14, officials discussed and slow and long-term approach to tackling road issues, beginning with a subcommittee comprised of elected officials and citizens. The discussion was a continuation of the officials' Jan. 10 roundtable conversation, where Port Orange Mayor Don Burnette pushed for leadership actions to address growing infrastructure needs.
His thoughts on the subject remained the same at this roundtable meeting.
"When we talk about transportation, we're talking about one of the biggest, heaviest political footballs any of us can carry," Burnette said. "But I also think the reason why the political football is so heavy is because it's also one of our most pressings needs."
To ignore it in fear of the topic being "politically damaging," Burnette continued, is wrong. He said he was willing to serve on the subcommittee. If the roundtable decides to take no action to address transportation, Burnette said there was cowardice in that, and that as leaders they should step forward.
He also suggested the roundtable look into taking a more comprehensive and citizen-based approach to tackling infrastructure needs this time around. In May 2019, a special election was held for a half-cent sales tax referendum for infrastructure projects; it failed by 55% of the vote.
"The public doesn't trust a process they don't feel like they're involved in," Burnette said. "You have to have citizen committees."
DeLand Mayor Bob Apgar said he agreed with taking a slower approach, and alluded to 2024 as a target, but didn't mention another sales tax referendum. With only a few months left in office, Apgar said he might be more effective as a private citizen for the subcommittee effort.
"The biggest thing that I hear from citizens when we talk about growth is really transportation," Apgar said. "The thing that will get people the maddest the quickest is waiting through three or four lights to get to where they want to go."
Burnette said all funding sources should be on the table — not just another sales tax proposal. Port Orange recently reviewed its impact fees, and that's a component as well.
"I think we also realize that our transportation needs are being created and recreated by things that are happening around us," he said. "Some things that we can control; Some things that we can't."
The elected officials decided to bring the discussion back to their councils and suggest those interested in participating in the subcommittee reach out to Deltona Mayor Heidi Herzberg, who serves as the roundtable chair.
Herzberg said she agreed that the current transportation issues shouldn't be ignored, even if they don't know where the discussion will lead.
"I think reaching out to the community is, at the minimum, what can happen with a subcommittee like this," she said.
The next roundtable meeting is set for May 9.
