- October 7, 2024
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The Volusia County Council Chair election has now become a four-person race.
Former District 3 County Councilwoman Deb Denys filed to run for the seat on June 6. Denys, a real estate agent with Weichert Realtors, served on the council from 2012 to 2020 when she ran for County Council chair against incumbent Jeff Brower.
Denys said she was asked a year ago if she would consider running again. At the time, she said no. Two months ago, she changed her mind.
"Finally, I said, 'I think there's an opportunity,'" Denys said. "My skill sets, my leadership abilities, my connections — I'm going to bring all that strength and leadership skills back to the dais."
Denys is a member of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's College of Arts and Sciences Industrial Advisory Board, as well as serves as a governing board member of the Florida Communities Trust, a position she was appointed to by the governor.
She's also the former board of directors chair of the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program, the Central Florida Metropolitan Planning Organization and the River To Sea Transportation Planning Organization and served on the Volusia County School Board from 1994-1998.
Denys said she would use all of her experience to lead the County Council, if elected. Leadership, she said, comes down to listening, coming to a consensus and moving an item forward, or choosing not to.
During her time as a County Council member, some of her accomplishments included helping the city of Oak Hill with acquiring funding for its ongoing septic to sewer conversion, the hiring of an internal auditor for the county, and leaving Volusia County debt-free in its general fund when she stepped down in 2020.
"That's the most important thing as a council member, is our fiduciary responsibility with the tax dollars and to our citizens, and to be accountable and transparent," Denys said.
Denys said she looks forward to speaking with citizens once again about local issues and said she believes Volusia is in a position to "pick up some momentum here with good leadership" in regards to economic development.
If elected, Denys will be the only woman on the County Council. She is running against incumber Chair Jeff Brower, Port Orange Mayor Don Burnette, and local businessman and former race car driver Randy Dye, who has raised over $295,000 for his campaign. Brower has raised almost $45,000 and Burnette has raised about $32,500.
