Deltona set to switch

By Al Everson
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted Jul 5, 2008 - 4:54:29pm

The biggest city in Volusia County is poised to move its municipal elections to combine them with presidential and gubernatorial elections.

The final vote is set tonight, July 7, on an ordinance that would change the election cycle and give the sitting Deltona City Commission members an extra year in office.

The City Commission already passed, on first reading, an ordinance that amends the city's charter by changing Deltona elections to even-numbered years. The July 7 vote is a second and final reading.

Not everyone is pleased.

"I think it should be given to the people to decide," said Richard Hylton, who lives in Deltona's District 2. "Give some opportunities back to the people."

The Deltona City Commission has the option to put the question to voters in a referendum.

City Commissioner Zenaida Denizac agreed with Hylton, even though the switch in election years would give her an extra year in office.

"The people elected us, and this question should be given back to the voters," she said. "Let the people decide."

Normally, Deltona's charter — or any other city charter — may be amended only by a majority vote of electors in the city. However, a state law allowing cities to opt out of the current municipal-election schedule takes priority over the charter, so a referendum is not required.

Since its incorporation in 1995, Deltona, along with most other Volusia County cities, has conducted municipal elections in the fall of odd-numbered years.

By joining with other cities to set their elections in even years, Volusia County Elections Supervisor Ann McFall said, Deltona could see a major benefit.

"Though you shouldn't do it just to save money, the city will save money," she said.

McFall said a citywide election now costs Deltona about $60,000, but that expense would be less if municipal voting occurs when county, state and national elections are already taking place during even-numbered years.

Besides saving cash, McFall told the commission the voter participation would be much greater.

"The turnout is going to be unbelievable," she said.

McFall went so far as to predict more than 80 percent of eligible voters would show up at the polls for municipal elections, if they are part of a bigger event. Municipal elections in the odd years in Volusia County often draw 20 percent or fewer of the eligible voters.

"When only 500 people vote in a district, that's not a majority in the district," said Commissioner Michele McFall-Conte, daughter of Ann McFall.

McFall-Conte recalled she had been elected by a coin toss in 2001, because she and her opponent received an equal number of votes in the District 3 contest. More ballots cast, she reasoned, lessens the likelihood of such a tie-breaker.

Mayor Dennis Mulder also liked the idea of changing the city's election cycle.

"The more people that vote, the more opportunity there is for representation," Mulder said.

If the city's election schedule changes, the terms of Mulder and three other city commissioners — Denizac, Janet Deyette and McFall-Conte — would be extended by one year. The next municipal election in Deltona will be in 2010, if the ordinance revising the city charter is enacted.

The other three members of the seven-member City Commission EXPLAIN ABOUT THEM HERE.

The four-year terms of Mulder and Commissioners Denizac, Deyette and McFall-Conte are supposed to expire in 2009. Mulder, Denizac and Deyette are eligible to seek re-election, but McFall-Conte may not run again, because the charter limits elected officials to no more than two consecutive four-year terms in the same position.

Like Denizac, Commissioner Herb Zischkau opposed changing the election procedure without the approval of the voters.

"When I voted for Mr. Mulder for mayor, I voted with the understanding it was for four years," said Zischkau, who himself was elected last fall. "To do it without a referendum slaps the people in the face. ... We have a charter-review process going on right now. ... I think that a much better and more respectful ... way of doing this would be a charter amendment on the ballot."

While there will be no Deltona elections this year, proposed amendments of the city's charter may be placed on the Nov. 4 general-election ballot.

Zischkau and Denizac voted against changing the city's elections. Their five colleagues voted for the ordinance, on first reading. The majority consisted of Mulder, Vice Mayor Michael Carmolingo, and Commissioners Deyette, McFall-Conte and Paul Treusch.

— al@beacononlinenews.com

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