It took only a few minutes Feb. 26 for the Deltona City Commission to replace a member who had abruptly resigned last month.
With no fanfare or delay, the six-member body chose Davison Heriot to represent District 1, which covers the northeast portion of the city. Heriot was one of nine people who had applied to fill the vacancy created by the unexpected exit of Commissioner Tom Burbank. Burbank resigned without stating a reason.
Heriot was the top choice of the six other members of the Deltona governing body. Mayor Santiago Avila Jr. and his colleagues ranked the choices on ballots, and Heriot was the overall leading choice.
“I think this is an opposing to actually make a difference for the residents, and I hope to show them in the next few months that I can do that,” Heriot replied, when asked why he had sought the office.
The two big issues he and his new colleagues on the commission are now facing, he said, are the selection of Deltona’s next permanent city manager and formulating a new budget.
Heriot was chosen to serve as a commissioner until mid-November, when the voters in District 1 will elect someone to fill the remaining two years of the four-year term for which Burbank was elected in 2022. Asked if he plans to run for the shortened term as a city commissioner, Heriot answered, “No. That’s not on my horizon.”
Heriot is the second new member to appear on the City Commission in as many months. Earlier this year, District 2 Commissioner Anita Bradford resigned because of health problems. Troy Shimkus was elected to fill her vacancy until a new commissioner is elected in November.
“It’s a tough choice because there were so many great candidates,” Shimkus said, after Heriot secured the appointment.
Three of those who applied for the appointment did not qualify to serve as a commissioner, because they do not reside in District 1.
Deltona has six single-member commission districts, meaning only the voters living within each of the political zones vote for one representative on the elected panel. Those seeking to be mayor or Deltona run for the office citywide.
