Firestorm in Deltona: Vote of no confidence in mayor halted — for now

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Firestorm in Deltona: Vote of no confidence in mayor halted — for now
BEACON PHOTO/MARSHA MCLAUGHLIN; Deltona mayor Santiago Avila at the June 19 unveiling of a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. statue

There is another controversy rocking Deltona, and the man at the center of the story was away from the fiery fray over his recent trips to Washington and Tallahassee.

Mayor Santiago Avila Jr. came under attack from city commissioners Feb. 3, for allegedly violating city travel policies. Avila, who was not present for the regular City Commission meeting, became a target for taking trips that critics question. 

“We have a problem. We have policies in place, and nobody is following them,” Commissioner Dori Howington said at a Deltona meeting Feb. 3. “We are supposed to know when people are traveling on city business.”

The mix was compounded by assertions that Avila had driven a city vehicle to the nation’s capital for President Donald Trump’s inauguration, and had allegedly used a city-issued credit card.

Avila did use a car to go to Washington, but City Clerk Joyce Raftery said he had not used a city-issued credit card.

A wild card came near the end of the Deltona meeting, when former City Commissioner Jody Lee Storozuk disclosed he had given to Raftery his campaign-filing papers to run against Avila in next year’s municipal election.

In any case, as she sensed that her colleagues were not willing to discuss the mayor’s travels, Howington voiced frustration.

“So we’re not talking about it. We’re brushing it under the rug,” she said.

The pace of attention and the rhetoric then escalated.

“I would like to ask for a vote of no confidence,” Commissioner Stephen Colwell said.

Howington quickly seconded the call.

“But I also want to make a motion for repayment, as well,” she added.

City Attorney Gemma Torcivia intervened to advise the governing body to avoid taking final action on censuring the mayor. Torcivia said any action against Mayor Avila should wait until after “a formal quasi-judicial hearing,” similar to a court proceeding.

“You can ask for a consensus, but you cannot take any action,” she told the City Commission. 

That hearing would have to be scheduled for a later time. The commission, after some discussion, agreed to place the issue on the agenda of its next regular meeting, scheduled for Feb. 17.

Commissioner Maritza Avila-Vazquez wanted something more immediate, given her understanding of the travel policy for elected officials and city employees.

“The mayor knew. Shame on him if he didn’t,” she said. “I had no idea he was going to Washington. … So he should know what he can and can’t do.”

During public comment on the issue, Storozuk said he understood why his possible would-be opponent would travel to Washington for Trump’s inauguration.

“It’s a historic event,” he added. “I just don’t think we ought to pay for it.”

“Everything he went up there for — it’s of no benefit to the city,” Storozuk said. “It’s really a vacation.”

City Manager Dale “Doc” Dougherty confirmed Avila had made official travel to Washington for a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which coincided with the inaugural weekend. Moreover, he added, Avila had missed the City Commission meeting because he had gone to Tallahassee to confer with state lawmakers about possible appropriations for Deltona during the Florida Legislature’s upcoming general session and budget deliberations.

“I believe he had a list of meetings today with senior elected officials,” Dougherty told the commission.

The City Commission also voted 4-1 in favor of a motion to take away from Avila the use of a city vehicle and to restrict his use of credit cards belonging to the city. Commissioner Emma Santiago dissented. Commissioner Nick Lulli was also absent from the meeting.

As the debate about Mayor Avila’s travels began, Santiago had a few words for her colleagues, telling them to “keep the social-media drama” out of their discussions.

Contacted after the meeting had ended, Mayor Avila confirmed he was in Tallahassee, and that he had gone to D.C. to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors gathering. Though he said he had not attended the inauguration ceremonies, Avila noted that he had gone to two inaugural balls. 

Avila also said he had thanked U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, R-Port Orange, for his support for including funding for Deltona’s capital needs in the House version of the new budget. 

“We were able to secure $44 million in the House. I wanted to make sure that we have the support from Sen. [Rick] Scott to pass the Senate,” Avila told The Beacon.

“When we get the money from Cory Mills, I don’t expect any of those who attacked me to come and take photos of the check.”

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Born in Virginia, Al spent his youth in Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia, and first moved to DeLand in 1969. He graduated from Stetson University in 1971, and returned to West Volusia in 1985. Al began working for The Beacon as a stringer in 1999, contributing articles on county and municipal government and, when he left his job as the one-man news department at Radio Station WXVQ, began working at The Beacon full time.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Once again misinformation and personal attitudes take the place of reasonable and civil deliberation. All of this only adds more to the calamity that is Deltona‘s Civic image.

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