VOLUSIA COUNTY, Florida. – One of the biggest races in Volusia County on August 20 is for the presidency of the County Council. The incumbent has three opponents, all of whom have a long history in the Volusia community.

To win the election outright, the winning candidate must receive more than 50% of the vote, otherwise there will be a runoff election in November between the two candidates with the most votes.

News 6 met with all four candidates to ask them why they are running and what their top priorities are.

(RELATED: Everything on the Volusia County ballot for the August 20 election | Florida Voter Guide)

JEFF BROWER — Incumbent

Campaign website

Why did you decide to run again?

“I have three big goals that I want to achieve. Actually, that’s what I set out to do when I first ran for office. But we have enormous problems with the way we are developing, with overdevelopment, the flooding that it causes and the tax increases that it requires. We have lowered taxes – if the council approves it.

“When I travel around the county, I hear from everyone: too much construction, too fast, too much flooding in the neighborhoods. We have work to do. We are making progress, but the government is working slowly and it is difficult to get anything done in four years. There are big things I want to do, but we are very close. The best way to accomplish those big things is if the people of Volusia County elect me in the primary, by 50% plus one vote, or even more if they elect me in record numbers.”

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

“I’m a regular guy. It’s a grassroots campaign. We don’t have a lot of money. We have a lot of support from the working people of Volusia County and I will represent everyone, I want to represent every person in the county. We have to bring the people together. I am the people’s candidate.”

DON BURNETTE – Mayor of Port Orange

Campaign website

Why did you decide to run for office?

“I’ve been mayor here in Port Orange for eight years and it’s been the joy of my life. I wouldn’t give it up, but I’m still trying to figure out why I have term limits and Congress doesn’t and I do. I’ve lived here my whole life, I grew up here and I feel like in Port Orange we’ve found a way to get people to work together. I want to bring that spirit, people working together and aligned, goal-oriented and doing the things we need to do to make Volusia County great. Much like we’ve done here in Port Orange.”

What sets you apart from the other candidates and what are your top priorities if you are elected?

“I think it’s important to know that experience counts. We’ve seen that before in county chair races where we’ve elected people who’ve never done the job before, and it’s very difficult. Even the best people have a learning curve, and Volusia County can’t afford that learning curve. We have serious problems with beach erosion. We have serious problems with not acquiring enough land to maintain it. We have problems with our emergency services, things like that that we need to address. We’re increasing our budget. We increased the general fund by 11% last year. What are we getting for our money? We need to be able to address that from day one.”

DEB DENYS – Real estate agent and former member of the Volusia County Council and School Board

Campaign website

Why did you decide to run for office?

“About a year and a half ago, I was asked if I would run again. I had a meeting with some people and I said ‘no,’ and meant it at the time. But as the election season went on, issues came up and I stayed involved in our community, serving on various boards as I always do, meeting with groups. It kept being suggested to me. At the last meeting, there was an issue where I was helping somebody and they said, ‘We really wish you were still on council,’ and I said, ‘What if it was me?’ So I came in at the last minute. By the last week of qualifying, I knew what I was getting into. At that point, there were already three candidates in the race who had been on for over a year and a half.

“But I am so committed to Volusia County and representing our citizens that I wrote my own check to qualify. I put my money where my mouth is because I truly believe Volusia’s best days are ahead of us. In fact, I’m going to Tallahassee because I serve on the state board of Florida Communities Trust, which is responsible for all of Florida Forever’s money. I was appointed by Governor DeSantis, so I’m going to Tallahassee to represent Volusia County in the state of Florida.”

What sets you apart from the other candidates and what are your top priorities if you are elected?

“Issues come and go in every campaign and many issues that a candidate is fighting for are already the issues of the day. But new issues will arise when you are in office that most of the time have not even been identified. That has to do with leadership and that is why I was asked to get involved here because this race for Volusia County Presidency is about leadership and being able to lead from the podium and build collaboration, not only with the council and other elected officials but also with our cities and our other agencies. That has been lacking for some time. I hope to bring those leadership skills and all the life skills that I currently have and use to serve our community and multiple boards and nonprofits back to the podium in Volusia County.”

RANDY DYE – Car dealership owner and philanthropist

Campaign website

Why did you decide to run for office?

“I’ve been here since 1982 and fortunately a lot of people have been focused on helping me develop as a person, as a business person and as a community leader. For me, this is an extension of that — I signed up, I’m ready to go and I want to get to work. When you’ve tasted the American dream, and I did in Volusia County, I didn’t really know what that meant, what the American dream was about. I was just told that if you work hard and keep busy, do the right things, then you’ll understand a little bit of what the American dream is. Volusia County has provided me with that and I want to make sure we’re able to provide the same opportunities to everyone else. I think my 42 years here and my experience have made now the right time to get ready and understand what needs to be, how to be compassionate at the same time and how to be businesslike when you’re trying to manage a $1.2 billion budget.”

What sets you apart from the other candidates and what are your top priorities if you are elected?

“We’ve been here since 1982, and this county is a lot different now than it was then. I feel like, and voters have told me, they’re kind of tired of chaotic development, and that’s what it feels like. It feels very chaotic. Part of it was explosive growth when COVID came, and a lot of people were coming from the north to the south. We were open – they were closed. But that doesn’t mean you can use that as an excuse. You have to figure out how to deal with it, and the most important thing would be to make sure we bring some level of control to that chaotic growth.

“Secondly, it’s about public safety. In my view, nothing else matters if we’re not safe as a community. You should be able to go to the grocery store and feel safe. You should be able to go to church and feel safe. You should be able to go shopping and feel safe. The world has changed. The world is different than it was a few years ago. Our public safety in Volusia County is phenomenal. They’re great people. They do great work. But we need to make sure we support them, and we need to make sure we support them so they can support us and keep us safe. I have no political ambitions beyond this position. I don’t want to be a state senator or state representative, a U.S. senator or U.S. House of Representatives. This is where I live, and I think the difference in my entry into the campaign is that I’m the only non-politician involved in the process. What I really want to bring to this office is a business approach and not so much a political process.”

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