Deltona approves 9-month moratorium on new development
By Lillian Hernández Caraballo
July 2, 2025 at 2:58 PM EDT
At a special meeting Monday, the Deltona City Commission voted to approve a “controversial” new ordinance that puts a temporary stop on new construction as the city weighs the impacts of development on its infrastructure. But it comes as a new Florida state law takes effect that preempts local governments from making these kinds of regulations.
Ordinance No. 25-2029 passed narrowly, with a 4 to 3 vote, imposing a nine-month moratorium on new residential development. But SB 180, which became effective Monday, is a new Florida law that blocks local governments from proposing or adopting building moratoriums for one year after a designated hurricane makes landfall in that county or municipality, casting uncertainty on the legal standing of the ordinance.
The argument for a slowdown
Proponents of the moratorium, like Commissioner Dori Howington — who spearheaded the new mandate — said a slowdown is necessary to give the town time to reassess some urgent infrastructural needs that have risen in recent years due to the effects of hurricanes along with the area’s increasing population and development growth. Howington said this has left locals navigating overcrowded schools, jammed traffic, overburdened drainage, loss of aesthetic and environmental quality, as well as constant recovery from persistent floods.
Longtime Deltona resident Kathy Bryan shares her thoughts in favor of the moratorium at Deltona City Hall on Monday, June 30, 2025. "We are ruining the reasons people come down here to live,” she said. (4000x2240, AR: 1.7857142857142858)
The District 4 commissioner said the new state law oversteps local needs and that Deltona must take a stand against government overreach.
“Our residents have been asking for this for years. They've been asking for help. They've been asking for resolve, and we haven't been giving it to them,” Howington said. “Now we're being faced with state issues, and it really becomes the situation where, if it's not now, then, when? We've started to lose our rights and our ability to govern locally. At what point do we say, ‘Enough is enough?”
A recent budget meeting revealed the town’s emergency services are overwhelmed, with not enough resources to properly serve all new residents. Howington said it’s become unsafe.
“We have added so many houses in the past few years that our community has just fallen behind. As we just heard in our most recent budget meeting, our fire services have fallen extremely far behind. We have five stations. We need seven. Ideally, they'd like to see 21,” she said.
The counterarguments
District 4 Commissioner Dori Howington (2128x3252, AR: 0.6543665436654367)
Critics of the measure said the new ordinance is unconstitutional and “picks a fight” with state lawmakers, fearing that this decision will instigate a lack of cooperation, even retaliation.
Mayor Santiago Ávila Jr., who was a “NO” vote, said that was his biggest concern.
“We are literally touting that we just passed an unconstitutional ordinance, and we're kind of saying, ‘Hey, Governor. We're here. We want to pick a fight with you.’ Ask the Speaker of the House how that went. I'm not playing that game. I'm not spending taxpayer dollars on these shenanigans and this silliness. That's what this is,” the mayor said.
City attorneys at the special commission meeting advised officials that SB 180, now Florida Law Chapter 2025-180, would make any decisions to adopt the ordinance immediately moot and that “a moratorium very likely will be considered null and void upon passage.”
Ávila said commissioners are using “fear mongering” to push an agenda and gain favor with voters, weaponizing people’s emotions as a political move.
“This was political posturing,” he said. “Making people think that they're doing something for them, but they're really not. I don't believe it comes from a good place. I believe this is all being pushed by a consultant.”
What are residents saying?
Deltona Mayor Santiago Ávila Jr. (2079x3000, AR: 0.693)
Most of the residents of Deltona present at Monday’s meeting were showing their support for the moratorium and demanding slower, “smart” development. They expressed concerns with water quality problems, like saltwater intrusion and chemical runoff, as well as drainage issues that could have long-standing impacts on the region.
“We are ruining the reasons people come down here to live,” said Kathy Bryan, a resident at the meeting. “I'm sorry the state's doing that, but I would be real curious if we have some other cities that would be on board.”
Stephanie Cox has been a Deltona resident since 1981. She arrived at Deltona City Hall early and was there holding up signs: “They forgot… They work for US,” one read. She said the people of Deltona are “digging themselves a hole.”
Standing with Cox was Lindsey Briones, who said she’s had to move out of Deltona. “I’m an insurance agent who is constantly seeing the damage and destruction that overdevelopment is causing,” she said.
Sue Burks, Osteen resident since 1989, was also there to support the mandate. Osteen is an unincorporated region of southwestern Volusia County, neighboring Deltona. She said overdevelopment in her area has brought on problems, and she’d like to see the county stop the rezoning, “build responsibly,” and take up lower-impact development approaches.
Sue Burks sports her Osteen Preservation Society t-shirt outside Deltona City Hall on Monday, June 30, 2025. (3000x4000, AR: 0.75)
“With all this crazy development, they're taking up all the trees that we need to absorb the water from all the rain. We need them, and they're just ripping them out,” Burks said.
One resident spoke against the moratorium — Alison Root, whose career spans 20 years in construction and is currently the executive officer of the Volusia Building Industry Association. Root said she was concerned the city is already losing money in current litigation battles.
"As each of you were sworn into your positions, you took an oath to office to uphold not only the U.S. Constitution, but the State of Florida legislation. Last week, Gov. DeSantis signed SB 180 — whether you are in favor of it or you are not in favor of it — it is our current legislation, and it is in effect today,” she said. “So, if you would like to fight this battle with taxpayer dollars, that's something you can do, but that's not a decision that's been made tonight.”
Resident Tim Blodgett acknowledged the rewards and the risks.
“It really does appear that the state has no idea what our problems are, unfortunately, and if we're going to get sued for every time we try to protect our town – I don't know – is it worth it?” Blodgett said. “So here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to support whatever you guys decide — if we're going to lead a fight against the state, great, but I'd rather we were not the spearhead of it. I wouldn't mind us joining somebody else, like Windermere, they got deep pockets, but Deltona really doesn’t.”
Supporters of the moratorium said they hope other jurisdictions in Volusia County and across the state will join them so they don’t stand alone and increase their chances of getting the new law amended or struck down.
Sur Burks on her way in to Deltona City Hall on Monday, June 30, 2025. (3987x2237, AR: 1.7822977201609298)
Lillian Hernández Caraballo is a Report for America corps member.
Ordinance No. 25-2029 passed narrowly, with a 4 to 3 vote, imposing a nine-month moratorium on new residential development. But SB 180, which became effective Monday, is a new Florida law that blocks local governments from proposing or adopting building moratoriums for one year after a designated hurricane makes landfall in that county or municipality, casting uncertainty on the legal standing of the ordinance.
The argument for a slowdown
Proponents of the moratorium, like Commissioner Dori Howington — who spearheaded the new mandate — said a slowdown is necessary to give the town time to reassess some urgent infrastructural needs that have risen in recent years due to the effects of hurricanes along with the area’s increasing population and development growth. Howington said this has left locals navigating overcrowded schools, jammed traffic, overburdened drainage, loss of aesthetic and environmental quality, as well as constant recovery from persistent floods.
Longtime Deltona resident Kathy Bryan shares her thoughts in favor of the moratorium at Deltona City Hall on Monday, June 30, 2025. "We are ruining the reasons people come down here to live,” she said. (4000x2240, AR: 1.7857142857142858)
The District 4 commissioner said the new state law oversteps local needs and that Deltona must take a stand against government overreach.
“Our residents have been asking for this for years. They've been asking for help. They've been asking for resolve, and we haven't been giving it to them,” Howington said. “Now we're being faced with state issues, and it really becomes the situation where, if it's not now, then, when? We've started to lose our rights and our ability to govern locally. At what point do we say, ‘Enough is enough?”
A recent budget meeting revealed the town’s emergency services are overwhelmed, with not enough resources to properly serve all new residents. Howington said it’s become unsafe.
“We have added so many houses in the past few years that our community has just fallen behind. As we just heard in our most recent budget meeting, our fire services have fallen extremely far behind. We have five stations. We need seven. Ideally, they'd like to see 21,” she said.
The counterarguments
District 4 Commissioner Dori Howington (2128x3252, AR: 0.6543665436654367)
Critics of the measure said the new ordinance is unconstitutional and “picks a fight” with state lawmakers, fearing that this decision will instigate a lack of cooperation, even retaliation.
Mayor Santiago Ávila Jr., who was a “NO” vote, said that was his biggest concern.
“We are literally touting that we just passed an unconstitutional ordinance, and we're kind of saying, ‘Hey, Governor. We're here. We want to pick a fight with you.’ Ask the Speaker of the House how that went. I'm not playing that game. I'm not spending taxpayer dollars on these shenanigans and this silliness. That's what this is,” the mayor said.
City attorneys at the special commission meeting advised officials that SB 180, now Florida Law Chapter 2025-180, would make any decisions to adopt the ordinance immediately moot and that “a moratorium very likely will be considered null and void upon passage.”
Ávila said commissioners are using “fear mongering” to push an agenda and gain favor with voters, weaponizing people’s emotions as a political move.
“This was political posturing,” he said. “Making people think that they're doing something for them, but they're really not. I don't believe it comes from a good place. I believe this is all being pushed by a consultant.”
What are residents saying?
Deltona Mayor Santiago Ávila Jr. (2079x3000, AR: 0.693)
Most of the residents of Deltona present at Monday’s meeting were showing their support for the moratorium and demanding slower, “smart” development. They expressed concerns with water quality problems, like saltwater intrusion and chemical runoff, as well as drainage issues that could have long-standing impacts on the region.
“We are ruining the reasons people come down here to live,” said Kathy Bryan, a resident at the meeting. “I'm sorry the state's doing that, but I would be real curious if we have some other cities that would be on board.”
Stephanie Cox has been a Deltona resident since 1981. She arrived at Deltona City Hall early and was there holding up signs: “They forgot… They work for US,” one read. She said the people of Deltona are “digging themselves a hole.”
Standing with Cox was Lindsey Briones, who said she’s had to move out of Deltona. “I’m an insurance agent who is constantly seeing the damage and destruction that overdevelopment is causing,” she said.
Sue Burks, Osteen resident since 1989, was also there to support the mandate. Osteen is an unincorporated region of southwestern Volusia County, neighboring Deltona. She said overdevelopment in her area has brought on problems, and she’d like to see the county stop the rezoning, “build responsibly,” and take up lower-impact development approaches.
Sue Burks sports her Osteen Preservation Society t-shirt outside Deltona City Hall on Monday, June 30, 2025. (3000x4000, AR: 0.75)
“With all this crazy development, they're taking up all the trees that we need to absorb the water from all the rain. We need them, and they're just ripping them out,” Burks said.
One resident spoke against the moratorium — Alison Root, whose career spans 20 years in construction and is currently the executive officer of the Volusia Building Industry Association. Root said she was concerned the city is already losing money in current litigation battles.
"As each of you were sworn into your positions, you took an oath to office to uphold not only the U.S. Constitution, but the State of Florida legislation. Last week, Gov. DeSantis signed SB 180 — whether you are in favor of it or you are not in favor of it — it is our current legislation, and it is in effect today,” she said. “So, if you would like to fight this battle with taxpayer dollars, that's something you can do, but that's not a decision that's been made tonight.”
Resident Tim Blodgett acknowledged the rewards and the risks.
“It really does appear that the state has no idea what our problems are, unfortunately, and if we're going to get sued for every time we try to protect our town – I don't know – is it worth it?” Blodgett said. “So here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to support whatever you guys decide — if we're going to lead a fight against the state, great, but I'd rather we were not the spearhead of it. I wouldn't mind us joining somebody else, like Windermere, they got deep pockets, but Deltona really doesn’t.”
Supporters of the moratorium said they hope other jurisdictions in Volusia County and across the state will join them so they don’t stand alone and increase their chances of getting the new law amended or struck down.
Sur Burks on her way in to Deltona City Hall on Monday, June 30, 2025. (3987x2237, AR: 1.7822977201609298)
Lillian Hernández Caraballo is a Report for America corps member.