Daytona Beach residents push to break away, join Ormond Beach

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A group of Daytona Beach residents and business owners is pushing for part of the city's beachside to break away and become part of neighboring Ormond Beach, citing concerns about public safety, homelessness and what they describe as a lack of attention from city leaders.

The proposal would remove a portion of Daytona Beach's beachside from the city and annex it into Ormond Beach. No boundary changes have been approved, and local officials said the proposal faces a lengthy process.

Residents say they want out

What they're saying:

Supporters of the effort say they believe the beachside would be better served under Ormond Beach's leadership.

"We've had it with the city," one supporter said. "Anything that we get is better than what we have right now."

Residents and business owners involved in the effort cited concerns about the area's upkeep and what they described as persistent problems involving homelessness, drugs and public safety.

One supporter questioned the effect those conditions could have on tourism and businesses, describing people lying across sidewalks as visitors walk through the area.

Ormond Beach mayor calls proposal a 'long shot'

The other side:

Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie said he learned about the proposal after a resident gave him paperwork outlining the idea.

"Pretty surprised at first, and I had to call the individual to make sure that this was even real," Leslie said.

Leslie said the proposal is legitimate but cautioned that completing such a change would be difficult.

"It's real, but it's a long shot," he said.

Residents can begin the process, but they cannot change municipal boundaries on their own. City leaders would ultimately have to approve the move.

Leslie said he appreciated that residents were considering Ormond Beach but hoped they could resolve their concerns with Daytona Beach officials.

"I'm really thankful that they were thinking of us, but I just hope that these individuals can, you know, continue working with their city leaderships and hope that they can come to some kind of resolution," Leslie said.

Proposal has not been approved

Daytona Beach's mayor and other local officials had been contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of the report.

No part of the proposal has been approved, and supporters would still face a lengthy process before any municipal boundaries could change.

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