Deltona mayor faces scrutiny over taxpayer-funded trip, vote of no confidence scheduled

Deltona Mayor Santiago Avila, Jr. is in Tallahassee right now. When he gets back, he could be in some real trouble.

Commission to hold quasi-judicial hearing for mayor

What we know:

Deltona Mayor Santiago Avila Jr. has been suspended from using city funds and vehicles following a violation of the city’s travel policy. 

The City Commission voted to suspend these privileges until the next Commission meeting, where a quasi-judicial hearing will take place. This action comes after questions arose about the mayor’s taxpayer-funded trip to President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, which was not approved by the Commission as required by the city’s policy.

Documents show the city paid nearly $3,000 for the trip, including $1,700 for the Mayor and his wife’s hotel stay, mileage costs, and meal reimbursements.

What we don't know:

The full details of the Mayor’s "relationship building" trip remain unclear, as the purpose of attending the inauguration has been questioned by city officials and residents. It is also not yet decided whether the Mayor will be required to repay the city for the expenses, or if further sanctions will be imposed after the upcoming vote of no confidence.

The backstory:

The issue surrounding the Mayor’s trip was first raised by Commissioner Dori Howington during a City Commission meeting. Deltona’s travel policy requires approval from the Commission for out-of-state travel, which Mayor Avila did not obtain. This is not the first time the Mayor has faced scrutiny over taxpayer-funded travel; a similar issue arose last year when he traveled to Mississippi.

What they're saying:

Commissioner Dori Howington was the one who raised the issue at Monday’s City Commission meeting. It’s a pretty simple one.

"We have a policy, and we have an elected official that is not following policy."

The City of Deltona’s Travel Policy says if elected officials are going out of state, they must get approval by majority vote of the City Commission, but Mayor Santiago Avila Jr. didn’t do that.

"We live in a city that doesn't have a diversified tax base," said Commissioner Howington. "So for our residents to have to cover the fees for unnecessary expenses is a concern."

"The mayor is well aware of our travel policies," said Commissioner Stephen Colwell, who wound up calling for a vote of no confidence against the mayor. "This was brought up about a year ago, when he traveled to Mississippi."

"I’m not against him going on this trip," said former Commissioner Jody Lee Storozuk during the public comment period at Monday’s meeting. "The fact that we paid for it is a whole ‘nother ball game. 

"We have a process, the process was violated," another commenter said.

"We need to see what exactly was the purpose of going up there, what he charged, who okay’ed it, the whole nine yards," another resident demanded.

The mayor missed Monday’s meeting. He was scheduled to spend Monday through Wednesday in Tallahassee, with a city vehicle. When FOX 35 Reporter Marie Edinger asked him to interview Tuesday, he responded via text, "I will be speaking when I get back. I am extremely busy working on very important projects to be taking time to respond to an issue that honestly can wait until I come back."

Commissioner Howington said she also wants to put a freeze on reimbursements for the mayor’s travel expenses, and wants the mayor to repay the city for the trip. 

"If we do not police ourselves, we can just run rampant as city commissioners and the mayor."

Local perspective:

FOX 35 Reporter Marie Edinger asked around with other Volusia County officials to find out whether this was normal. 

Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie didn’t attend the inauguration, but the City did pay for him to attend the Mayoral Conference in D.C. the weekend prior. 

Mayor Diezel DePew with the City of Edgewater did go to the inauguration, but the City didn’t pay for it – and he never asked them to. He told Edinger on the phone Tuesday, "I wouldn’t expect the taxpayers to pay for an out-of-state event."

Deland Mayor Chris Cloudman and Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry didn’t attend either event.

What's next:

The city will be discussing a vote of no confidence at their upcoming meeting on Feb. 17.

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the City of Deltona. 

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