Deltona Citizens Action Committee and

Commissioner Mike Carmolingo

Invite you to attend a

Public Information Forum

With the

St. John’s River Water

Management District

Thursday, April 29th 7:00 – 8:00PM

Commission Chambers

Deltona City Hall

2345 Providence Blvd.

Our Featured Speaker:

Mr. Ed Garland, Communication Specialist with the SJRWMD

     The discussion will be based on questions

composed by the committee

Deltona Citizens Action Committee

Discusses Upcoming Elections

Edward Bulwer-Lytton once wrote: “the pen is mightier than the sword.”  No truer words were ever said, especially when it comes to campaign time. Whether it is local Deltona elections, neighboring Cities, Volusia County, or national elections the statement holds true to form.

Soon we will be inundated with campaign literature stating why we should choose one candidate over another.  Literature and campaign advertising have for centuries given us our opportunity to be informed about the candidates' qualifications and about their stance on issues.

Herein lies the problem that we, as voters need to address: How does one wade through the mounds of information to choose a good candidate? Is all the information true and factual? Can a candidate truly live up to all the promises?

These are the most important questions one needs to consider.

The bottom line is there is no easy way to choose a good candidate as what is good for one person may not be good for another. Each person has their own thoughts and opinions. It is when differing opinions are not accepted that campaigns get nasty. Just because you disagree does not mean you are any less concerned about issues but that you have different ideas on which issues are important or how they are addressed.

Are negative campaigns effective…yes.  Are they beneficial to the public in general... no.   Are they an indicator of who is a better candidate... no.

Good candidates should stick to discussing issues.  If candidates wish to attack each other on the issues then all gloves are off and have at it!  Family attacks or personal attacks (other than voting records or stances on issues) have no business in a campaign.

Campaign time is a time of information both factual and false. How does one determine the truth? Unfortunately this is left up to the voter to research. Getting to personally know a candidate greatly assists in determining whether what is written is truth or fiction. It is great to meet candidates at small coffee gatherings or meet and greets where you can have the opportunity to interact directly with the candidate. It is this opportunity that you should take advantage of asking the questions you wish answered directly to the candidate. Meet them and decide for yourself. Remember, whomever your friends and neighbors like, may or may not be the same. Opinions will differ, but the choice will always be yours and yours alone regardless of the influences around you.

Can we believe the campaign promises?

This question is a little bit easier to answer…..probably not.  Not that they are not sincere in what they would like to do, but that they are limited in their ability to get the results they are promising. All candidates are only one vote of a governing body and can not promise the governing body will vote their way. It would be better if candidates again state what they would like to see happen but remind people they are only one vote.

The DCAC’s stance on the upcoming elections will continue as it has in the past. We welcome all candidates to post a link to their campaign web site where citizens can read background information and political stances on issues. The DCAC will not be endorsing any candidates. We feel it is up to the individual voter to read the information and make their own choice as to whom they feel would best represent the City.

DELTONA CITIZENS ACTION COMMITTEE

HISTORY DISPLAY

2009

To view the photos, click here!

DCAC Speaks to School Board

Regarding New Attendance Zones

November 18, 2009

DCAC Chairwoman Nancy Schleicher recently attended the Volusia County School Board meeting to fight for Deltona's children to remain in Deltona schools:

"Good afternoon,

My name is Nancy Schleicher, I am here speaking as Chairman of the Deltona Citizens Action Committee.  When the DCAC reviewed the proposed Zones for the new High School DDD we were greatly surprised to see that in both scenario 1 and scenario 2 the lines extend down Saxon to Providence removing a large section of our City.

Our City has 6 Commission districts and according to both scenarios 1 and 2 all of our City’s district 3 neighborhoods and most of district 4 neighborhoods would be zoned for High School DDD. That equates to 2 of our 6 districts or 1/3 of our City’s neighborhoods not attending either of the two high schools we currently have within our boundaries.

Our City and local businesses already support two high schools. With scenario 1 and 2 our businesses and residents would be looking at supporting three high schools. And again I need to point out that approximately 1/3 of our neighborhoods would not be attending either of the two highs schools we currently have.

We realize that the new school needs to be filled and tough decisions will need to be made. We are here to request that you look carefully at the boundaries, and ask that you keep as many Deltona neighborhoods in one of the two High Schools already within our City boundaries."

The Deltona Citizen’s Action Committee, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization formed by a group of Deltona residents concerned about negative publicity and negative politics. Inquiries can be made by writing the DCAC, Inc. at 1460 S. Baton Dr., Deltona, FL 32725 or calling (386) 574-5664. The group maintains a website at deltonacac.org which offers up to date information on current issues.

DCAC empowers through Q&A with

Volusia County Tax Appraiser Morgan Gilreath

September 12, 2009

Deltona, FL – Just in time for the 2009 budgeting and property tax season, Property Appraiser Morgan B. Gilreath Jr. was in Deltona to present “Appraising in Challenging Economic Times.”

Both outspoken and widely honored, Gilreath has served as the county’s chief property official since 1992, demonstrating remarkable community appeal. Gilreath writes extensively about local government’s response to fluctuating property valuation. Last year, he noted that as the “bubble” in property values expanded local government spending followed: increasing services, not keeping them consistent. As a result, property taxes could not decrease because of the new expense to maintain the new services. “One of my often-repeated mantras is ‘Spending equals taxes,’“ he writes.

Gilreath holds a Master’s Degree in Real Estate from University of Georgia and several professional certifications. Prior to local public service, he worked as a property tax educator and was principal in a firm that sold property appraiser software throughout North America. Gilreath served as Volusia’s chief deputy property appraiser for six years before being elected as Property Appraiser. Gilreath also received several gubernatorial, state and professional awards and commendations.

The forum was organized and hosted by the Deltona Citizens' Action Committee.

The Deltona Citizen’s Action Committee, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization formed by a group of Deltona residents concerned about negative publicity and negative politics. Inquiries can be made by writing the DCAC, Inc. at 1460 S. Baton Dr., Deltona, FL 32725 or calling (386) 574-5664. The group maintains a website at deltonacac.org which offers up to date information on current issues.

DCAC Members attend the First Anniversary get together Aug. 2. Chairman Schleicher reviewed initiatives including information about the city’s proposed Police Department, city documentation improvements and recently, the county’s ECHO program.

Deltona Citizens Action Committee Fundraiser

To raise funds for its programs, the DCAC is selling subscriptions to The West Volusia Beacon Newspaper. The Beacon will donate $10.00 to DCAC for each new subscription or each renewal!! Please show your support for your community and contact us for a subscription today!

If you are already receiving the Beacon, you can renew now and help the DCAC. If you have not subscribed to the Beacon, you may wish to give it a try.

The Beacon is a local paper covering West Volusia, and the editorials are timely and informative. The Beacon concentrates on issues that affect the West Volusia area not Seminole, Lake or Orange County! The Beacon was the first to bring us up to date on the water issues that will affect our area and many times are the only ones covering local City Commission or County Council meetings.

Subscriptions are mailed twice a week to your home. You can also subscribe to the internet editions.

Cost Information

$20.00 -- 6 month subscription

$35.00 **- year subscription (104 editions mailed to your home!)   (My favorite)

$50.00** - year Combo (print/internet editions)

** Subscription includes 1 free classified line ad a month!

You can also order two years for $65.00 and save an additional $5.00

If you are interested, call me at 574-5664 or e-mail me: nalo5@cfl.rr.com.

Thanks,

Nancy Schleicher, Chairman DCAC

.

Members of the DCAC mark your calendar for August 2, 2009.  We are celebrating our first Anniversary!

Our Anniversary meeting will take place August 2^nd, from 2:00 to 4:00pm.    Barbara  Masiarczyk will be hosting our party at their home at 2025 Adelia Blvd. (Click here for a map. )

We will be reviewing our first year and a brief overview of new and on going concerns. Refreshments will be served.

You may RSVP to Nancy Schleicher at 574-5664 or e-mail: nalo5@cfl.rr.com.  This will assist us in setting up and planning refreshments. Thank you.

“Hope to see you there.”

Nancy Schleicher

1460 South Baton Dr.

Comments made to the Deltona City Commission, March 2, 2009

Mayor, the Deltona Citizens Action Committee is very disappointed regarding the issue of your recent memo concerning the change of motion. It should not have taken the wide spread media to have made you change your mind.  Any person who has gone through school should know about the Constitution and the right of freedom of speech. The lack of this knowledge is inexcusable.

Your reference to being a political novice is equally inexcusable as you are not a first year Mayor. You are, in fact, the Mayor of the largest City in Volusia County and by now should be more than able to act in that capacity.

You ask us to forgive you and claim you are more than willing to work with your opponents. We have even lost some members because we did not make things personal and kept our integrity by sticking to the issues, yet after being asked three different times, as recently as, Tuesday night, February 24^th, you flat out refused to represent the City in the first Public Information Forum even after I reminded you that no questions would be asked from the audience and you would receive the questions to be asked two weeks before the forum.

It is hard to trust your word when we have watched residents plead to monitor spending and continually ask you to follow proper rules of order and City procedures over and over.  We feel when you no longer can trust your elected City officials to govern your City keeping the best interest of its residents in mind then it is time to step down.

Democracy took a bullet when Deltona opened the door to suing critics

Mayor Mulder asks Deltona City Commission to reverse citizen-lawsuit vote

DCAC THANKS the VOTERS

The Deltona Citizens Action Committee hit the street one more time to thank the residents for helping defeat the Deltona Police Department issue.

We are proud of our efforts and proud that the Deltona residents checked the figures and joined us in defeating this proposal.

Helen Sanders and Doug MacDonald Thank the voters after election day.

Thank you Deltona!

DCAC Applauds Deltona Voters’ Decision

to Reject Police Department

November 4, 2008 

Deltona, FL – The Deltona Citizens Action Committee, Inc. joined with Deltona voters tonight in calling for a halt of the expansion of city services and spending.

“The rejection of Deltona’s proposed police department should send a clear and resolute message to Deltona commissioners that residents demand a halt to excess spending,” said Nancy Schleicher, president of the non-profit DCAC. “We hope our current commissioners will heed the message in today’s vote.”

Tuesday, Deltona electors voted 55 percent to 45 percent to reject the city’s proposed police department. Although the city said the proposal wouldn’t cost any more than the current contract with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the DCAC established it could cost nearly double that amount.

The DCAC had questioned the information published by the city, stating numbers for patrolmen had been inflated and annual expense too low. Volusia Sheriff’s spokesman Gary Davidson called the city’s information “terribly inaccurate and misleading."

The Deltona Citizen’s Action Committee, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization formed by a group of Deltona residents concerned about negative publicity and negative politics. Inquiries can be made by writing the DCAC, Inc. at 1460 S. Baton Dr., Deltona, FL 32725 or calling (386) 574-5664. The group maintains a website at deltonacac.org which offers up to date information on current issues.

Voters Confused Over Deltona Police Department Referendum

Thursday, October 30, 2008 10:42:12 PM

DELTONA -- Voters heading to the polls said information being put out about a police department referendum is confusing.

Those for the police department are putting out numbers that a group against it said are misleading.

Deltona is currently patrolled by Volusia County Sheriff's deputies, and a police department would do away with a contract between the city and the Sheriff's office.

Now an e-mail from an unlikely source, a Sheriff's office spokesman, is being used by proponents of the police department to try to sway voters.

The author of the e-mail said it was never intended to do that.

"It’s clearly being misused and distorted in a way it was never intended to be used,” said Gary Davidson, the public information officer for the Sheriff’s office. “If this somehow is being viewed as an endorsement of the literature that's out there regarding this issue, it certainly is not."

Davidson encourages voters to look at the city's Web site where both a study commissioned by the city to look at the police department issue and the Sheriff's office study are on there.
 

Article Source:

Channel 13 Central Florida News

Looking out for Deltona

Published October 15, 2008 in the Orlando sentinel

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/letters/orl-le15_508oct15,0,7488546.story

The Deltona Citizens Action Committee was disheartened to read the city's latest newsletter to residents. We were appalled to read that an elected official intended to vote in support of the police referendum and charter amendments. We don't know if the use of the city's newsletter for elected officials' personal political platforms is legal or not, but we certainly know it isn't ethical.

The DCAC was formed to help rebuild a positive image for Deltona. We also work to expose improper actions in our city government that may tarnish that image. The City Commission was given the task of informing the public in a nonbiased manner regarding the police referendum and the city charter amendments.

The intent of the city's newsletter has always been to inform residents about local issues and to encourage them to vote, not to tell them how to vote. It is hard to improve our image until we improve such behavior.

NANCY SCHLEICHER


Chairman Deltona Citizens Action Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct. 9, 2008

CONTACT:

Nancy Schleicher,

President

Deltona Citizens Action Committee, Inc.

1460 S. Baton Dr

Deltona, FL 32725

(386) 574-5664

Deltona Citizens Action Committee Labels

City’s Police Referendum Promotion Misleading 

Deltona, FL – The Deltona Citizens Action Committee, Inc. today challenged Deltona city officials to provide voters with accurate information about their police department proposal.

“The DCAC is very concerned about the Know the Vote flyer,” said Nancy Schleicher, president of the non-profit DCAC. “We feel the costs used in the flyer are misleading.”

This week, the city began distributing its Know the Vote literature funded with $50,000 from property taxes. The brochure displays a chart listing figures for staff and wages both for the current law enforcement services provided by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and a proposed police department.

The chart indicates the city will have 81 “Patrol” and 12 “Admin.” By comparison, the chart states the county now provides 69 “Patrol” with three “Admin.” Further, the chart suggests a city police department will cost $8.7 million and compares that to the $9.1 million figure for the Sheriff’s Office contract.

Schleicher challenged the information, citing the city’s own Feasibility for Police Services Report published July 11 by Willdan Homeland Solutions. The figures in the city’s own report are quite different from those being advertised by the city, she said. The city paid the California firm $70,000 to determine whether Deltona could start and operate its own police department.

In that study, Willdan suggested the city could have a police department comprised of 51 patrol officers along with a chief and his executive staff of two captains, six lieutenants, 10 detectives, 11 sergeants and a dozen non-sworn employees. This is in contrast to the 81 “Patrol” positions listed in the city’s flyer. Only if you include all proposed “sworn” positions do you get 81. That number includes up to 30 positions that will not patrol our streets.

At the time the report was published, the county provided 65 deputies, one captain, two lieutenants, and nine sergeants. Also, the county contract calls for three administrative staff. But the flyer states the county provides 69 “Patrol.” According to the city’s own police consultants, that number is wrong. It includes all “sworn” Sheriff’s Office staff.

Since the report was published, Deltona commissioners slashed eight deputies from the Sheriff’s Office contract. As a result, the city will pay $8.7 million for protection, not the $9.1 million listed in the flyer. The city’s flyer states the police department will cost $8.7 million for the first year.

But a survey prepared by the Sheriff’s Office shows area police departments typically pay double the amount reported by the city. Similar-sized Florida cities pay between $21 million and $30 million each year, the Sheriff’s Office report shows.

“We feel they have mislead the public by not including the costs of overtime, records and evidence storage and many other necessary elements the city department will need in their reports,” Schleicher said. “We feel the VCSO presented a more accurate evaluation of costs needed to run a law enforcement agency. We encourage everyone to visit our website at www.deltonacac.org to review both reports. “

The Deltona Citizen’s Action Committee, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization formed by a group of Deltona residents concerned about negative publicity and negative politics. Inquiries can be made by writing the DCAC, Inc. at 1460 S. Baton Dr., Deltona, FL 32725 or calling (386) 574-5664. The group maintains a website at deltonacac.org which offers up to date information on current issues.
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct. 9, 2008

CONTACT:

Nancy Schleicher,

President

Deltona Citizens Action Committee, Inc.

1460 S. Baton Dr

Deltona, FL 32725

(386) 574-5664

Deltona Citizens Action Committee

Opposes Deltona Police Referendum

Deltona, FL – The Deltona Citizens Action Committee, Inc. today announced opposition to Deltona’s proposed Police Department referendum to come before voters during the General Election this year.

“We urge a ‘No’ vote for a Deltona Police Department,” said Nancy Schleicher, DCAC president.  “The current services we receive from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office far exceed anything the City of Deltona could afford.”

Schleicher cited the city’s own Feasibility for Police Services Report published July 11 by Willdan Homeland Solutions. The city paid the California firm $70,000 to determine whether Deltona could start and operate its own police department. The study noted the city already has one of the lowest crime rates of Central Florida cities and at a far lower patrolman to resident service level.

“According the consultant’s report, ‘It is important to note that Deltona has the lowest per capita cost, the lowest officer ratio per 1,000 population but still maintains a comparatively low crime rate,’ Schleicher said.  “According to the consultants it is ‘feasible’ although costs for Deltona were never clearly shown.  Again the DCAC has to ask, ‘Why change?’ ”

Currently, Deltona contracts with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services.  This year, the city will pay $8.7 million for protection after reducing the contract amount from $9.2 million last year.  The cut required the reduction of eight deputies, which city commissioners approved.

The report states first year costs for a new Deltona Police Department will cost the city $8.8 million if $4.3 million of the start-up costs are financed. The second year, the city will pay $9.3 million with financed start-up costs. The report does not state how much Deltona will continue to pay for Sheriff’s services while starting up the police department. There will be overlapping expenses as the city pays for both a Deltona Police Department and the VCSO contract.

“We feel the figures the City uses do not reflect the true cost to the residents,” she said. “According to the consultants, it is ‘feasible’ although costs for Deltona were never clearly shown.  According to the Willdan report, only DeLand has a smaller law enforcement budget but with a population of 26,905 while cities of similar size to Deltona showed considerably higher police budgets of $20 million up to $38 million.  We question how the City of Deltona can possibly afford a police department for $8.8 million.”

“Once again we ask why change. We urge a NO vote for a Deltona Police Department.

The Deltona Citizen’s Action Committee, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization formed by a group of Deltona residents concerned about negative publicity and negative politics. Inquiries can be made by writing the DCAC, Inc. at 1460 S. Baton Dr., Deltona, FL 32725 or calling (386) 574-5664. The group maintains a website at deltonacac.org which offers up to date information on current issues.

New watchdogs on the prowl in Deltona

By Al Everson
BEACON STAFF WRITER

Deltonans disenchanted with recent and pending public policies say they will work for positive change, by taking their case directly to their fellow citizens.

"If you don't get involved, you don't have a right to complain," said Nancy Schleicher, founder and chair of the Deltona Citizens Action Committee.

Schleicher addressed about 30 Deltona residents who turned out Sunday afternoon, Sept. 21, for a kick-off reception and meeting of the new political-action committee.

"As citizens, it is our right to have our voice heard," said Schleicher

Full story:

http://www.beacononlinenews.com/news/daily/1141

Stating that it is time to move Deltona forward and return a sense of community, resident Nancy Schleicher today announced the formation of the Deltona Citizens Action Committee, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation with the stated purpose of helping to create a more positive environment in Deltona, to improve on the welfare of the citizens of Deltona and to further such causes necessary to achieve a better Deltona through education of citizens, speaker’s bureau, forums and written, oral or electronic communication of information to the general public.

Schleicher, a retired Volusia county teacher and former candidate for Deltona City Commission said, “I've been watching what’s happening in Deltona and I've come to the realization that a sense of community comes from the citizens working with each other and the government, not from buildings and programs.”

Membership in the Deltona Citizens Action Committee, Inc. is open to Deltona residents, property owners, business owners and to non-residents wishing to aid in its cause.