Gov. Rick Scott visits Hard Rock Hotel in Daytona Beach

Ormond Beach Observer
News

Florida Gov. Rick Scott traveled to Daytona Beach on Friday, May 4 for a special ribbon cutting event at the city's new Hard Rock Hotel, congratulating hotel staff, the local business community and city and county officials.

“We appreciate your support of our community and your dedications to services in Florida and your leadership," said Skip Lilly, chairman of the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Standing in front of a large group of Hard Rock Hotel staff, and flanked on both sides by members of the Daytona Regional Chamber, and government leaders from Daytona Beach and its sister cities, Scott

Scott on school funding after SB 7026

Gov. Rick Scott said he was excited about signing the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, or Senate Bill 7026, into law.

At its core, the bill calls for an armed law enforcement officer to be present in all schools, increases mental health aids and prohibits people under the age of 21 and those suffering from mental health from owning and possessing a firearm.

The bill has left districts like Volusia County, whose school board is asking the county for $2 million to help with implementing school resource officers, scrambling to fund these initiatives despite allocated state funding.

Scott said the state put money in the budget to help them.

“We have dramatically increased the funding for K-12 education by over $4.5 billion in the last eight years," Scott said. "Our schools systems across the state are sitting in over $2 billion worth of cash.”

Of that $2 billion, Volusia County accounts for $43,015,582 and Flagler County for $5,690,514.

While Scott said they have increased funding for education, according to a release, the Volusia County School District's student allocation only increased by 0.01%. Due to the impacts of District Cost Differential, the county will only receive 45.3 cents per student.

highlighted one person in particular: Hard Rock Facilities Manager Manuel Bravo, who came to Florida in 2005 a few years after leaving Chile.

Scott said people of all cultures have been moving to Florida, leading 250 languages to be spoken in-state. He called Florida "the best melting pot."

“There’s no place like Florida to support people who come here to live their dream," Scott said.

Bob Davis said when he and Scott spoke two years ago, Davis promised him that in 2017, they would attract 10 million visitors to Volusia County, which he said they accomplished. He set a new milestone for 2018.

“We’re going to promise to the governor for this year of 2018, 10.2 million visitors," Davis said.

Scott said the majority of people who move to Florida first visit as tourists, attracted by the beaches, amusement parks, or in the Daytona's case, the International Speedway. Once here, Scott said they see the community and want to come back.

"You have a wonderful group of people that really care about this community," Scott said.