- December 4, 2025
With elections about a year away, a new candidate for Zone 1 in Ormond Beach has emerged.
Registered nurse Coleen McMahon filed to run for the seat, currently held by City Commissioner Lori Tolland, on Aug. 14. McMahon lived in the area from 2000 to 2006 before moving out to Las Vegas, Nevada. She moved to Ormond Beach two years ago and said she decided to run for office because she saw a need for more transparency and fiscal accountability in local government.
"I believe that we need something more simple — more powerful — where the government should be working for the people, not the other way around," McMahon said. "We need transparency and we need accountability in respect to our hard-earned tax dollars."
While the majority of her career has been in health care, McMahon also holds a broker license. Her background also includes working in a director of business development for a national company and in insurance.
In addition to transparency, McMahon said the city needs to keep watch on development, flooding concerns and have workshops where citizens can ask questions.
She never aspired to politics, she said. But, when she recently began attending commission workshops, and saw a need for more transparency, she said she didn't think she could walk away without trying to find solutions.
McMahon said she is excited to be running and decided to throw her hat in the ring early because she wants time to meet people and hear their perspectives.
"I would fight for open government," McMahon said. "I would fight for fair access to public records and a clear communication around every taxpayer funded project. Taxpayers deserve to know where their money is going, and they deserve to have a leader who will answer them, not dodge them."
