- July 11, 2025
The Florida League of Cities recently recognized three Ormond Beach city officials — Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie, Deputy Mayor Lori Tolland and City Manager Joyce Shanahan — with a 2025 Home Rule Hero Award for their hard work and advocacy efforts during the 2025 Legislative Session.
Daytona Beach Shores Mayor Nancy Miller, on behalf of the League, honored Leslie, Tolland and Shanahan for their efforts throughout the session during the Ormond Beach City Commission meeting on Tuesday, June 3. She presented Tolland and Shanahan with their awards; Leslie had received his award last month.
“I’m proud to share this milestone with my fellow city leaders, staff, and residents who continue to advocate for the values that make Ormond Beach a special place,” Tolland said in a city press release. “We’ve stood firm against aspects of the Live Local Act that undermine our city’s unique character and local decision-making. At the same time, we’ve fought to preserve our Community Redevelopment Act, which has been instrumental in revitalizing neighborhoods and supporting our economic growth. Home Rule matters, and as someone proud to call Ormond Beach home, I’ll continue to protect it.”
Home Rule, the press release states, is the "ability for a city to address local problems with local solutions with minimal state interference." Award recipients are local government officials, both elected and nonelected, who consistently responded to the Florida League and helped to share local perspectives on an issue.
“It is an honor to receive this award,” Leslie said in the press release. “Home Rule represents more than just local control. It reflects the belief that the people who live in a community understand its needs better than anyone else. In Ormond Beach, we take that responsibility seriously. We are not waiting for one-size-fits-all solutions. We are building thoughtful policies, protecting our neighborhoods, and standing up for the unique character that draws people here in the first place. Preserving local decision-making means preserving what makes our city thrive.”
