- December 13, 2025
A proposal by Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower to name a local road after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was indefinitely tabled on Tuesday, Nov. 18, after dozens of residents voiced their opposition, citing Kirk as a polarizing figure who pushed what they described as divisive, racist and homophobic statements.
Last month, Brower suggested dedicating a street in the county as a memorial highway for Kirk, who was killed in September at a Utah university. Initially, he had proposed dedicating a portion of the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail for the "Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway," but the option brought before the council for consideration was for a portion of Maytown Road from Oak Drive to Gobblers Lodge Road in Osteen.
The proposal led to nearly three hours of public comment and council discussion.
"Naming a public road or any kind of signage is not just a symbolic act," resident Sylvia Strother said. "It is an endorsement of the values and legacy of the individual being honored. Mr. Kirk's public record quotes have been deeply divisive and inconsistent with the values, respect, equality and community that Volusia County should strive to uphold."
As the co-founder of Turning Point USA, a nonprofit that advocates for conservative politics among young people, Kirk "was known for promoting civil discourse and engaging with students through campus debates and his podcast," the county agenda item stated.
Before speaking about his proposal, Brower played a video paying tribute to Kirk, which was interrupted as the chamber erupted in boos and heckles.
"What I was suggesting — what I'm hoping for — with this memorial is that it will remind us of the necessity to treat each other civilly and to be able to talk with one another," Brower said.
In addition to the portion of Maytown Road, Brower also suggested dedicating County Road 3 in DeLeon Springs or naming the amphitheater in Deltona after Kirk as alternatives.
But the majority of speakers from the public denounced naming anything after Kirk. Aside from statements he made, Kirk has no ties to Volusia County, many argued.
"Memorializing a person with no ties or contributions to the area takes away the opportunity to honor local heroes who deserve recognition," DeLand resident Marguerite Ardito said.
There were a handful of residents who spoke in favor of dedicating a road after Kirk. Ormond Beach resident Elena Krafft said the dedication goes beyond honoring a man.
"It is about honoring the values that he stood for, values that are non-partisan and foundational," she said. "Values like faith, freedom and love for this country."
Speaking on behalf of the local Turning Point chapters at Chapel of Faith in Port Orange and Daytona State College, Markala Oman said that, while Kirk was not a Volusia resident, he made a local impact.
"Over the past several years, he has influenced an entire generation of young people right here in Volusia County to become more involved in civic life," said Oman, who organized the Ormond Beach vigil for Kirk after his death. "... A road dedication is a symbolic gesture and it is an important one. It sends the message that Volusia County values civic engagement, values youth participation and values the people who encourage the next generation to step forward."
Lake and Collier counties have both recently designated memorial highways for Kirk. A Florida House Bill has also been filed requiring state universities and colleges to rename roads after the conservative activist; if the bill passes, Daytona State College would need to rename Pinecrest Avenue to Charlie James Kirk Avenue.
Ultimately, the council voted 6-0 to table Brower's proposal indefinitely, directing staff to bring back new guidelines for future road dedications for their consideration, a motion made by Councilman David Santiago about an hour into public comments. Councilman Matt Reinhart was absent from the meeting.
"It's clear that this is a divisive issue for our community and I feel that the best path going forward would be to have a clear policy that we would debate and make a decision on in the future," Santiago said.
At first, his motion narrowed road dedications to only Volusia County residents, but some councilmen expressed concern at it being too restrictive, using Martin Luther King Jr. as an example.
"Dr. Martin Luther has over 900 streets in America named after him," Councilman Troy Kent said. "And if every community made the decision with the motion that you just made ... maybe five or 10 streets would be able to be named for him, if they implemented something like that. I think that's a dangerous precedent to set to try to calm down the people that are in front of us right now."
The motion was then amended to remove that clause.
After all of the people from the public had spoken, Brower said he wanted them to know that he would have never placed the item on the agenda if he believed Kirk "hated Black people."
"I can see the pain that you brought in here today, because you have had different experiences," Brower said. "My goal, and it's not going to stop today, is that we do love more and we do forgive one another a little easier, and that we do accept one another."
Councilman Don Dempsey came to Brower's defense, saying that Brower's heart was "in the right place."
"I don't take what his proposal is as being racist or anything like that, and it took a lot of courage for him to do it," Dempsey said. "I don't know if I'm in support of this now because of the divide in the community. I think we need to take a step back and reevaluate how we name roads."
