- January 23, 2026
The Volusia County Council tabled a discussion on the strategic plan for its ECHO program after an advisory committee member raised concerns about being unable to review final recommendations before they were presented.
The County Council was set to review the program's 2040 strategic plan, recommendations and policy decisions at its meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 20. The strategic planning process was recommended by the ECHO Advisory Committee in May 2023, and according to a staff report, the council approved the plan to be able to "identify future projects and partnerships, enhance grant processes, develop marketing strategies, and provide strategic guidance for program operations."
ECHO Advisory Committee Chair Reggie Santilli said the committee reviewed the plan and final recommendations on Oct. 9, 2025. At no point, she said, did any member request the final plan be placed on a future agenda for a more formal review, and on Jan. 6, the committee unanimously approved its 2026 work plan, which included action items to continue implementing recommendations.
"While I respect that individual committee members may have different perspectives, the official meeting record demonstrates that the committee fulfilled its advisory role in this process," Santilli said. "We reviewed the final recommendations, we provided substantial input, and we had opportunities to request additional review if we felt it necessary. I'm confident the strategic plan reflects both professional expertise and community input."
But in an email to the County Council on Jan. 18, committee member Doug Pettit said he felt informing the council that they had reviewed the final recommendations for the strategic plan was "misleading" — that what they were presented with on Oct. 9 was a spreadsheet of the consultant's preliminary findings. When the committee asked for the final draft, they were informed it was not available, Pettit said.
"To be clear, at no time has the ECHO Advisory Committee reviewed the Strategic Plan in its entirety, nor what would be considered 'final recommendations,'" Pettit wrote.
In response to Pettit's email, County Community Services Director Brad Burbaugh sent the council a memorandum countering Pettit's claims and citing the past committee meeting transcripts, including the most recent one on Jan. 6, where the committee approved the 2026 work plan and staff announced the presentation of the strategic plan to the council on Jan. 20.
"At no point during this meeting did any committee member raise concerns about the strategic planning process, question whether the committee had adequate opportunity for review, or suggest the process was in any way deficient," Burbaugh wrote. "The objections articulated in the January 18th email to Council, sent twelve days after this meeting, represent the first instance of such concerns being expressed."
At the Jan. 20 meeting, Councilman David Santiago asked Santilli and Burbaugh if it was accurate to say that Pettit claimed they were lying in his email.
Burbaugh described Petti's claims as a "mischaracterization of the process."
"Mischaracterization, OK — nice way to say it, thank you," Santiago said. "I use the liar word."
Santiago said that it's OK to disagree with outcomes, but for a council-appointed member to "lie" is concerning, and expressed wanting to withdraw the member from the committee.
Councilman Don Dempsey suggested tabling the agenda item until Pettit could further review the plan. This would push back the ECHO grant cycle further, though, said Burbaugh, and many organizations are waiting for it to open.
"I think we've kicked the can down the road previously, because this was postponed since November to this date," Burbaugh said.
He explained that staff has briefed the committee during each step of the way. In defense of Pettit, Burbaugh added that he hadn't been appointed until April 2025.
"Having come in on the back end of the process, we've tried to brief him as much as possible, but this is just part of the inevitability of reappointments based on elections," Burbaugh said.
Santiago initially didn't support tabling the discussion. Pettit, he said, has attended committee meetings, asked questions and participated. He questioned his competency.
"We need to move forward," Santiago said. "I don't think this council should support stopping this for any one person."
Dempsey opposed withdrawing Pettit and said the council could be disparaging his character without allowing him to defend himself. Santiago responded that he wanted to take "drastic measures" because he's tired of misinformation.
"This council needs to take a stance that we won't accept it anymore, especially from people that are appointed by us," he said.
Pettit was appointed by Councilman Troy Kent, who requested Santiago not make a motion to withdraw him — at least for the time being.
"I was as surprised as probably many of you were, with the email," Kent said. "... But I agree with Don. I don't like the idea of taking him or anybody else off unless we've given them their due process."
Out of respect for Kent, Santiago said he wouldn't make the motion that evening. But, he still had concerns because Pettit asserted "findings of fact" in his email, and not opinions.
"I hope individuals know — especially when they're representing this council — they have to operate to a higher standard, just like we all have to also," Santiago said.
The vote to discuss the strategic plan failed 5-2, with only Councilmen Jake Johansson and Matt Reinhart wanting to discuss the plan's policy points. A subsequent vote to table the item until Feb. 3 passed unanimously.
Editor's note: The Ormond Beach Observer reached out to Pettit, who was not named during the meeting, to give him an opportunity to comment, but did not hear back in time for publication.
