Daytona Beach City Commission races taking shape with six candidates

DAYTONA BEACH — Local residents contemplating running for a City Commission seat still have a month to make their decision, but if they do decide to jump into one of the races they'll have competition.

So far six people have made their candidacy for a City Commission post official, with two people in each of the competitions for zones 1, 3 and 5.

Running in Zone 1 are incumbent Ruth Trager and Monica Paris. In Zone 3, incumbent Quanita May is being challenged by Steve Miller. And in Zone 5, incumbent Dannette Henry is running against Malcolm Williams.

Running in Daytona: Daytona Beach City Commission races taking shape with six candidates

Challengers have until noon on June 17 to qualify as a candidate.

If there are three or more competitors in any of the Commission races, the candidates will face off in the Aug. 23 primary election. If not, they'll have to wait until the Nov. 8 general election to find out who voters want in office.

The winners will be sworn in Nov. 23, and they'll have four years in office. Commissioners have an annual salary of $23,650, and the mayor's post comes with an annual salary of $41,059.

More Volusia county election news: Spencer Hathaway to run for NSB mayor; current mayor Russ Owen won’t seek re-election

Catch up on Daytona Beach election news: Daytona Beach voters elect Ken Strickland as their new Zone 2 city commissioner

Volusia County Council at-large race: Doug Pettit enters Volusia County Council at-large race

City residents of zones 1, 3 and 5 have until July 25 to register to vote in the primary, and until Oct. 11 to register to vote in the general election.

Here's a closer look at each of the six candidates.

'We've made great strides'

Ruth Trager has been the Daytona Beach Zone 1 City Commissioner since 2014. The Zone 1 post represents an area that's on the city's southern edge and extends from the beachside to a piece of the mainland.

Trager first ran for the Zone 1 seat in 2010, losing that year to former City Commissioner Edith Shelley. Trager regrouped and won the seat at the end of 2014.

Trager was re-elected in 2018, and now she's seeking a third term for the zone that's south of Silver Beach Avenue on the beachside and south of Orange Avenue on the mainland. There are no term limits for Daytona Beach city commissioner seats and the mayoral position.

In the past, Trager also served on the city's Economic Development Advisory Board and the Keep Daytona Beach Beautiful Board.

The 83-year-old Trager has lived in Daytona Beach since she was 14. Together she and her husband, Warren, run Kressman's repair shop on Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard and own more than a dozen properties around the city. They also own a Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard bar that they only open periodically.

Although she's already served eight years, Trager said she wants to remain heavily involved in city happenings.

"We have a lot of new development coming up and I want to make sure we have enough water and commercial development comes along with the housing," Trager said. "I'm hoping we'll also get more industry."

She's glad the city is making road re-paving a priority, and she also wants to focus on increasing the amount of affordable housing in Daytona Beach. City residents, both young and old, are having a harder time affording their housing expenses, she said.

Trager said she feels good about Daytona Beach's progress overall.

"I think we've made great strides," she said. "We are energized. I think most of the city is hopeful. I'm very, very hopeful about the future. I think we are going places and I'd like to be a part of it."

Campaign finance reports on the county government's website show Trager has amassed $91,625 for her campaign, although $80,400 is from her personal funds she poured into her campaign chest.

Trager did still pull in $11,225 in contributions, much more than the $1,250 her opponent, Paris, has raised so far. Paris put $250 into her campaign account, and she also received a $1,000 check from a supporter.

'We could be doing so much more'

Monica Paris is making her first run for elected office. She was born in Italy, moved to New York at a young age and started visiting Florida in 1988 when her grandparents started snow-birding in Port Orange.

The 45-year-old's mother moved to Florida in 2012, an aunt came to the sunshine state in 2014 and in 2016 Paris moved to Volusia County. Paris said she considered living in West Palm Beach, but she chose the Daytona Beach area because of the wide beaches.

Paris said one of the main reasons she's running for a City Commission seat is because she sees so much potential in a beautiful city that could be even better. She said she lives a block from the beach and feels like "it's paradise."

"I don't understand why Daytona Beach is stuck," she said. "We have such a beautiful beach and we could be doing so much more."

She said the city needs to start by cleaning up, clearing out vagrants and getting more police on patrol.

"We can have art murals on walls, but if I'm to scared to walk by I'll never see it," Paris said.

Paris has a bachelor's degree in business management and finance from Brooklyn College, and for 20 years she worked in operations and sales in the wholesale furniture business and traveled around the world.

Now she has residential real estate investments and re-sells items online.

Paris said she's been attending City Commission meetings, and she's come to believe that "a lot of their decisions are not fiscally responsible." One example is the city's recent purchase of the Corbin building on Main Street, which city commissioners hope to transform into a multi-tenant commercial attraction to draw people to that beachside corridor that has struggled for decades.

She said she also feels the city needs to "stop being so reactive." The City Island Recreation Center, which might be restored now, never should have been allowed to slide into such horrible disrepair, she said.

"I can't complain anymore. I had to do something," Paris said. "When I see people not doing the right thing I get upset. My heart's in it. I want to make it the best we can."

New development in Daytona's Zone 3

Quanita May is seeking a second term in the Zone 3 seat. Prior to being on the city commission she was the vice chair of the Downtown Redevelopment Board.

The 51-year-old owns and runs a Beach Street-area business that offers a wide range of services including fitness training, dance lessons, personal development, workforce development and business plan coaching.

Zone 3 encompasses most of the city's beachside and part of the core area on the mainland.

May said she regularly visits residents throughout Zone 3 asking them what they want, and she's found about 80% of them to be happy with the way things are progressing in their area. She said they're excited about the new Beach's restaurant on the beachside, they're eager to see the final product of $31 million in renovations being made to Riverfront Park and they're hopeful about the planned makeover of East International Speedway Boulevard.

May said she's still very aware of the challenges in Zone 3, including the chronic flooding on Beach Street and vagrancy in several parts of the downtown. She said she also wants to work on improving the Ridgewood Avenue corridor, which has a need for redevelopment and longstanding problems with crime, prostitution and drugs.

A police substation planned to open at the corner of Ridgewood Avenue and North Street should help, she said. Ridgewood could also use more beautification, trash removal and help for people trying to open new businesses or fix up their shops, she said.

May's challenger, Steve Miller, was the Daytona Beach Zone 5 city commissioner from 1993 until 1995. He made an unsuccessful run for the Zone 3 post eight years ago and again four years ago. He also came up short six years ago when he ran for a state legislative seat representing the Volusia County area.

Miller is a former member of the Midtown Redevelopment Board, and he currently serves on the city's Leisure Services Advisory Board that he was instrumental in getting it established. He said he's also president of a Midtown neighborhood watch group.

Miller, who's 68, has lived in Daytona Beach since 1980. He's a longtime community activist, and since 1984 he has owned and run a small tax business that assists people who owe money.

Miller said he was disappointed that May didn't support City Manager Deric Feacher when he became a finalist for the position last spring. Miller also feels May hasn't done enough for the historic Midtown neighborhood.

"Anybody who represents the center of the city should have a heart for the city," Miller said.

He said the Midtown area, located just east of Nova Road on either side of International Speedway Boulevard, needs regular entertainment to draw people and revitalize. The core area also needs more youth programs to mentor at-risk kids, and the whole city needs more police officers, he said.

Miller believes most city commissioners are too "reactive."

"I want to go out and make something happen," he said.

He said he's going to partially retire soon to free up more of his time to help Zone 3.

So far May has raised $25,555 for her campaign. Miller has a total of $6,100 in his campaign fund, $4,000 of which he contributed.

Affordable housing top priority for Henry

The third Daytona Beach City Commission seat up for re-election this year is held by Zone 5 incumbent Dannette Henry.

Henry, sister of Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry, first won election to the Zone 5 seat in 2016. It was the first time she held an elected position.

For more than a decade, the Zone 5 seat has been held by a member of the Henry family: First Derrick Henry, then Patrick Henry and now Dannette Henry — all siblings.

When Dannette Henry won the commission seat in 2016, it was for a two-year term. Patrick Henry had been the Zone 5 commissioner up to that point, and he vacated the seat to run for a state government post. Dannette Henry was re-elected as the Zone 5 city commissioner in 2018 for a four-year term.

The 51-year-old is an educator who was a classroom teacher for 22 years. She's currently a reading and math coach for a private education business.

She said her biggest priority now is getting more affordable housing and increasing home ownership in Daytona Beach.

"It will be at the center for the next four years," she said.

She said there are a lot of single mothers in Zone 5, and a lot of her constituents are "priced out on rent."

Rent is doubling for some, and they're only being given 15 days to start making the higher payments, she said. Even middle income people such as teachers are struggling, she said.

She said Daytona Beach also needs more programming for elderly people to give them fun things to do, and make sure they have access to buses.

She said there have been a lot of improvements in Zone 5, including new sidewalks, road repaving and upgrades to Derbyshire Park.

"We have come a long way in Daytona Beach, but there's a lot more we need to do," Henry said.

Henry has not collected any campaign contributions yet. Williams, her challenger, has $335 in his account that has come from nine different donors.

An option for a younger voice

Malcom Williams was born in Daytona Beach and lived in the city until 2000, when his family moved to South Florida. The 36-year-old moved back to Daytona Beach in 2008.

He took some classes at Daytona State College, and he owns a hookah catering service business. He said he won't operate the hookah business while he's a candidate, and he'll review his operational plans if he's elected.

He also works at the Checkers restaurant on International Speedway Boulevard just east of Martin Luther King Boulevard.

This is Williams' first run for elected office. He's been a member of the Peabody Auditorium Advisory Board for about a year, and he has served on the city's Leisure Services Board for about three months.

He said the City Commission needs the voice of someone under the age of 40. The mayor and city commissioners are all more than 50 years old.

"A lot of decisions are being made now that will affect us in 10-20 years," Williams said.

He said some of his priorities include increasing property values, planting trees, engaging with younger residents, and connecting police officers and kids.

You can reach Eileen at Eileen.Zaffiro@news-jrnl.com

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Beach City Commission candidates stepping forward for 2022 race