A group of Daytona Beach residents and business owners wants to tear up more than a century of municipal geography, proposing that the city's entire oceanfront corridor along State Road A1A be handed over to neighboring Ormond Beach. The plan, if it ever came to pass, would leave Daytona Beach without a beach of its own — stripping away the stretch of coastline that runs from Daytona Beach Shores north to the Ormond Beach line.
As reported by FOX 35 Orlando, the residents and business owners behind the push describe a lack of attention from Daytona Beach city leaders, along with mounting concerns about public safety and homelessness along the beachside. According to WFTV, Ocean Avenue Gallery owner Louie Louizes and resident Sonja Sailor said beachside business owners and homeowners feel neglected by Daytona Beach leadership and would rather be incorporated into Ormond Beach, pointing to lingering blight, trash, drug use and vacant storefronts along the corridor.
A Mayor Caught Between Two Cities — and an Election He Just Lost
Outgoing Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie confirmed he forwarded the residents' annexation request to city staff for review, telling the station that having a beach is a major economic driver. The timing is notable: the same outlet's report notes Leslie lost his re-election bid in the August 18 primary to Commissioner Lori Tolland, just days before the request became public, leaving the future of Ormond Beach's leadership — and its appetite for the proposal — uncertain.
The frustration behind the petition didn't emerge overnight. It follows a December 2025 investigation, also from the station's reporting, that found millions of dollars in unspent Daytona Beach Community Redevelopment Agency funds, including $11 million budgeted for the Main Street district with only one project ever approved. Another district reportedly spent $279,000 on staff salaries while putting just $21,000 toward actual improvements, even though CRA funds are collected specifically to fight urban blight through tax-increment financing.
Police Already Responding to Beachside Safety Complaints
The petition also lands against a backdrop of escalating complaints about panhandling and safety along the A1A commercial strip. In January, the Daytona Beach Police Department agreed to lease space at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort for dedicated beachside patrols, according to WKMG, after business owners near the boardwalk urgently requested a bigger police presence.
Whatever the residents' frustrations, the path to actually redrawing city lines is steep. Under Section 171.051 of the Florida Statutes, per the Florida Senate, a municipal boundary contraction requires either a city ordinance or a petition signed by at least 15% of registered voters in the affected area, followed by a public referendum that wins majority approval. Beyond that, the Florida Attorney General has held that municipal boundary adjustments and mergers are preempted to state general or special law, meaning both municipal governments or the state legislature must sign off — a single group of residents cannot simply detach territory on its own.
A Century-Old Merger Under Renewed Scrutiny
The current shape of Daytona Beach dates back to 1926, when the separate municipalities of Daytona, Daytona Beach and Seabreeze consolidated under one charter, a history WFTV notes critics of the current structure often invoke when arguing that mainland and beachside priorities have simply diverged. This isn't the first friction between the two cities, either: back in March, Ormond Beach commissioners rejected a proposed utility settlement over water and wastewater services for the 3,000-acre Avalon Park project that Daytona Beach had annexed.
The beachside secession push also isn't happening in isolation. In July, the Daytona Beach Shores City Commission voted unanimously to place a measure on the November ballot asking residents whether to drop “Daytona Beach” from that city's name altogether and rebrand as “The Shores,” following a survey in which 66% of respondents favored the change, according to WNDB. Officials there estimate the rebranding effort alone could cost between $244,000 and $277,000.
Whether the beachside annexation push gains any real traction remains to be seen, especially with Ormond Beach set to install new leadership after Leslie's primary loss. But the proposal, paired with Daytona Beach Shores' own name-change vote, signals a broader pattern of coastal communities along this stretch of Volusia County looking to put distance — literal and branding — between themselves and the Daytona Beach name.
