DeBary, FLVoter Guide 2026 · not a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

DeBary Mayor Election 2026

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council seats up

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2 candidates

Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Mayor · 1 seat

All DeBary voters choose the mayor, who holds Seat 5. Seats 3 and 4 were filled without a ballot because one candidate qualified for each.

3 notes on these statements

Michael Scheck (Seat 3) and Christopher Adams (Seat 4) qualified without opposition and do not appear on the Nov. 3 ballot. City of DeBary

DeBary's minutes name who moved and seconded each motion and usually report the outcome as unanimous, so records here name only the members the minutes identify. City Council minutes, July 15, 2026 · Jul 15, 2026

Phyllis Butlien holds Seat 4, which is not on this ballot; the mayor contest is for Seat 5. City of DeBary

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Jim PappalardoCouncil Member, Seat 2; next election 20284sourcedWilliam SellCouncil Member, Seat 1; next election 20283sourced

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Seat the CouncilPick winners, see the councilWhat council decidesLand Bank property tax, Property tax rate and 2026-27 budget, AI data center moratoriumKey datesDeadlines and vote centers

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Next date

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Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Land Bank property tax

Where it standsDeBary voters will decide on Nov. 3, 2026 whether to create a Land Bank Program funded by a property tax of 0.20 to 0.50 mill through September 30, 2039.

What's on the tableIf voters approve, the council sets the millage each year and decides each land purchase at a public hearing.

  • The ballot question asks whether to approve Ordinance 02-2026, creating the DeBary Land Bank Program with a levy between 0.20 and 0.50 mill per year, not beyond September 30, 2039. City of DeBary
  • The city says the tax would be set between .2 and .5 mill by the council each year during the budget process. City of DeBary
  • The city says land acquisition decisions would be made only at public hearings by the City Council after resident input. City of DeBary
  • The council approved the second reading of the ordinance at its May 20, 2026 meeting (passed unanimously). Special City Council minutes, May 20, 2026 · May 20, 2026

Property tax rate and 2026-27 budget

Where it standsThe council set a proposed 2026-27 millage rate of 3.6500 in July; the Sept. 23 agenda lists final adoption of that rate, which it says is 3.60% above the rolled-back rate of 3.5231.

What's on the tableThe next council inherits the adopted budget and sets future rates each year.

AI data center moratorium

Where it standsThe council is considering a six-month moratorium on development applications for artificial intelligence data centers; the Oct. 7 agenda lists the second reading and a resolution extending it.

What's on the tableWhether the moratorium takes effect and is extended, and what rules apply when it ends.

Growth and state housing laws

Where it standsThe council approved the 2045 Comprehensive Plan on second reading in July 2026, and the city says state laws now let some housing be approved without council hearings.

What's on the tableHow the city guides development under the new plan and responds to state housing laws.

  • On July 1, 2026 the council approved the second reading of Ordinance 03-2026, the 2045 Comprehensive Plan (passed unanimously). City Council minutes, July 1, 2026 · Jul 1, 2026
  • The city says the Live Local Act of 2023 lets developers build apartments in areas zoned multifamily, commercial, industrial and mixed-use without approval of local elected officials. City of DeBary
  • The city says it has bought three parcels totaling 227 acres in the last three years that otherwise could have been developed. City of DeBary

Fire assessment study

Where it standsIn June 2026 the council awarded a $57,215 contract to study a non-ad valorem fire assessment rate for the city.

What's on the tableWhether and how to act on the study's findings.

Who matches you?

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    Seat the Council →

    Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

    Key dates

    The seat math

    2 stay (not up this year): Jim Pappalardo, William Sell1 on this ballot

    5 council seats. The council decides by a 3-vote majority.

    • The DeBary City Council has five members, including the Mayor, each elected at large to represent the entire city. City of DeBary
    • The Mayor is elected at large to Seat 5, and the council chooses one of its members as Vice Mayor. City of DeBary
    • The five council members appoint a City Manager to oversee daily administration. City of DeBary

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