Getting to Know the Candidates for the Port Orange City Council Special Election, April 13.

Written by Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News

With the resignation of Port Orange City Councilwoman Marilyn Ford leaving a vacancy in the Port Orange City Council, a Special Election is scheduled for Tuesday, April 13, for residents to vote for the next Council Member to take the District 1 seat.

Johnathan Foley, Interim City Councilmember for the vacancy, and Marcey Kinney, a long-time Port Orange Resident, are the two qualified candidates running for the District 1 Seat.

With the Special Election around the corner, do you know who you would like to represent the District 1 Seat? If you are unsure, here are the top priorities of both candidates:

Johnathan Foley is a small business owner and current interim city council member for the District 1 seat. With Public safety being one of his top priorities, Foley plans to work on reducing the density of future developments and working to keep property taxes low over the next two years.

Foley promises to keep trash pickup to two days a week and invest in pristine parks for residents to have a higher quality of life.

Foley has experience in City Government issues after serving as the Vice-Chair for the Environmental Advisory Board, here in Port Orange.

“I am running because I want to be an accessible voice for the City of Port Orange,” Foley said in a promotional video posted to his campaign Facebook page.

Marcey Kinney, a long-term resident of Port Orange and someone who has worked in the public service sector as a teacher at Atlantic High School, has the desire to give back to the Port Orange Community.

Kinney firmly believes in transparency, equity, the environment, controlling over-development, and collaboration from a variety of stakeholders. Kinney promises to listen and represent the interests residents of Port Orange find important.

Over the next two years, Kinney will prioritize supporting small businesses, controlling development, and protecting green spaces. Kinney wants to advocate for you, bringing transparency and accountability to the city government.

“If you believe it's time for Port Orange to chart a new course to preserve what we love about our town, I'd be honored to have your vote,” Kinney said in a Facebook post on her campaign page.

If you are unable to come out and participate in the election on Tuesday, April 13, a voting period opens Monday, April 5, and runs through Friday, April 9, at the Volusia County Supervisor of Elections Office in DeLand.