COVID-19 strikes Port Orange City Councilman Chase Tramont news-journalonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from news-journalonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
PORT ORANGE While many people are still recovering from the vitriolic 2020 election season, two local elected officials have already made decisions about 2022 races.
Port Orange City Councilman Chase Tramont is running for the Volusia County Council District 2 seat that will be up for re-election next year. And Billie Wheeler, who has held that post since she took it over in January 2017, has decided not to seek re-election in 2022.
Both Tramont and Wheeler went public with their decisions Friday afternoon on separate local radio talk shows. In interviews with The News-Journal earlier this week, both said they re happy with their decisions.
Two weeks after an altercation at a local restaurant with Volusia County officials, Port Orange Fire Chief Ken Fustin has been fired.
“Mr. Fustin’s actions were inexcusable and did not meet the city’s standard expectation of employee behavior, especially from our executive staff, Interim City Manager Jamie Miller said in a news release issued late Thursday. This type of conduct will not be tolerated as per our city policies and core values and has been dealt with quickly.
The release said Fustin s conduct violated multiple city policies, and that he was relieved of his duties effective immediately.
Fustin was placed on paid leave April 7 as the city investigated words exchanged with Volusia County s Public Protection Director Joe Pozzo a former Port Orange fire chief himself during an April 1 meeting.
The letter reveals little else about the investigation. It is our practice not to discuss open personnel items, Port Orange spokeswoman Christine Martindale said.
The meeting took place April 1, according to Volusia County spokesman Kevin Captain. We can confirm that our Public Protection Director, Joe Pozzo, along with our Emergency Medical Services Director, Jason Brady, had a meeting on April 1 with Port Orange city officials, he said in a written statement. The meeting took place at a public location.
Captain said any further information would have to come from Port Orange. Because of the city’s investigation, it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to comment regarding the details of the meeting or what transpired, he wrote.