Photo by Pat Kuehn for Headline Surfer / Circuit Judge William Parsons issues the oath of office to Volusia County Chair Jason Davis on Thursday morning.DELAND -- Today was about respect and Jason Davis stood tall as he and most of his new colleagues were sworn in to office by Circuit Judge William Parsons before a packed house in the renamed Frank T. Bruno Council Chamber.
Bruno, term-limited after eight years as Volusia County's first elected chair was there in name only, though his former campaign manager Mike Jiloty was in the gallery, two months removed from a crushing defest to Republican Dorothy Hukill for a state senate seat.
Today was all about the new chair -- Jason Paul Davis, a 50-year-old combat veteran and one-time local radio producer who defied the odds and knocked off two of the biggest political heavyweights Volusia has seen in the last decade.
There was power attorney Ted Doran, who didn't make it past the primary, and former Ormond Beach-area council member Carl Persis who eked out a primary win, only to be crushed by Davis in the general election by a plurality of more than 20,000 votes.
But that was then and this was now with Joyce Cusack handing over the gavel as acting chair since November when Bruno had to step down because he had committed to the senate campaign. "You'll do fine cause you're surrounded by folk," Cusack told Davis.
Stressing there was work to be done, Cusack recognized County Manager Jim Dinneen for his leadership and to County Attorney Dan Eckert, who she described as "a man of few words" who "will keep us straight." Then came the ultimate show of respect with Joyce telling Davis in a matter of fact tone: "Thank you Mr. Davis -- it's your show."