What Comes Next for Mayor-Elect Tolland, and Who's Filling Her Old Seat

Tolland has lived in Ormond Beach since 1989 and spent her career as a perioperative nurse, working at East Coast Surgery Center and later at Halifax Health's Twin Lakes facility. Before joining the City Commission, she served on the city's Planning Board from 2016 to 2022 and on the Leisure Services Advisory Board since 2000. She was first elected to the Zone 1 commission seat in 2022 and was reelected without opposition in 2024, later being named deputy mayor.

Her civic résumé also includes chairing the restoration of the Greenhouse at the Ormond Beach Art Museum and Gardens, leading the city's first community garden project in Central Park, and spearheading upgrades including LED lighting at the airport athletic fields and improvements to girls' softball facilities. She has twice received recognition from the Garden Club of America, including its Civic Volunteer Award in 2019.

Throughout her campaign, Tolland pointed to growth and development as the issue she hears about most from residents, noting that even modest year-over-year growth in Ormond Beach has been compounded by development pressure from neighboring cities, particularly the Ormond Crossing project near the I-95 and U.S. 1 interchange. She has said traffic congestion and preserving green space rank among residents' top concerns.

As a candidate, Tolland also emphasized flood mitigation, drawing on her current role on a city stormwater committee, along with keeping property taxes low and maintaining strong support for police and fire services.

Because Tolland was term-limited from holding both seats, her move to mayor automatically vacated the Zone 1 commission seat. That contest was decided the same night: Melissa DeVriese, president of Security First Insurance and a native of Ormond Beach, won the seat outright with 51.24% of the vote, beating out Alan Burton and Coleen McMahon.

DeVriese, whose father Locke Burt founded Security First, has said her deep local roots and business background were central to her pitch to voters. She led the Zone 1 field in fundraising throughout the campaign.

Ormond Beach has historically sworn in its mayor and City Commission together at a single ceremony after election results are finalized. In past cycles, that ceremony has taken place in mid-to-late November. Because this year's Zone 4 race is headed to a runoff on Nov. 3, it's likely the city will again wait to seat all commissioners together once that race is settled, though Ormond Beach Buzz will confirm the exact date with the City Clerk's office as it's announced.

Until the swearing-in, Jason Leslie remains the sitting mayor and Tolland remains the Zone 1 commissioner, meaning the current five-member commission will continue conducting business as usual in the weeks ahead.

Ormond Beach Buzz will follow the transition and bring readers coverage of the swearing-in ceremony once a date is confirmed.