Daytona Beach Overtime Scandal Deepens: Documents Reveal $14,000 Surge for Battalion Chief as Questions Turn Toward City Hall
Daytona Beach is facing a growing storm of scrutiny as newly obtained documents reveal that a former battalion chief—now elevated to Deputy Fire Chief—amassed more than $14,000 in overtime in just six weeks, despite holding a Monday‑through‑Friday administrative position that typically does not require weekend duty or emergency shift coverage. The revelations have ignited a wave of public concern, intensified calls for accountability, and raised pointed questions about who inside City Hall knew what, and when.
The payroll records, secured through public information requests, paint a picture that is difficult to reconcile with standard fire‑department operations. The employee’s official assignment during the period in question was a weekday administrative role, yet the logs show repeated overtime entries on Saturdays, Sundays, and even days marked as personal time off. The pattern is not subtle. It is not occasional. It is sustained, consistent, and financially significant.
Multiple current and former city employees, speaking on background due to fear of retaliation, described the overtime activity as “highly irregular,” “impossible to justify,” and “something that should have triggered an immediate internal audit.” Several noted that administrative officers rarely, if ever, log overtime unless a major emergency or staffing crisis is underway—neither of which appears in the city’s incident records for the dates in question.
What has intensified the public’s frustration is the timing. Shortly after the six‑week overtime spike, the same employee was promoted to Deputy Fire Chief, a move that has only deepened suspicions about whether the overtime was properly reviewed or whether it was quietly approved without scrutiny. The promotion has become a focal point for residents who say the city’s internal controls appear either dangerously lax or deliberately ignored.
As the documents circulate among community members, attention is shifting toward the highest levels of city leadership. Residents and watchdog groups are now openly asking whether the Mayor of Daytona Beach was aware of the overtime pattern, whether the administration approved or overlooked the payments, and whether the city’s financial oversight mechanisms are functioning at all. The questions are no longer whispered—they are being raised at public meetings, in neighborhood forums, and across social media, where frustration is boiling over.
City officials have so far offered little clarity. No detailed explanation has been provided for how the overtime was justified, who approved it, or why an administrative officer was repeatedly logging hours on weekends and days off. The Mayor’s office has not issued a statement addressing whether the administration was informed of the overtime activity or whether any internal review has been initiated. The silence is only fueling speculation.
For many residents, this is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of questionable spending practices that have plagued Daytona Beach in recent years. The overtime revelations have become a symbol of what critics describe as a culture of weak oversight, poor accountability, and a troubling lack of transparency inside city government. The fact that the employee at the center of the controversy now holds one of the highest positions in the Fire Department has only heightened the stakes.
Community leaders are calling for an independent audit, arguing that the city cannot credibly investigate itself. Others are demanding a full public accounting of the overtime approvals, the promotion process, and the role—if any—that senior officials, including the Mayor, played in allowing the payments to proceed unchecked.
What is clear is that Daytona Beach is facing a crisis of confidence. The discovery of $14,000 in overtime in six weeks is no longer just a payroll anomaly—it is a test of the city’s commitment to transparency and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. As pressure mounts and residents demand answers, the city’s leadership will soon have to confront the growing chorus calling for accountability.