EDGEWATER, Fla. — In a bold act of defiance against the state of Florida, the Edgewater City Council voted 3-2 on Monday to keep its building moratorium in place — directly rejecting a mandate from Senate Bill 180, signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, that bars many Florida communities from enacting or enforcing such restrictions.

The majority was formed by Mayor Diezel Depew and Council members Charlotte Gillis and Eric Rainbird. The two dissenting votes came from Debbie Dolbow and Mike Thomas.

"Ending our moratorium tonight did not have legal merit or legal repercussions," Mayor Depew wrote on Facebook after the vote. "We are within the law. We will continue to work with our state representatives to make SB 180 a positive for the whole state of Florida."

SB 180, passed in June, prohibits cities and counties within 100 miles of the tracks of Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton from enacting or enforcing building moratoriums through October 1, 2027. Every municipality in Volusia and Flagler counties falls within that zone. Supporters of the bill argued it was necessary to help storm-damaged communities rebuild.

Edgewater's moratorium has been in effect while the city works to address chronic flooding tied to rapid development. Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower appeared at the meeting and urged the council to stand firm. "We need this moratorium in place like we never did before," Brower said. "We are on the very cusp of losing the whole reason that we chose to live here."

The stakes are high. City Attorney Aaron Wolfe warned that the defiance could expose Edgewater to lawsuits and potentially trigger action by the governor, who has previously used executive power to remove elected officials. Neighboring Deltona separately voted 4-3 to sue the state over SB 180.