Volusia County Manager Jim Dinneen Resigns

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Daytona Beach, FL - Longtime Volusia County manager Jim Dinneen has resigned, effective next January.

Dinneen - who has been the county's manager since 2006 - delivered his "retirement" letter late this morning, hours after the news broke.

Volusia County Council chairman Ed Kelley confirmed the news during an interview this morning on WNDB's Bennett & Bernier program. Click "Play" below to hear the full, unedited interview.

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"I thought he was doing a good job," Kelley added, who also said he was "shocked" to hear of the resignation, even though Dinneen had told him a few times that he was thinking of leaving his post to pursue other opportunities in the private sector.

His impending resignation is believed to be related to public criticism of several recent issues, including the county's handling of impact fees, the condition of the county morgue and removal of cars from the beach in front of the new Hard Rock Hotel in Daytona Beach.

While not naming him directly, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood - who has been openly critical of Dinneen for much of his tenure since being elected in 2016 - posted on Facebook soon after the news broke.

This announcement comes just hours after one of the Volusia County Council members - District 4's Heather Post - called for Dinneen's firing, also on Facebook.

Like Chitwood, Post has been openly critical of Dinneen's handling of the various issues surrounding the medical examiner's office, including its loss of accreditation in 2015 and the resignation of Dr. Sara Zydowicz earlier this year.

Dinneen's photo is courtesy of Volusia County.