Holly Hill mayoral candidate could become youngest in state's history

HOLLY HILL, Fla. — The mayoral race for Holly Hill is shaping up to be an interesting one.

One of the three candidates is making history as one of the youngest to run and another candidate is a veteran.

They both sat down with Channel 9’s Blaine Tolison to discuss how to make the small city, nestled between Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach, competitive with its bigger neighbors.

A population of almost 12,000 and an annual budget of $20 million is not an easy civic duty to manage, but 24-year-old Chris Via said he’s up to the challenge.

“The election isn’t about age, it’s about the issues. I’m really running to renew Holly Hill with fresh ideas,” Via said.

According to the Florida League of Cities, he’s one of the youngest mayoral candidates in the state’s history. He’s also the son of a former mayor.

But to get the job, he must defeat Eddie Colosimo, a 72-year-old Marine Corps veteran.

Colosimo became well known when he battled the city’s flag ordinance last year.

“It’s my job as I see it to make government accountable to us and I don’t see that accountability here now, and we need to fix that,” Colosimo said.

Both men are also up against John Penny, who is currently a city commissioner.

He’s a local business owner and so far, has raised the most money for his campaign. Penny said he has more experience than any of the other candidates, and believes he has what it taked to bring jobs to the area.

WFTV