WinterParkPerspective.org

See correction below. Hysteria from city commission members and staff over the state legislature’s efforts to rein in out of control property taxes has started. Here are some quotes: Commissioner Kris Cruzada: “We’re losing people. We’re losing quality of life. We’re losing services. You call down to City Hall, and you may not get a live person to deal with an issue.” Commissioner Warren Lindsey called the proposals “objectively one of the greatest threats, certainly since I’ve lived in Winter Park for 35 years.“ Director of Management and Budget Peter Moore: “This would call into question our ability to grow,…

Here is how “historic preservation” works… So, what truly establishes real historic significance in Winter Park? I see three measures: That’s it. All other cases require some authority to declare your property “historic” against your will. The only constructive policy providing historic preservation of true significance is one based on encouraging property owners to voluntarily apply to list their property on the Winter Park Registry of Historic Places. Let them seek and justify truly historic qualities and significance worthy of Winter Park, and let’s encourage them to do so without granting variances not available to all.

The State Legislature is considering various ways to reduce our property tax burden given the explosion in county and municipal spending and related property tax increases over the past several years, greatly impacting Florida’s affordability. Recent media about the possible impact on Winter Park has sensationalized possible cuts in public safety and road maintenance if the legislature moves ahead. Is Winter Park at Risk from Property Tax Reform? The answer is a clear “NO!” Winter Park has substantial assets and resources. We will benefit from state mandated reductions in property taxes while maintaining Winter Park’s high levels of service. Below…

Governor DeSantis and Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia held a press conference October 1st on the subject of county and city government waste. The video is linked below and worth watching. Local governments have exploited tax increases resulting from fast rising assessed values, creating unnecessary overhead while spending arbitrarily on projects that do not serve the general welfare. Winter Park is the poster child for this problem. I have documented Winter Park spending abuses in great detail. Ask the commission to justify their actions: mayorandcommissioners@cityofwinterpark.org. If you are fed up with the blowout spending by this commission please run for city…

Several readers have commented that my views of the policy decisions of the current city commission are negative. Perhaps that negativity is deserved but two recent policy decisions deserve praise. First, the decision to increase the non-fuel electric rates effective October 1, 2025 should be applauded. This decision supports completion of the city-wide electric undergrounding plan within the next several years without adding debt, and while keeping our electric bills materially lower than Duke Energy. Residents should keep an eye on how a subsequent commission manages electric company cash flow after the undergrounding plan is complete. Second, the commission has…

An increase in non-fuel electric rates between 5% to 15% for a few years is better for ratepayers than adding debt for 20 years. The city commission should not commit rate payers to more debt. Winter Park is blessed that our city leaders and voters realized the acquisition of our electric distribution system in 2005. City commission members who made this happen were Kip Marchman, John Eckbert, Doug Metcalf, Doug Storer, and Barbara DeVane. If you know them, thank them. Since acquisition, the city has been able to realize free cash flow from the electric system sufficient to fund a…

Mayor Sheila DeCiccio seems a bit defensive. When I criticized her purchase of the Winter Park Pines golf course without a voter referendum while promising it would pay for itself including debt service, only to realize it is a money loser on an operating basis and a black hole of capital outlays, Sheila immediately put some lipstick on it. She responded to my call to terminate the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) with lots more lipstick. As with the Winter Park Pines purchase, Sheila and the commission were so sure they were right, they did not think to put the expansion…

Winter Park residents may be surprised to learn our city is flush with cash. There are many opportunities to reallocate money we have been wasting. The reality is we can avoid tax and fee increases for years to come without impacting essential services! One place we have lots of money (there are many) is in the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). The current CRA fund balance includes about $9,000,000 of our tax dollars intended for projects that do nothing to help our residents. The CRA board (our city commission plus one member appointed by Orange County) can end CRA projects and…

City management is recommending a 2025-26 budget that spends 7.87% more than 2024-2025 in a less than 2.5% inflation environment. Revenues are up a similar amount primarily due to increases in property valuations and increases in utility taxes resulting from proposed electric, water, and sewer price increases. Again, staff recommends spending every penny they can. Unbelievably in this environment, two commission members are on record as supporting an increase in the property tax rate that would increase revenue and spending even further. The Winter Park City Commission will set the “tentative” property tax rate on July 23th. Put this date…