Over the past six years Winter Park spending has grown faster than inflation and the city commission has voted for over $100,000,000 in government waste. Click here for the documentation. We don’t have a revenue problem. We have a spending problem!
We can now add another wasteful boondoggle to the city commission’s fiduciary failures.
The commission borrowed $8,000,000 in 2022 without a voter referendum to buy the Winter Park Pines Golf course, arguing that it would make money. Instead, Winter Park Pines is losing $500,000 each year.
In 2022 our Mayor wrote, “This is an investment in recreation and green space that will pay for itself from the business income, and will not increase your taxes.” Not true. As I wrote at the time, “The city is going to borrow $8 million we will be on the hook for when the golf course operates at a loss after capital and maintenance requirements. When it loses money, it WILL impact our taxes. If we don’t buy it, it remains a golf course under private ownership… This is a risky and unnecessary purchase, and a boondoggle in the making.” That is exactly what happened.
How many bad decisions and wasted tax dollars will it take for Winter Park voters to wake up? Tell the Mayor and Commissioners to reduce spending now: mayorandcommissioners@cityofwinterpark.org.
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