UPDATE AUGUST 2021: “Rescue” money for Winter Park now at $15,438,814.
Tell the city commission to distribute the $13,000,000 in “Rescue” act money directly to Winter Park residents. If distributed evenly across our 15,000 electric utility customers, your family and/or business would receive a check for about $850.
The City of Winter Park does not need $13,000,000 from the “Rescue” act, yet the commissioners currently plan to spend all of it. City revenues have not been materially impacted by the pandemic and the city has achieved record levels of reserves. The commissioners already have millions of dollars they don’t know how to spend wisely and our real estate taxes continue to increase this year and next. Please tell the city commission to distribute “Rescue” act money directly to Winter Park residents.
The City of Winter Park will receive nearly $13,000,000 in “Rescue” act funds that come to the city with limited strings attached and no responsibility for the city to pay it back. However, our children and grandchildren will have to pay it back as part of the $1,900,000,000,000 in new national debt resulting from the “Rescue” act.
The Federal Government approved the “Cares” act and other legislation and administrative actions in 2020 that provided $4,000,000,000,000 to respond to the COVID 19 pandemic. The City of Winter Park received $1,400,000 related to this 2020 legislation, and Winter Park non-profits, restaurants, and small businesses received “Cares” act funds and other funds from later legislation.
The Federal Government in the March 2021 approved the “Rescue” act, spending an additional $1,900,000,000,000. This act duplicates much of the 2020 spending and adds new spending when the economy is already recovering rapidly. The responsible course of action is for our city commission to distribute our allocation of this money to Winter Park residents so we can manage it ourselves. Click here to contact the commission.
Regards, Pete Weldon
Links of interest:
CME Group
USASpending.gov
COVID Money Tracker
Florida League of Cities
Rescue Act distributions to Florida Municipalities
Rescue Act distribution of $270,661,716 to Orange County
Agree. Totally.