The letter below is my response to a question posed to me by Winter Park City Commissioner Beth Dillaha related to the downgrade of the City’s debt by one (not all) of the rating agencies. This one question and my response get to the heart of our problems as a city.
Author: Peter Weldon
Why was Winter Park’s debt downgraded?
One (not all) of the agencies rating Winter Park municipal bonds recently downgraded our debt. Why? Why? Because Mayor David Strong and his friends insisted that the developers of the former post office redevelopment project be “made whole” (David Strong’s words) at the expense of Winter Park taxpayers. When David Strong and his friends achieved their goal of denying final approval for the post office redevelopment in 2007 he exposed the city to $25,000,000 in liability (according to the litigation attorney hired by the city to defend the city in a law suit brought by the investors). The city was…
Why did the City Commission Increase Your Taxes?
Please read the Mayor’s Message in the November/December 2008 City of Winter Park Update. David Strong is straining to tell you that the City Commission increased your millage rate for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2008, raising taxes for all Winter Park property owners. David Strong, Beth Dillaha, Margie Bridges, and Phil Anderson voted for the increase. Karen Diebel voted no. If you own a homestead property your taxes may be lower than last year because of the increase in your homestead exemption but they WOULD HAVE BEEN EVEN LOWER if the City Commission had not increased the millage…
Do you understand the citizen survey?
The City Commission recently approved a citizen survey seeking input about the policies and priorities you want for Winter Park. You can respond to the survey until November 21, 2008 using this link and the password mailed to you by the city: http://www.kerr-downs.com/websurvey/WinterPark/. Call the City at 407-599-3235 if you misplaced your password. I offer comments on selected items from the questionnaire below. I thought it important that every citizen have the benefit of important context before filling out the survey. Running a city is not about acting on feelings. Is it about managing a $50,000,000 city operation and $100,000,000…
Citizen Survey – Honest and Unbiased?
Click here for the full text of the October 2008 Citizen Survey approved by the Winter Park City Commission. One citizen provided these comments about the survey to the City Commission: “We just did the ‘survey.’ What a waste of taxpayer dollars in that much of it is worded to be the equivalent of a push poll. Anyone that paid attention in high school freshman science knows you do not ask compound questions and that you must offer a full range of responses not just shades of the same answer. Whoever participated in spending our tax dollars on this should…
Commuter Rail Update – Fall 2008
(Originally sent to the Winter Park City Commission September 18, 2008) (Commissioner Beth Dillaha attempted to terminate the commuter rail agreement with Orange County on January 26, 2009 (pg 10). The vote failed 3 to 2.) The facts and circumstances included here relating to the commuter rail agreement between the City of Winter Park and Orange County have been reviewed for accuracy with the Winter Park City Manager. The opinions expressed here are of course mine and mine alone. Commissioner Beth Dillaha’s commuter rail presentation at the September 8, 2008 City Commission meeting re-addressed known risks and possible costs associated…