Please see if you can get a direct answer from the candidates on this and let me know what they tell you. Should the city pay more than a competitive price for electricity? YES or NO. If yes, why? In unanimously approving the renewable energy policy all five current commission members including Mayoral Candidate Sheila DeCiccio say the answer is YES. What is the position of each candidate? Shiela DeCiccio – sheila@sheilaforwinterpark.com – Mayor (ask her to explain why)Michael Cameron – michael@votemichaelcameron.com – MayorStockton Reeves – stockton4wp@yahoo.com – Commission Seat 2Craig Russell – crussell9293@gmail.com – Commission Seat 2Jason Johnson –…
We Should Pay More? For What?
Elections should be about policy, but instead, and especially in Winter Park, are about things like, “Isn’t she nice” and, “Isn’t he good looking.” Well, here is one real issue you may have an interest in. Please ask each of the candidates in the March 19 commission elections to state whether they support current Mayor Phil Anderson’s desire to spend over $7,000,000 each year buying overpriced renewable energy, rather than reducing electric prices and/or applying this money to projects that specifically benefit all Winter Park residents. Our electric bills are the same or lower than those from Duke Energy in…
DeCiccio Needs an Opponent
Our city would be well served by an experienced and sensible resident standing up to run for Mayor against Sheila DeCiccio. Click here for Winter Park election information. You have until December 11 to get your name on the March 19, 2024 ballot. DeCiccio does not have the character, discipline, or common sense to be Mayor of Winter Park. Shortly before her election in 2020, DeCiccio publicly supported the original Orange Avenue Overlay changes. Many residents voted for her because of her vocal support for the overlay. See this video. Immediately after her election, DeCiccio worked out of public view…
Speak Up On Our Financial Mess
Long time Winter Park resident Pitt Warner recently wrote to the city commission (see below). Mr. Warner is 100% correct and residents need to speak up. This commission has wrecked our financial circumstances is just a few years. Read the 2024 city budget up for a final vote on September 27. The budget projects a further decline in our reserves as a percentage of our annual spending and projects further losses well into the future. I documented several of the judgment errors of this commission in prior posts and will be publishing more shortly. Please read Mr. Warner’s letter below…
City Commission Blows Up Our Finances!
By my estimates, this city commission has already wasted over $30,000,000 in little more than three years. More details in a followup post. Now, they have just voted 3-2 to waste an additional $6,326,000 as a firm offer to purchase the Bank of Ozarks property abutting Pointless Park. The offer is good for 21 days from September 13. Commission members DeCiccio, Weaver, and Sullivan voted in favor, Anderson and Cruzada voted no. Click here to email the commission and tell them to STOP. Tell them to hold a special meeting to immediately rescind this offer. Please also file to run…
Stop the Land Purchases
Please contact the Mayor and Commissioners and tell them to stop wasting our money! Winter Park requires park and recreation land be at least ten acres per 1,000 population, or 300 acres of park based on a population of 30,000. We now have 471 acres of park land, or 157% of the requirement. Further, Winter Park is completely built out with no land available for residential development that would increase usage of our existing parks. Now, the city commission is about to commit to purchase 1.88 acres at the corner of Denning Drive and Orange Avenue for over $6,000,000 and…
Winter Park Needs New Leadership
Unfortunately, in recent years our governance has gone from genuine concern for the long term interests of our residents and businesses, to policies based in personal political ideology of commission members and their friends. Fiduciary duty has been replaced by selfish ideology.
Naming the Park – What’s the Point
Your sole justification for all this waste is to “preserve” land. There is no strategic insight or rationale serving the people of Winter Park that justifies this park. This will go down in Winter Park history as a totally pointless personal indulgence.
Sign Pollution: There’s an Ordinance for That
By Guest Author Ellie Warner Here in Winter Park we have a new Sustainability department with three full time employees and a yearly budget of $417,600. We have a code enforcement department so alert that they flagged one political sign in my yard on a rarely traveled dead end because it was not precisely 10 feet from the curb. Maybe the two departments could put their heads together and compare mission statements. Natural Resources and Sustainability has an event coming up called Delivering Our City Knowledge Dock Party. I know this because they have littered two city owned narrow lakeside…
Renew Your Vote By Mail Request
A new state law requires voters to renew their Vote By Mail request each calendar year. Renew your Vote By Mail request now for all 2023 elections. You can renew or establish your Vote By Mail request by following the instructions here: https://www.ocfelections.com/vote-by-mail. Regards, Pete Weldon