From commission meeting minutes, millage rate vote July 22, 2020: Your emails and yard signs have made a difference. Two of the four commission members who voted to increase the property tax rate by 11.5% in July have now publicly reversed themselves. Sheila DeCicco now says she has, “no plans to vote for an increase to the City’s millage rate.” Marty Sullivan now says, “Good news, it seems we will not need to increase the property tax rate. The old rate looks to be the appropriate rate, 4.0923 millage rate.” (as if there was ever a credible justification for an…
DeCiccio Reverses Course?
Possible good news! Commissioner Sheila DeCiccio has sent an email stating, she has “no plans to vote for an increase to the City’s millage rate.” Although lawyer speak, her words are somewhat comforting. The final vote takes place on September 23rd and there is no assurance as to what her vote will be at that time. Your emails and signs seem to have convinced at least one commissioner to back off their July vote to increase the millage rate. The July vote of DeCiccio, Weaver, Sullivan, and Cooper put the onus on us to push back. The tax vote process is determined…
Do You Want Chickens in Your Neighbor’s Yard?
Click here to send an email to the commission letting them know if you want your neighbors to have chickens in their yard, or not. Last Wednesday commissioners DeCiccio, Weaver, and Sullivan voted for a chicken ordinance that will legalize your neighbor having a 7-foot-tall chicken coop in their rear or side yard with up to four chickens. Leary and Cooper voted no. The initial ordinance was amended so that approval of neighbors is not required to receive a chicken coop permit. The ordinance will sunset 24 months from adoption and allows up to 25 permits. They vote again on…
The Tax Leadership Solution
Contrast past city commission response to the Great Recession of 2007 to 2012 (reduce taxes by lowering the millage rate and decrease spending) with the current commissioners response to the COVID-19 pandemic (increase taxes by increasing the millage rate and increase spending). Click here for the history of the millage rate and city general fund revenues. During the Great Recession, the city commission kept the millage rate constant while falling appraised values lowered General Fund property tax revenue and other revenues also declined. During the same time period the city commission cut expenses while adding over $6.0 million to reserves,…
How Much Will The Tax Increase Cost You?
Check your new TRIM notice from the Orange County Appraiser to see how much the 11.5% millage rate increase will cost you. TRIM is an acronym for Truth In Millage. A very apt phrase in current circumstances. Here are the responses of the four commissioners who addressed your questions about their vote to increase taxes. Sheila DeCiccioMarty SullivanTodd WeaverCarolyn Cooper Arguments in support of their vote to increase the millage rate include claims of better information by September, concerns about the city’s solvency and hurricane recovery costs, and comparisons of millage rates between cities. The truth is they just want…
Mayor Leary Addresses Tax Increase
Last evening I received the following email from Winter Park Mayor Steve Leary and share it here. Regards, Pete Weldon Peter, I received your email “Commission Increases Taxes 11.5%,” and other questions from concerned stakeholders since the City Commission voted to increase the Tentative Millage Rate during our most recent meeting. I offer the following for clarification: Did the City Commission vote for an increased Millage Rate (Tax Rate?): Yes. By a vote of 4-1 (I was the lone dissenting vote), the City Commissioners voted to increase the operating millage, or tax rate. I have heard some claim that the…
Commission Increases Taxes 11.5%
Please ask the commissioners to explain their vote to increase your taxes: msullivan@cityofwinterpark.org, sdeciccio@cityofwinterpark.org, ccooper@cityofwinterpark.org, tweaver@cityofwinterpark.org. Please send their responses: peterjweldon@outlook.com. On July 22, 2020 commission members Marty Sullivan, Todd Weaver, Sheila DeCiccio, and Carolyn Cooper voted to INCREASE your Winter Park property taxes by 11.5%. This will be an increase of $235 for a home assessed at $500,000. This increase will also lead to increased rents as landlords pass on the increased cost. The commission will finalize the millage rate at their public meeting of September 23, 2020. This commission has committed our city to unnecessary costs and risks…
The OAO – A Tragic Comedy
Our new city commission has held four work sessions on the Orange Avenue Overlay (OAO) after they rescinded the previously approved overlay ordinances on March 30, 2020. Rescinding the OAO threw away years of professional planning and hundreds of thousands of dollars. As predicted, they now waste even more of our money and resources. Links to videos of these work sessions are below. Watch them if you enjoy a good tragic comedy. April 23, 2020 Work SessionApril 30, 2020 Work SessionMay 27, 2020 Work SessionJune 25, 2020 Work Session Please email the city commission and tell them to STOP wasting…
Thank Our Police
Please recognize our local police men and women for their commitment and professionalism. Fran and I have been residents of Winter Park for over 30 years and raised our two children here. We have long involved ourselves in civic matters and understand the importance of policing in maintaining peace and the quality of life we all enjoy. Winter Park is fortunate to have such brave and responsible men and women serving us. You can send your appreciation to all of them by contacting our police chief Michael Deal at mdeal@cityofwinterpark.org. Regards, Pete Weldon
Commission Endorses Nonsense
Three members of our city commission (Sheila Deciccio, Marty Sullivan, and Todd Weaver) voted to approve this Memorandum of Understanding between the city and the East Central Florida Regional Resilience Collaborative, a group established by the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council (ECFRPC). If you suspect by the names of these groups that this is a bunch of nonsense you are on the right track. The state legislature established 11 regional planning councils statewide over 50 years ago. Each is funded at the discretion of the respective included county governments and have no authority under the state statute. The ECFRPC…