Electric Rates to Rise in March and Chamber Leader Betsy Gardner to Step Down
Plus the city will host the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade next week
Feb. 26, 2026
By Beth Kassab
Winter Park residents and business owners will see an increase on their electric bills beginning in March to make up for higher natural gas prices brought on, in part, by the January and February cold snaps.
A fountain in front of a Winter Park home froze after temperatures dropped on Feb. 1.
The Utilities Advisory Board heard this week that the average bill for 1,300 kilowatt hours in Winter Park will go up by about $27 to recover the cost of the city-owned electric utility’s purchase of fuel. Unlike other portions of the electric bill, the fuel charge is a direct pass-through to customers that the city does not make a profit on.
The change highlights the volatility of natural gas prices and ends a months-long reprieve on electric bills after the fuel portion of the bill was adjusted downward at the end of the summer. At the time, the City Commission was in the midst of raising the non-fuel portion of rates by about 4% but emphasized that lower fuel costs would actually mean lower bills overall.
But, with the increase next month, that relief will go away and bills will trend higher.
The below-freezing temperatures earlier this year slowed the production of natural gas, which is the largest source of electricity for the city, and pushed prices up.
While city officials worried that increased demand for central heat during the coldest hours would create too much load on the system, there was only one small outage. The city worked with large power customers like Publix and the hospital to use back-up generators to lessen demand.
The new fuel rates will be in place for nine months and reset again based on price trends.
Betsy Gardner to leave Winter Park Chamber
Betsy Gardner, who has led the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce for nine years, announced this week she will step down May 1 and a search is underway for her successor.
At Wednesday’s City Commission meeting, Commissioner Warren Lindsey commended Gardner’s leadership.
Mayor Sheila DeCiccio said she has already heard from the search firm that is seeking input on what kind of relationship city officials want to have with the chamber.
City officials and the chamber have butted heads at times, particularly over politics and policy related to growth and development. The chamber’s political action committee has supported candidates for office, occasionally against incumbents.
Most recently, the chamber political committee attempted to help oust Commissioner Kris Cruzada, but he won a second term in the 2025 election in a landslide.
The chamber PAC did not support a candidate in this year’s election. Commissioner Craig Russell, who the PAC supported in 2024, was re-elected unopposed and Elizabeth Ingram, also unopposed, was elected in her first run for public office. She will be sworn in next month as Commissioner Marty Sullivan retires.
Gardner started the chamber’s Relaunch program, which helps women who have paused their careers transition back into the workforce. She also started the B Student podcast in 2025 and led the chamber’s annual “Art is Good Business” trip to Tallahassee to advocate for state matching arts grants.
“I am grateful for nine years at the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce and to our board, staff, trustees, members and partners for all that we have accomplished together,” said Gardner in a news release. “After nearly a decade of leading this organization, I am leaving to start my own business in no small part due to the skills I have learned and connections I have made working with business leaders and entrepreneurs here in Central Florida. I am committed to a smooth transition and look forward to seeing what the chamber achieves under the next generation of leadership.”
Gardner will remain in an advisory role with the Winter Park Ideas Foundation, a new nonprofit affiliated with the chamber as it works to launch the Winter Park Ideas Fest in 2028.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade Next Week
The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency and the Winter Park Rotary Club will host the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 7 at 9 a.m.
The parade will begin at Canton Avenue and move south down Park Avenue to Lyman Avenue. Cathy Quinlivan and Rosemary O’Maisenholder, longstanding members of the Irish American Cultural Society of Central Florida which coordinated this parade for more than 35 years, will serve as this year’s Grand Marshals.
The celebration is made possible by support from the CRA, Winter Park Rotary Club and The Imperial on Park.
Police Seek More Info on Winter Park's First Homicide in Years
A man was found with a gunshot wound on Railroad Avenue on Feb. 17 and died after he was transported to a hospital
Feb. 25, 2026
By Beth Kassab
Winter Park Police say an individual “involved in the shooting” of an 18-year-old man in Winter Park last week has come forward, though no arrests have been made as police continue the investigation.
A woman who lives on Railroad Avenue called police just before 2 a.m. on Feb. 17 after what she thought might be the sound of gunshots woke her out of bed. She said she looked out her window and didn’t see anything and also texted several neighbors, but they didn’t respond immediately because of the early morning hour.
She told the dispatcher that she heard “a whole bunch of gunshots and then someone just drive off,” according to a recording of the call that redacted the woman’s name. She estimated she heard four or five loud pops.
Police responded and found the victim, J’Vion Raishon Giorgio May-Taylor, with a gunshot wound and unresponsive on the ground in front of a building on Railroad Avenue, on the far west side of the Winter Park Nine Golf Course near the corner of Pennsylvania and Webster avenues. Officers started chest compressions and used an automated external defibrillator on the 18-year-old before paramedics transported him to a local hospital, where he died, according to an incident report.
Officers canvassed the neighborhood, but the portion of the report that describes any findings is redacted because police said the investigation is ongoing.
Police Chief Tim Volkerson said the homicide is the city’s first in at least four years.
Police are still seeking help from anyone who may have information about what happened. You can remain anonymous and call CRIMELIME at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477) or provide an online tip at www.crimeline.org
Podcast: Local ICE Detainees; Moon Mission and Micro-Transit in Seminole County
Watch or listen to the latest Talking Central Florida episode, a project supported by the Winter Park Voice and News Collaborative of Central Florida
Orlando Sentinel reporter Ryan Gillespie discusses the dispute over federal reimbursements for the holding of ICE detainees and federal inmates at the Orange County jail. And Brendan Byrne from Central Florida Public Media explains the latest setback for the Artemis II mission, and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s ambitious goals for the Moon. Plus, Abe Aboraya from the Oviedo Community News joins the show to talk about his reporting on the challenges facing Seminole County’s micro-transit system.
Talking Central Florida is a production of the News Collaborative of Central Florida, a collective of independent local news outlets and aligned partners working toward a more informed and engaged Central Florida. The program is made possible through funding support from Central Florida Public Media, Orlando Sentinel, Winter Park Voice and the Central Florida Foundation.
Hosted by local journalist Steve Mort, the weekly radio and podcast program explores key issues in Central Florida through conversations with the local journalists who cover them. Episodes air on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. on Central Florida Public Media’s radio frequencies 90.7 FM and 89.5 FM. It’s also available on YouTube and all podcast platforms.
New Rules for Electric Bikes and Scooters In the Works for School Campuses
Winter Park residents turned out to a community meeting this week to hear an update on safety as complaints about the fast motorized devices have soared. Orange County schools are considering new rules
Feb. 20, 2026
By Tilly Raij
With new rules at the state and school district levels still uncertain, about two dozen people gathered this week to discuss how to make electric bikes and scooters safer in Winter Park.
City Commissioner Craig Russell led the community meeting Tuesday and walked residents through a primer on current regulations and etiquette that could reduce accidents and close calls on sidewalks and roads.
“If you don’t know how to operate the device, my suggestion is don’t get it for your 8-year-old,” said Russell, who is also a teacher and coach at Winter Park High School. He said he has seen students injured on the electric devices.
He emphasized that parents often don’t know the rules when their children begin riding.
The meeting followed increasing complaints from residents about people riding bikes and scooters too fast and recklessly on roads and sidewalks, especially near school campuses.
Orange County School Board member Stephanie Vanos, who also spoke at the meeting, said new rules could be on the horizon across the district.
She said options under discussion include requiring parents and students to take a class and sign an agreement related to riding and parking on campus, similar to the agreements high school students sign to drive and park cars on campus.
Vanos, who represents Winter Park in District 6, said students would receive a sticker to place on their device to show they participated in the training. Faculty members also have communicated with students about electric scooters and bikes.
“Right now, no, there is no requirement that students have to take any kind of education, or parents, but I will say that at many of our schools, particularly some of our middle schools and high schools, the principals are sharing information on e-bike safety and scooters with the students,” Vanos said.
Earlier this month, the school board heard a presentation noting survey results that show nearly 12,000 students ride bikes or scooters to school in Orange County. While most schools require students to walk their devices on campus, only about half issue violations to those who fail to do so.
In addition to permit stickers, district staff members recommend adding rules to the Code of Conduct and installing new signs on campuses requiring students to dismount bikes and scooters.
Last year, the school board held a discussion and presentation on the soaring popularity of bikes and scooters. Since 2017, electric scooter injuries in the U.S. have surged by 400%, with Florida ranking among the top states in emergency room visits for such injuries, staff members told the board at a November work session, citing data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Accidents involving children younger than 15 have more than doubled since 2023.
Russell’s presentation this week also covered rules governing e-scooters and e-bikes in certain areas of Winter Park. The devices cannot be ridden on sidewalks in the Park Avenue area known as the Central Business District, Hannibal Square and the Orange Avenue Overlay District.
Carelessly transitioning from sidewalks to roads, crossing crosswalks without looking for oncoming vehicles and ignoring pedestrian signals are among the most frequent safety concerns involving local riders, he said.
Russell shared best practices and described the “Be KIND” acronym for remembering how to properly operate an electric scooter or bike. The letters stand for “keep your eyes up, initiate courtesy, navigate safely and do the right thing.”
Adriana Rodriguez, senior transportation engineer for MetroPlan Orlando, told residents the organization is working with the American Bicycling Education Association to create a series of educational modules aimed at 500 students ages 12-15. Topics will range from safety to road rules and will incorporate graphics and illustrations, ending with a quiz. Students will receive a certificate of completion, and the results will be analyzed by grade level to determine whether the initiative should be expanded.
With about three weeks left in the regular session of the Florida Legislature, officials also are waiting to see whether new state laws emerge.
Proposals — Senate Bill 382 and House Bill 243 — that initially would have required licenses for certain classes of electric bikes have been scaled back to create a safety task force and include provisions such as: “A person operating an electric bicycle on a sidewalk or other area designated for pedestrians may not operate the electric bicycle at a speed greater than 10 miles per hour if a pedestrian is within 50 feet of the electric bicycle.”
Provisions related to motorized scooters were removed from the proposals.
Russell said education will remain essential to improving safety.
“Our goal is simple — to keep our kids safe, our sidewalks safe and our community involved,” he said.
Slash Reserves and Services? Annex Maitland? Winter Park Mulls Answers to Property Tax Cuts
The (some not so serious) suggestions came in response to Legislative proposals to dramatically reduce city revenue and recommendations from Florida DOGE to eliminate some cities
Feb. 19, 2026
By Beth Kassab
The Florida House voted Thursday to ask voters to eliminate all property taxes — except those that fund schools — for people who live in their homes, but the Senate has yet to take up a plan.
With just three weeks left in the regular legislative session, Gov. Ron DeSantis signaled Thursday morning that he is in no hurry to finalize a proposal that must be approved by 60% of voters to take effect.
“Given that it can’t be voted on by the people before November, it’s better to do it right than do it quick!” the governor posted on X.
State leaders could call a special session after the annual 60-day lawmaking period ends March 13 to address property tax cuts or other unfinished matters.
The uncertainty over the future of their most important and flexible revenue stream has local governments such as Winter Park contemplating a bleak future if the cuts become reality.
“We’re losing people. We’re losing quality of life. We’re losing services,” Commissioner Kris Cruzada said last week as the City Commission heard staff projections. “You call down to City Hall, and you may not get a live person to deal with an issue.”
A city of Winter Park chart shows how property taxes flow into city services.
Peter Moore, director of the city’s Office of Management and Budget, presented an analysis projecting a $250 million loss over 11 years if a proposal like the one adopted by the House on Thursday is ultimately approved by voters.
While the House proposal aims to protect police and fire funding by prohibiting local governments from cutting those departments, it would impede the city’s ability to expand public safety and meet other local needs, including parks, roads, building permits and inspections, code enforcement, storm-related tree trimming, after-school programs, and playing fields for youth and adult sports leagues.
“This would call into question our ability to grow, and in the past we’ve had plans to expand our police and fire personnel. Those things are certainly not possible under scenarios like this,” he said. “It also implies that any government service that’s not public safety isn’t important.”
The tax repeal proposals address only those paid by property owners with homestead exemptions — those who live in their homes as a primary residence. That means people who own second homes, businesses, commercial properties or rental houses would likely face a higher, shifting tax burden that could be passed along to tenants in the form of higher rent.
“The part that bothers me the most,” Moore told the commission, “is that those who deserve the greatest voice in government — our local citizens — are not going to be contributing anything to it. And — this is tongue-in-cheek, and we don’t mean it — but we would be financially better off as a city if we really upset our citizens, they all left, sold their homes to BlackRock and let them be rented out as an Airbnb. Then we could at least pay for roads.”
Property taxes assessed on homesteaded property make up about $19 million — roughly half of the city’s annual property tax revenue — and more than 20% of total annual revenue, according to Moore.
Commissioner Warren Lindsey called the proposals “objectively one of the greatest threats, certainly since I’ve lived in Winter Park for 35 years.”
DeSantis and other state leaders have argued the proposals are driven by the need to make life more affordable for Floridians as government spending and waste have spiraled out of control.
But city officials across the state argue that state spending is ballooning at the same rate as local governments because both are affected by inflation and higher costs of goods and services, especially wages for police officers and firefighters.
Moore said the city’s general fund spent about $70 million in 2024, up from about $43 million in 2015 — an annualized growth rate of about 5.6%. The state of Florida increased spending during that same period from $30 billion to $50 billion, or about a 5.7% annual growth rate.
City officials also took exception to some of the characterizations and recommendations in the recently released “Report on Local Government Spending” by DeSantis’ Florida DOGE, or Department of Government Efficiency.
The report calls out 13 cities and counties, including Orange County, for what it describes as “excessive spending.”
“Property taxes are an expense that is entirely within the control of governments to rein in, and by ending the era of irresponsible spending, Florida and its local governments can give Florida’s homeowners freedom from this burden,” the report states.
The 98-page report is part financial audit and part ideological playbook outlining what the governor considers appropriate local government activities.
In the recommendations section, the unnamed authors predicted their proposals “will spark opposition.”
“Bureaucracies entrench themselves and create stakeholders who will argue that stronger oversight threatens ‘home rule,’ disrupts operations, risks federal funding or undermines public servants,” the report states. “They will highlight some recipient who benefits from every expenditure of public funds — ignoring that every dollar spent must also be taken from a taxpayer who is thereby harmed.”
The recommendations include giving Florida’s chief financial officer more power over local governments and standardizing local budgeting processes and wages, including freezing hiring and pay levels for city and county employees.
The report also says the state should forbid the use of government funds, facilities or communications to promote diversity, equity and inclusion concepts such as “social justice” or “systemic bias,” along with any phrases “that rely on the concept that mankind is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously, or bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by others based on race, sex or related characteristics.”
In addition, the report recommends changing state law so that state and local governments cannot enforce “green energy” or other “climate initiatives.”
The recommendation that drew the most pushback from Winter Park officials included a proposal to cap city reserve, or rainy day, funds at 10%.
After Hurricane Charley in 2004, Winter Park adopted a policy calling for reserves to stand at about 30%.
Winter Park’s reserve fund is about 27% today, or roughly $23 million.
Mayor Sheila DeCiccio said the funds are used to respond quickly to flooding and power outages before state and federal emergency reimbursements arrive.
Cruzada said the state is essentially telling local governments to be “irresponsible” and rely on state and federal assistance rather than manage their own affairs.
“What the state is doing is limiting our ability to raise revenue but, at the same time, reducing our reserves and it’s practically — for lack of a better term — telling us to be irresponsible,” he said.
An image created in jest by city staff to bring some levity to the property tax discussion shows City Manager Randy Knight and Assistant City Manager Michelle del Valle on a quest to annex Maitland, which is not actually under consideration at this time, though the Florida DOGE report recommended some cities should consolidate.
The report’s final recommendation calls for some cities to disappear entirely and be absorbed by larger neighboring cities or counties.
“Florida should review the 411 municipalities for potential opportunities to provide local government services more efficiently through abolition or consolidation, with particular attention paid to small municipalities and highly urbanized counties,” the report states.
That prompted another tongue-in-cheek response from Winter Park officials, who joked about annexing neighboring Maitland.
Moore pointed to what he called a “curious note” in the report suggesting that “perhaps there are too many cities.”
He then showed an AI-generated image of City Manager Randy Knight and Assistant City Manager Michelle del Valle dressed in Colonial-era attire “crossing Howell Creek to invade our neighbors to the north.”
“Never to not be a team player, we are willing to do this,” Moore said, drawing laughter from the chamber.
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