Last week, a series of three public forums set a grueling schedule for candidates for Winter Park Commission seats #3 and #4.
On Tuesday, February 9, the four faced off at Bush Auditorium at Rollins. Hosted by Rollins Democracy Project and WPRK, this first debate drew such a large crowd that the event had to be moved at the last minute to a larger venue. To Rollins’s credit, the debate, moderated by former member of the Florida House of Representatives Dick Batchelor, began only three minutes behind schedule.
An early morning debate Friday, February 12, at the Welcome Center, sponsored by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce and moderated by Chamber CEO Patrick Chapin, drew a similarly robust crowd.
Feb. 10 No-Shows
Unlike the other two events, however, the debate on Wednesday, February 10, was not a ‘face-off.’ Seat #3 candidate Lambrine Macejewski and candidate for Seat #4 Peter Weldon both pulled out at the last minute, leaving the stage to incumbents Carolyn Cooper and Tom McMacken. Nonetheless, there was a substantive discussion, sparked by probing questions from a large audience, and moderated by Orange County League of Women Voters co-President Michele Levy.
“Disappointing News” for Macejewski
In a letter to her supporters written at 4:34 p.m. on the day of the debate, addressed to “Dear Team Lambrine,” Macejewski wrote: “Disappointing News: I made the tough call to withdraw from the Winter Park Voice Candidate Forum after learning some of their unsavory information and activities. Please view my open letter to Anne Mooney of the WPV and also attached is her personal poll responses. Again, I don’t mind that she has a personal bias. What I object to, as demonstrated in her last article defending my opponent, is their activist nature. Winter Park Voice is acting more like a PAC not a paper.”
The “open letter” Macejewski refers to in this email was written February 9 at 2:16 p.m. You can see the entire text of the email (and the poll responses) by going to www.Lambrine.com/blog.
Weldon Follows Suit
Following Macejewski’s lead, Candidate Peter Weldon wrote on February 9 at 4:09 p.m., “I will participate in the Wednesday debate if and only if you publicly disclose the names, addresses, payment dates, and dollar amounts received from all contributors to Winter Park Voice since inception. You can send that information to my email address . . . and to slemongello@orlandosentinel.com and ibabcock@turnstilemediagroup.com.”
Observer Reporter Tim Freed confirmed that Weldon has never asked for the Winter Park/Maitland Observer subscriber list.
Debates Taped Live
You can see the debates by clicking on the links below. The fourth debate, which is the final one open to the public, will take place Friday, February 19 at Noon at the Winter Park Public Library. The Voice will tape that debate and post it on this website.
In Closing — Editor’s Note: The opinion poll in question was a live telephone poll. The pollster declined to divulge who had paid for the poll, saying he was unable to do that. He and his supervisor also refused to provide a transcript of the questions. If you are interested, you can now read the full text of those questions in the link embedded in Macejewski’s “open letter.”
Political opinion polling is taken to a new level when the candidate whose campaign paid for the poll can access the individual responses of any citizen who was contacted. The next logical step in this ‘data mining’ process might be the compilation of a “Frenemies List,” to identify respondents perceived by the candidate as friends or enemies. Such information might prove useful to any future campaign that hires the same political consultant who arranged this poll. It might not, however, be in the overall best interests of the small city that is Winter Park.
A flyer from Commission Candidate Lambrine Macejewski arrived in mailboxes yesterday, accusing her opponent, incumbent Carolyn Cooper, of having voted for a 500 percent pay raise for herself in 2010.
There’s More to the Story.
Winter Park Commissioners have been paid the princely sum of $200 a month since 1953, when $200 a month represented a living wage. In 2009, a Citizens Committee tasked with reviewing the City Charter proposed a Charter revision, to be placed on the March 9, 2010 ballot, allowing the City Commission to establish compensation levels for service as a Winter Park City Commissioner.
Voters Approve Increase
Fifty-nine percent of Winter Park voters cast their votes in favor of the measure.
In November 2010, the Florida League of Cities provided a list of peer cities of similar size and with the same “strong City Manager, weak Commission” form of government as Winter Park. The average annual compensation for Commissioners in those cities was just under $19,000. The Commission decided on a $12,000 salary for Commissioners and $12,600 for the Mayor.
Cooper Motions Increase for Future Commissioners
In a letter to supporters, Cooper stated that she voted for the annual increase but made a motion that the increase not affect sitting Commissioners. She later moved that the increase go into effect when City employees received raises, and further that the increase be implemented gradually over three years. These motions all failed.
Pay Should Cover Cost of the Job
Cooper said her reason for supporting a pay increase for the Commission was to broaden the field of potential city leaders by offering at least enough compensation to cover the cost of doing the job.
Cooper acknowledged that the timing of the pay increase, coming when City staff salaries were frozen, was unfortunate. “That was a mistake,” she said. “I was a rookie commissioner then and today would be more thoughtful regarding timing.”
Make Public Office Accessible to Younger Residents
“But I believe (and still believe),” said Cooper, “that the raise is helpful to encourage more diversity on our commission. To do this job well takes commitment and time. We should at least cover the cost of childcare to make it easier for our younger residents to participate.”
Cooper’s intent was to pave the way for younger candidates . . . like her present opponent.
Macejewski Responds
Asked if she was aware Cooper had sought to have the pay increase take effect after sitting Commissioners had left office, Lambrine Macejewski responded. Her text message, in full, is as follows.
“Carolyn Cooper is trying to run from her record by confusing the voters. The fact remains that [Cooper] voted for a 500% pay raise at the same time there was a freeze on city salaries. The Charter referendum to which she is referring passed in the March 2010 election, when Carolyn Cooper was first elected. The Charter Referendum gave the Commission the “right” to increase their salaries, and that’s what Cooper did. She voted to implement her own pay raise. It’s as simple as that.”
Several citizens, including Peter Weldon, spoke in support of the pay raise but cautioned the Commissioners about the timing. The Commissioners ended up voting on the ordinance as it was presented, and it passed on a 3-2 vote.
Repealed in 2011
In March 2011, Mayor Ken Bradley moved to repeal ordinance granting the pay increase. The ordinance was repealed on a 3-2 vote.
Winter Park City Commissioners are still paid $200 a month.
Editor’s Note: Bradley served as Winter Park Mayor from March 2009 to March 2015.
Invitations to campaign fundraisers follow close on the heels of kickoff parties, with the holidays barely behind us. The race for Commission is ON. Lambrine Macejewski challenges Carolyn Cooper for Seat #3, and Peter Weldon will oppose Tom McMacken for Seat #4.
WP Voice Needs Your Help
We are requesting that when you receive an email or a flier from a candidate, please scan front and back and email it to the Voice at editor@winterparkvoice.com We will eliminate any reference to your name, address or other identifying information before we publish.
The Voice will use this information to post a chronology of communications from each candidate. When you are forming your voting decisions, whether you are filling out your absentee ballot or going to the polls, it may be helpful to review each candidate’s position on the issues.
Phone Polls
If you receive a phone call about the candidates or the issues, please record it if you can. Remember, you should always get the consent of all parties before recording any telephone conversation or any in-person conversation that common sense tells you is private. We will post a link so others can listen. If you need assistance, email editor@winterparkvoice.com or call 407-671-2964. There will be someone to assist you.
Some voters report they have already received one political phone call, though when the pollster was asked the origin of the call, neither he nor his supervisor could provide that information. According to the Orange County Division of Elections, if the pollsters make fewer than 1,000 calls and the duration of the calls exceeds two minutes, the call is presumed to be a “political poll,” and no disclosure is required.
This poll solicited Winter Park voters’ opinions of Congressman John Mica, Mayor Steve Leary, candidates Peter Weldon and Lambrine Macejewski, and Commissioners Tom McMacken and Carolyn Cooper. The pollster then asked closely worded questions about issues such as the Historic Preservation ordinance, the Dog Park and development in Winter Park, which could have been a reference to the Carlisle.
Attend a Candidate Forum
In addition to campaign coverage in local media, there will be four candidate forums where you can see the candidates square off in person.
Tuesday, February 9, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Sun Trust Auditorium, Crummer Hall, 1000 Holt Ave.
Hosted by Rollins College Democracy Project and WPRK
Wednesday, February 10, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Winter Park Community Center, 721 W. New England Ave.
Hosted by Winter Park Voice
Friday, February 12, 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Winter Park Welcome Center, 151 W. Lyman Ave.
Hosted by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce
Friday, February 19, Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Winter Park Public Library, 460 E. New England Ave.
Hosted by the Winter Park Public Library
Absentee Ballots
To request or check the status of your absentee ballot, visit www.ocfelections.com or call the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office: 407-836-2070.
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Mission
The Winter Park Voice is a trusted nonprofit journalism site that covers our City Hall and beyond. We endeavor to engage, inform and connect citizens on all sides of issues affecting the quality of life in Winter Park.
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