by Beth Kassab | Jan 23, 2024 | City Commission, Election, Library, News, Uncategorized, Zoning and Development
Two commission candidates offer views on growth, old library, Rollins apartments and more
Monday’s forum at the Winter Park Library was the first of the election season
Jan. 22, 2024
By Beth Kassab
Commission Seat 2 candidates Jason Johnson and Craig Russell faced off at a forum Monday night at the Winter Park Library, revealing some clear, if subtle, differences in their philosophies on questions such as what to do with the old library building, a proposal for Rollins College faculty apartments and the future of development in Winter Park. (Watch a recording of the event here.)
Stockton Reeves, the third candidate in the race, did not attend the forum. Carol Foglesong, the moderator from the Orange County League of Women Voters, announced Reeves was “caught out of town on his job and was not able get back … so it’s not that he didn’t show it’s that the job got in the way for tonight.”
Jason Johnson shares a hug with his daughter after the forum.
That raised some confusion, however, because Reeves met in person on Monday with Winter Park residents involved in the Fix 426 effort at an Orlando office. He did not immediately respond to a question from the Voice about whether he was out of town during the forum, though he previously told the Voice he had a work conflict during the event that he was trying to reschedule.
Russell and Johnson, both first-time candidates for public office, showcased their knowledge and experience in the local community.
Both credited their children and families as their biggest accomplishments and appeared to agree on issues like examining how the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, a special downtown tax increment district that the current City Commission is trying to expand, could play a role in providing more affordable housing.
They also agreed that recent increases in pay for police officers have made the department more competitive in hiring.
Neither expressed a firm opinion when asked whether Winter Park should let voters decide whether to adopt single-member districts or carving the city into sections that each elect a representative to the City Commission. Russell, who is Black, nodded to the merits of diversity several times during the forum. Winter Park has not elected a Black commissioner in more than 130 years.
“There isn’t enough data for me to answer,” said Russell, a teacher and coach at Winter Park High who also serves on the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and as a trustee for the Winter Park Library. “If there’s true representation that kind of solves that problem.”
Craig Russell poses with students who came out to support him at the candidate forum.
Johnson, an attorney and current chairman of the city’s Board of Adjustments, said he’s “always in favor of allowing voters to decide” and noted single-member districts have positives and negatives and he would want more information.
While both candidates largely described their future vision of Winter Park as keeping the look and feel of the city much the way it is today, some differences emerged.
On the Rollins College proposal for 48 new apartments aimed at providing attainable housing for faculty closer to campus, Russell signaled a willingness to find a way to make it happen.
“How do we make it work?” Russell asked of the project on New England Avenue that has drawn complaints from neighbors about its density, architecture and potential shortage of parking. “I don’t think the immediate answer is no … Rollins historically has been a good neighbor to us and it’s an opportunity for something we haven’t done here in Winter Park and I’m very open to hear more about it.”
Johnson said he didn’t want to express a firm viewpoint, but seemed more skeptical.
“I do think there is a need for housing for faculty and staff in the city, so I understand why Rollins wants to do it,” he said. “But I also understand some of the residential concerns.”
On the matter of the old library building, which continues to pose a conundrum for city officials since the City Commission recently rejected a second round of proposals that came in to redevelop the parcel, Johnson said he opposed selling the land. A sale has been brought up multiple times to raise revenue for other projects.
A packed crowd listens to candidates for Commission Seat 2 at the Winter Park Library.
He said a sale is on the “bottom of my list of priorities,” because “it’s a gateway and it’s too valuable of an asset to sell off for a few dollars today. I wouldn’t’ support that right now.”
Later in the forum, Johnson brought up one idea that’s been discussed, which is to turn the land into a small park space.
Russell said he would “have to lean on a bunch of contacts that I have to learn more about that situation” and expressed concern about the building falling into disrepair.
When it comes to a general growth philosophy, Johnson appeared to express a bit more skepticism there, too.
“I think there’s a certain segment that would have you believe we need greater balance between residential and commercial tax bases,” he said. “I don’t know that I share that belief. I want to protect our neighborhoods from commercial encroachment, but I do think there are ways we can improve both the neighborhoods and the commercial vitality. We need to make sure our infrastructure is better improved and maintained.”
Russell said he wanted to talk to experts about the possibility of growth.
“We have to be able to open to listen to the possibility of growth,” he said. “We have to be open to listen to the experts who can tell us how can we solve this problem. I don’t know all the answers. I know where we can find the answers … I know there are generations that want to come back here and I’m open to listen to all ideas.”
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by Beth Kassab | Jan 20, 2024 | City Commission, Election, News, Uncategorized
With just two months to go, campaigns for two city seats heat up
At least two candidate events are scheduled for the coming week
Jan. 19, 2024
By Beth Kassab
With less than two months until Election Day, candidates are shifting into an intensified ground game for votes with multiple forums on the calendar, social media pushes and a dose of partisan politics that prompted one sitting commissioner to back out of an upcoming event for one candidate.
Kris Cruzada, who was elected in 2022 to Seat 3 with nearly 52% of the vote, said Friday he would no longer attend a lunch scheduled for Tuesday hosted by the Winter Park Republican Women Federated that will feature Stockton Reeves, a candidate for Seat 2.
City elections are non-partisan — no party affiliation appears on the ballot next to candidate names. But it’s not uncommon for partisan groups to endorse candidates and to provide financial support.
Winter Parkers will go to the polls on March 19, the same day as Florida’s Republican presidential primary. That means the 38% of the city’s nearly 22,000 voters who are registered as Republicans will also find the presidential candidates on their ballots. Democrats account for 36% of city voters and those without a party affiliation make up another 24%, according to the most recent counts from the Orange County Supervisor of Elections.
An invitation from the Republican group said Cruzada would speak after Reeves talks about “some very direct and enlightening information on what is actually going on in City Hall.”
“You will be surprised to hear how the left is turning our gem of a city into a liberal bastion of taxing and spending with a woke agenda,” read the invitation from Hattie Bryant, president of Winter Park Republican Women.
Cruzada, the only elected Republican who serves on the commission, said he disagreed with that characterization.
“I disagree because we have a balanced budget,” Cruzada said. “We have to keep up with the rate of inflation and we’ve also increased our tax rolls because of the increase in appraised property values. Like everybody else, we are trying to keep employees and run a city with limited resources when everything is going up in price.”
Bryant confirmed Cruzada would instead appear at a future meeting and said Reeves, who also ran as a Republican for a State House seat, would have about five minutes to speak.
Reeves, who recently loaned $50,000 to his own campaign, according to reports filed on Friday, said his message that day would be the same as it is to any other group and emphasized his focus on public safety and other issues such as historic preservation and the budget.
“I am not asking any political party for help or support though I have people from both major parties, independents and non-party affiliates helping me and supporting me financially,” he told the Voice.
Jason Johnson, an attorney who has so far raised more than $26,000, and Craig Russell, a teacher and coach at Winter Park High who has raised $4,600, are expected to appear at the forum for Seat 2 candidates on Monday evening at the Winter Park Library. Reeves said he is trying to work out a scheduling conflict so that he can also attend.
A similar event for the two candidates for mayor is scheduled for the morning of Feb. 8. The events are free and open to the public.
Vice Mayor Sheila DeCiccio is running for mayor against real estate school owner Michael Cameron. DeCiccio has raised nearly $22,000 so far, according to the most recent campaign finance reports.
Cameron, who reported $1,500 in contributions, has run a relatively quiet campaign so far, but in recent days he created a profile dedicated to the campaign on Facebook and TikTok. His posts include his apparent support of the Republican Party and Gov. Ron DeSantis based on the hashtags he included such as #redwave, #conservative and the governor’s name.
“I had so many great conversations today and sometimes I just got the door slammed directly in my face and that’s OK,” he said in a video about his collection of signatures to get on the ballot. “There are residents of Winter Park who don’t have a voice and I want to try to be that voice.”
The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce will host a forum for all five candidates on Feb. 7.
NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect more context surrounding the quote from the invitation from Winter Park Republican Women.
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by Beth Kassab | Jan 12, 2024 | City Commission, Election, News, Uncategorized
Wide gaps in campaign fundraising so far for mayor and commission seats
The first financial reports show who is winning the money race so far as the first candidate debates approach
Jan. 12, 2024
By Beth Kassab
The first fundraising reports for the period Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2023 are in and show two candidates bringing in cash at a far faster pace than their opponents.
Jason Johnson, an attorney and candidate for Seat 2 on the City Commission, has raised more than $24,000, the most of the five candidates in two races. He loaned about $1,600 of his own money to his campaign.
Stockton Reeves, the executive director at the Center for Public Safety, has raised about $6,300, including $3,000 he loaned his own campaign, and Winter Park High School teacher and coach Craig Russell, who is also running for Seat 2, has raised about $700.
Meanwhile, Mayoral candidate and current Commissioner Sheila DeCiccio raised $15,000, according to the filing. Her opponent, real estate school owner Michael Cameron, reported $310 in contributions, mostly in the form of his own contributions to himself.
With the March 19 election just over two months away, the public candidate forums are quickly approaching. The Winter Park Library will hold the first one for the Seat 2 candidates on Jan. 22. A second for the mayoral candidates will be held Feb. 8. The events are free and open to the public.
The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce will host a forum for all five candidates on Feb. 7, which is also free and open to the public.
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by Beth Kassab | Dec 15, 2023 | City Commission, Election, News, Uncategorized
Michael Cameron criticizes city spending and priorities
The first salvo in the mayor’s contest comes as the newcomer and challenger to Vice Mayor Sheila DeCiccio makes his first public comments about the race
Dec. 13, 2023
By Beth Kassab
The relatively unknown challenger in the mayor’s race attempted to separate himself from Vice Mayor Sheila DeCiccio this week by saying he “wants to bring back fiscal responsibility to Winter Park.”
Cameron, who is president of a real estate school and is a first-time candidate, said in a press release this week that he would have different priorities than the current City Commission, though some of his claims underscore his status as a newcomer to local government. Cameron declined to immediately answer questions about his statements in the release, though he did revise a statement that initially asserted DeCiccio is “depleting the city’s cash reserves” after questions from the Voice.
Michael Cameron
“My campaign is focused on more substantive issues, like making sure the city has a strong cash reserve on hand with low debt, making sure the city is fully prepared for a storm, or economic downturn, making sure our first responders, schools and educators have the resources they need to be successful,” he said. “Making sure this city remains a great place to raise a family, lowering our residents’ tax base, facilitating property value increases and supporting the Winter Park business community.”
The city’s cash reserves have steadily increased in recent years to a record $19.1 million or about 26% of recurring operating costs in the General Fund, according to city documents. The percent of operating costs represented by reserves has declined since 2021 from about 30%, the city’s stated goal, as inflation, labor costs and other pressures on expenses since the pandemic have increased along with the overall size of the city’s budget.
Winter Park shifted significant resources this year to storm preparedness, particularly in the wake of flooding caused by Hurricane Ian last year. DeCiccio has repeatedly sounded the alarm and called for urgency when it comes to studies now underway to help prioritize stormwater projects. Police and fire budgets reached new highs this year as well with first responders making up the biggest slice of the city’s General Fund.
It’s unclear what Cameron meant by resources for “schools and educators.” City governments don’t have any say over school budgets, which are approved by local school boards.
“My opponent’s focus has been on purchasing green spaces, as well as issues like bike paths and extending sidewalks, which in the grand scheme of things aren’t as important, as say, planning for a financial crunch or getting hit by another major storm or readying the city for any other 21st century needs,” he said.
The only greenspace the city has purchased in recent years is the Winter Park Pines Golf Course, which it issued bonds to finance. The operating revenue from golf sales is helping to pay off the debt.
Winter Park is about to begin construction on Seven Oaks Park, which is now projected to cost about $800,000 more than estimates from a few years ago, but the city already owned the land for the project.
Asked to respond to Cameron’s comments, DeCiccio noted that the city hasn’t raised taxes in 17 years. However, the City Commission this year passed a number of increased fees for residents such as the cost at recreation facilities and higher prices for garbage collection.
DeCiccio said improving bike paths and sidewalks is a safety and quality of life issue for families, particularly in Central Florida, which has repeatedly ranked among the most dangerous places in the nation for pedestrians.
“That is a safety issue for our children,” she said.
Cameron’s release said he was born in Winter Park and he and his wife are now raising their two young boys in the city. He touted an endorsement from Republican Jeremy Sisson, who works in real estate and unsuccessfully ran in 2020 against Democrat Anna Eskamani, who represents Winter Park in the Florida House.
“I take my hat off to everyone who came before me who has worked hard to help maintain the old-world charm that Winter Park has to offer its residents and its visitors,” Cameron said. “Because of all of you, my generation and generations after me will get to enjoy the Winter Park that you all created. If elected as your mayor, I would work hard every day to maintain and improve upon that Winter Park we all know and love.”
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by Beth Kassab | Dec 11, 2023 | City Commission, Election
Ballot is set: Two candidates for mayor; three for Seat 2
As qualifying ended at noon on Monday, two more candidates turned in the required petitions
Dec. 11, 2023
By Beth Kassab
The ballot is set for the March 19 election with two candidates qualifying for the mayor’s race and three running for Seat 2 on the City Commission.
City Clerk Rene Cranis confirmed Monday afternoon that the Orange County Supervisor of Elections office has now verified petitions for all of the candidates. The qualifying period ended at noon on Monday.
Vice Mayor and attorney Sheila DeCiccio is running for mayor along with real estate school owner Michael Cameron Sidawi. Cranis said he filed the necessary paperwork for his name to appear as Michael Cameron on the ballot.
DeCiccio sent an email to supporters on Monday with a holiday message and emphasized her priorities.
“If I’m elected Mayor, I will continue to focus on the same important priorities: putting residents first at City Hall, ensuring fiscal responsibility, and retaining the charm and character of our wonderful City – making Winter Park the very best place to live, work, and play,” she said.
The email included a list of the names of more than 300 supporters of her campaign, a who’s who of Winter Park, including Mayor Phil Anderson, Commissioner Todd Weaver, developer Alan Ginsburg, former gubernatorial candidate Chris King and Craig DeLongy, owner of John Craig Clothier on Park Avenue.
Cameron did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Monday afternoon. When reached by the Voice on Friday, Cameron declined to answer questions about his campaign.
Seat 2 is an open seat because DeCiccio was required to resign effective after the election in order to run for mayor.
The three candidates competing for the seat are Jason Johnson, an attorney; Stockton Reeves, director of the Center for Public Safety and Craig Russell, a teacher and coach at Winter Park High School.
Candidates for both races will be required to turn in their first financial reports in January ahead of the March 19 election.
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by Beth Kassab | Dec 8, 2023 | City Commission, Election, News, Uncategorized
New candidate enters mayoral contest as qualifying deadline nears
First-time candidate Michael Cameron Sidawi opened a campaign account to run against Vice Mayor Sheila DeCiccio
Dec. 8, 2023
By Beth Kassab
Vice Mayor Sheila DeCiccio drew an opponent in her bid for mayor with real estate school owner Michael Cameron Sidawi filing to run against her.
Reached by phone on Friday, Sidawi told the Voice he wasn’t yet ready to discuss his campaign and declined to answer questions.
He has until Monday at noon to turn in the required petitions to secure a spot on the March 19 ballot.
DeCiccio turned her petitions in earlier in the week and said she is focused on getting her message about maintaining Winter Park’s charm and fixing infrastructure needs in front of voters.
Sheila DeCiccio talks with residents at a meet-and-greet event. (Courtesy of DeCiccio’s campaign.)
“I am looking forward to running a positive campaign and highlighting the accomplishments of Mayor [Phil] Anderson and the commission, discussing the issues, answering questions and, most importantly, listening to the residents and giving them a voice at City Hall,” DeCiccio said.
She announced her campaign in October and resigned from Commission Seat 2 effective after the election in order to run. That triggered an election for Seat 2, which has drawn three candidates so far.
Jason Johnson, an attorney, and Craig Russell, a teacher and coach at Winter Park High School both submitted their qualifying petitions to run for the seat.
Stockton Reeves, director of the Center for Public Safety, is also running for Seat 2, but has not yet submitted his petitions.
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