by Beth Kassab | Oct 29, 2026 | City Commission, News, Police and Public Safety
After Viral Soccer Incident, Winter Park Commissioner Says Adults Must Set the Example
Nevada Pierre, just 3 years old, has amassed 1 million Instagram followers following an incident where police were called to MLK Park
Oct. 29, 2026
By Beth Kassab
Everyone from Jay-Z, the billionaire rapper and husband of Beyoncé, to Eddie Johnson, a former professional soccer player born in Florida, has weighed in on the buzz surrounding 3-year-old phenom Nevada Pierre.
But in Winter Park, where a police call over youth soccer became national news, the incident that unfolded last weekend at MLK Park raised a familiar concern: questionable behavior by adults at kids’ sporting events.
City Commissioner Craig Russell, who is also a teacher and coach at Winter Park High School, summed it up this way:
“The true measure of a great youth sports program isn’t how talented any of the kids are. It’s really how the adults model respect, sportsmanship, self-control and character, because kids should leave the playing field with life lessons,” Russell said from the dais Wednesday night. “I also just want to comment on how disappointed I am in all of the adults’ conduct who were involved in that incident. It’s unfortunate because kids are watching.”
Russell pointed to another incident earlier this year that also resulted in a police response at MLK Park. That incident occurred during a flag football game organized by a different youth league.
According to emails from a city parks official, the March incident involved a physical altercation described as “pushing and shoving” between two players in a league called Under the Lights. At least one coach also became involved.
“What occurred Friday should have resulted in the two players involved being ejected and the remainder of the two teams being allowed to continue the game,” Parks & Recreation Director Jason Seeley wrote to Commissioner Elizabeth Ingram after she inquired about the incident. “Instead, parents and coaches were not much better at self-control than the two adolescent boys involved in the initial dust-up.”
The city rents its athletic fields to youth leagues, whose directors are responsible for managing play and setting expectations for everyone involved — not just players, but also referees, parents, coaches and spectators.
The incident involving Pierre’s family occurred Saturday, when the director of an i9 Sports soccer league called 911 to report an “unruly parent.” He told the operator that it was not an emergency but urged her to dispatch officers quickly before the family left the field.
The incident has attracted widespread attention. An Instagram account called “@nevadaney10” features a number of videos of the child playing and has amassed 1 million followers, and a GoFundMe campaign started by someone who identified herself as the boy’s mother, Martasia Griffin, has drawn 2,000 contributions totaling more than $58,000. Celebrities have weighed in and offered to provide training for the boy.
Earlier this week, Winter Park police posted a recording of the 911 call and body-camera footage from two responding officers on the department’s website, seeking to address a growing barrage of questions about what happened.
“Upon arrival, officers encountered the parents, who were already in the process of leaving the park on their own accord,” the department said in a Facebook post. “… Despite some social media rumors, there was never any suggestion that the call to police was prompted over the child’s on-field talent.”
The body-camera footage shows that two officers arrived just before 10 a.m. Saturday.
They quickly contacted the league director who had called police. The director appeared to be on the phone with another league official, seeking guidance on whether he could ask the parents to leave.
The director told officers he had called because the child’s mother had become upset, followed him around and called him names.
He explained that the boy was far more advanced than the other children on the field. He and other adults helping run the league allowed the boy to play but periodically rotated him out of the game to give other children a chance to get the ball.
“The kid is good,” the director told police. “He’s great. Real good.”
“So what happened was he’s very advanced compared to the other ones, so he scores a lot of goals,” the director said. “But he pushes the kids and does that other stuff, so I try to tell them, ‘Don’t let him push. Play without pushing, right?’”
The director said the conflict had begun “a few weeks ago,” when he noticed the boy pushing other players and took him out of the game to give other children on the team a chance to play.
“They don’t like it,” he said of the parents’ reaction to his efforts to distribute playing time. “They tell me I’m ignorant and this and that.”
A few minutes before officers arrived, the director said, he had been watching the boy’s game when he noticed pushing and spoke to the referees. That, he said, led to what he described as a “big scene,” with Nevada’s parents “arguing with the other parents.”
The parents have disputed on social media that the child pushes other children.
“I just want them out,” he told police. He also asked whether the officers could help facilitate a refund of the registration fee the parents had paid.
The officers advised him that he did not have to allow the child to play, but the parents could not be forced to leave a public park.
A few moments later, the officers approached the parents.
“If you guys don’t mind leaving, it would be very much appreciated,” one officer told the mother.
“The game is over,” the mother responded. She then asked whether the league would be willing to refund their money.
The officer confirmed that the director was willing to issue a refund.
The mother asked why police had been called. One officer responded that he had been told the parents were causing a disturbance.
“How?” the mother asked. “They were all in a circle talking about my son, and I walked up, but he’s been doing weird things to my son because my son actually plays soccer. They’re mad at my son because he actually plays soccer. So I’m a little baffled and a little confused.”
One officer tried to explain the director’s perspective.
“He [the director] specifically mentioned that your son is very good, but he doesn’t like how the parents become aggressive when they try to do different coaching,” the officer said.
The boy’s father then expressed frustration, telling the officer that he had paid $300 and that every time his son scored a goal, “they take him out” of the game.
“He played like 10 minutes,” the father said, explaining that the family had arrived late for a 9:30 a.m. game scheduled to end at 10 a.m. He said his son had “touched the ball one time” that morning and that other adults involved in the league had “had a meeting about it.”
The officer tried to sympathize with the father and offer encouragement, saying, “I’m sure there are other leagues out there.”
The parents and their two children, including the 3-year-old boy, then began walking with the officers toward the park entrance so they could provide the mother with documentation of the police call, which she had requested.
“He can pass the ball, but every time he passes, they lose it, so I just tell him, ‘Do what you got to do,’” the father said.
The parents tried to approach the director, but the officer discouraged them from doing so.
The mother accused the director of “lying” about being willing to issue a refund and suggested she might have to “take him to court.”
The officers explained that the refund could take a week or two to process but reiterated that the director was willing to provide one. They advised the mother to document her requests in writing.
The family then walked toward the parking lot. According to the body-camera footage, the parents’ interaction with police lasted less than 10 minutes.
Mayor Sheila DeCiccio addressed the incident at the beginning of Wednesday’s City Commission meeting.
“i9 Sports is a private youth league that uses our athletic fields through a rental agreement with the city,” she said. “… Removing a player from the program was the league’s decision. The city had no part in it. We are committed to full transparency … As to the police response, when someone calls 911, our officers respond. Whether to make that call was the league’s decision. The officers kept things calm and helped the league and the family discuss their next steps.”
DeCiccio said i9 Sports had “begun a review” that included speaking with everyone involved in the incident.
Later in the meeting, LaWanda Thompson, a longtime community advocate with the Equity Council Corp., asked the city to review i9 Sports’ use of city athletic fields.
“This incident has raised serious concerns about treatment of young children and families participating in recreation programs, the handling of disputes by private sports organizations, and the appropriate involvement of law enforcement in matters that may be similar in nature,” she said.
During his comments later in the meeting, Russell addressed the challenges leagues face in enforcing conduct policies, noting that many rely on a single director and part-time staff to manage multiple games simultaneously.
“So it’s a tough job,” he said. “But when you rent a facility, that’s just your responsibility … So I agree that we’ll look more deliberately at the leagues because we have a standard to protect kids.”
Russell commended the responding officers for helping de-escalate the situation and “modeling” how adults can treat one another respectfully.
“I could sit here for hours and talk about the damage done to kids when adults behave badly because I’ve seen it,” Russell said. “And I hope that young man — I’m sorry, I hope that baby is OK. That 3-year-old child is OK. I hope that the 5- and 6-year-old babies who were there are OK and that there’s a resolution that is acceptable in regards to moving forward. So pray for them.”
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by Beth Kassab | Oct 26, 2026 | City Commission, Historic Preservation, News, Zoning and Development
Another Piece of Hannibal Square’s Black History Is Gone. Residents Want to Preserve What Remains
The City Commission is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a proposal to replace the Gardens at DePugh nursing home
Oct. 27, 2026
Beth Kassab
The historically Black neighborhood west of downtown Winter Park has undergone so much redevelopment in recent years that some longtime residents may find it nearly unrecognizable.
The latest proposed change is a complex of 10 single-story office buildings on a block in Hannibal Square that until recently was home to the historic Gardens at DePugh. The 40-bed nursing home, once one of the few local facilities of its kind available to Black families, was demolished after closing last year.
But a group of residents is determined to send a message to the City Commission, which is scheduled to hold its first vote on the project Wednesday: The neighborhood’s history is worth honoring, and what remains of it should be preserved.
“The continued redevelopment of property within and adjacent to this historic community must be approached carefully so that economic development does not gradually erase the cultural identity and history that make Hannibal Square significant,” Maria Bryant, a well-known local singer who grew up in the area, wrote to city officials in late August. “The land is still sacred to the African American community. I am requesting that the city require a meaningful historic and cultural preservation component as part of any redevelopment approval for this property. This should be more substantial than simply installing a plaque or marker after redevelopment.”
A construction fence stands around the property, but the historical marker for The Gardens at DePugh is still visible.
Near the 2.7-acre property at the corner of Morse Boulevard and Pennsylvania Avenue are several other landmarks, including Welbourne Nursery and Preschool, which was established for Black children during segregation nearly 100 years ago and continues to serve the community; Ward Chapel AME and Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, two of the city’s oldest churches; and the Ideal Woman’s Club, which was also founded by Mary Lee DePugh.
Zane Williams of Z Properties is seeking an amendment to the city’s comprehensive plan, along with new zoning, to change the property’s designation from low-density residential and allow the development of 27,500 square feet of office space at 550 Morse Blvd. He plans to sell the office buildings rather than lease them.
One rendering shows what the office buildings could look like, though multiple designs are still under consideration.
Williams said he is sensitive to the needs of the community.
“We’re certainly aware that the neighborhood is changing, and we’re sensitive to what comes with that,” Williams told the Voice in an email. “We’ve gotten to know many of our neighbors over the years, and those relationships are important to us. We understand that redevelopment brings questions, so I think the best thing we can do as developers is to be present, listen, and support the people and institutions that make up this community. We’ve already begun that process, and it’s something we intend to continue.”
The Planning & Zoning Board voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the project, subject to eight conditions. Among them: The existing DePugh historic marker must remain on the property; two oak trees must be preserved and relocated as part of the new plan, and a third oak tree measuring at least 8 inches in diameter must be added; and $100,000 must be donated to affordable housing in the city.
The $100,000 donation was prompted by the comprehensive plan amendment, which would eliminate the potential for future housing on the site. That loss triggers a fee payable to the city’s Affordable Housing and Workforce Trust Fund. Although there is no formula for calculating the fee, Williams proposed a $100,000 contribution. The money will help the city purchase a home on West Comstock Avenue for use by Habitat for Humanity.
Another rendering provides a different view of how the project could look when complete.
At least a dozen people, including real estate professionals and others who occupy properties in developments completed by Williams, wrote to the commission urging support for the proposed changes at Morse and Pennsylvania.
“Smaller office buildings available to purchase are rare in Winter Park, and they give established firms a way to own their space in the core rather than relocate to Maitland or Lake Mary,” wrote Don Wordell, chief investment officer at Ceredex Value Advisors, which moved into a property on Palmetto Avenue redeveloped by Williams. “That keeps payroll, clients, and community involvement in the city.”
Others argued that Williams’ proposal would be preferable to a much larger building that could be allowed under the city’s development code.
“The easier path on a site of this size is a single larger building,” wrote Miguel DeArcos, president of Central Parc Group. “Breaking the program into eight to ten smaller buildings is more demanding to design and build, and it is the right decision for this corner. It respects the scale of the surrounding blocks and the character residents expect from Winter Park.”
Mary Daniels, a longtime resident who received the city’s Founder’s Award from Mayor Phil Anderson in 2024 in recognition of her years of service and advocacy, wrote to the Planning & Zoning Board earlier this month that Williams needed to communicate more with the neighborhood. She also described an earlier meeting with residents as “inadequate.”
According to a city staff report, a traffic study concluded that nearby roads and intersections would continue to operate at “satisfactory levels of service.”
People affiliated with Welbourne Nursery and Preschool have raised concerns about traffic and the safety of young children walking in the area during pickup and drop-off times. They have called for additional traffic analysis.
The proposed office space would require 72 parking spaces under city regulations, and Williams’ plan provides exactly that number, according to the report.
The DePugh nursing home closed last year after its operations became financially unsustainable. Williams purchased the property for $5.4 million.
A historical plaque stands at the corner of Morse Boulevard and Pennsylvania Avenue.
DePugh opened in 1956 as the first state-approved nursing home where aging Black residents could receive care during segregation. The center was named for Mary Lee DePugh, who moved to Winter Park in 1937 to work for a white family she knew from the Chicago area. Through her work with the Ideal Woman’s Club, she began advocating for health care for people in need.
Although the building has been demolished, a city plaque still stands at the corner of the property. It recounts the nursing home’s founding, including a community fundraising effort that apparently involved Fred Rogers, the Rollins College graduate who became known to television audiences as Mr. Rogers.
“The women in the Hannibal Square community volunteered to wash laundry, cook for the patients and provided the essential daily support to keep the facility running. Today, the Gardens at DePugh Nursing Center, now a charitable 501c(3) organization, continues to offer compassionate, high quality care,” the plaque reads.
Now, however, the city may need to revise the wording to reflect the past tense.
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by Beth Kassab | Oct 26, 2026 | Arts and Culture, News
Parade of Bands Set to Return to Winter Park This Year
The local football bowl tradition had stopped in recent years because of the College Football Playoff expansion and network-controlled start times. But now officials are trying a new solution
Oct. 26, 2026
By Gabrielle Russon
A beloved Winter Park tradition is returning this holiday season after a two-year absence.
Mark your calendars. The Parade of Bands will march down Park Avenue at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 28, ending with a pep rally in Central Park.
“We are back in the saddle again,” said Johnny Miller, Winter Park’s special events manager. “We’re very excited and very happy to bring back the Parade of Bands.”
The parade was a casualty in 2024 and 2025 because of the College Football Playoff expansion, TV network-controlled start times and an earlier Pop-Tarts Bowl kickoff. That made it tough to bring the two competing university bands to Winter Park before the game. Students ate lunch in Winter Park after the parade and had to reach the stadium on time. Their schedules were packed with other pep rallies, alumni events and other duties.
The logistical issues axed the popular parade, though officials at Florida Citrus Sports said they hoped it would return.
Florida State University drummers took part in a recent Parade of Bands before the event was canceled two years ago. (Photos courtesy of the city of Winter Park.)
This year’s comeback comes with a new solution. For the first time in the parade’s nearly 20-year history, it won’t be held on game day. The parade will be held the day before the Pop-Tarts Bowl kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 29 at Camping World Stadium.
“We were able to rearrange the schedule and find a spot for it in the afternoon the day before the game to make sure we could host it and bring it back,” said Florida Citrus Sports spokesman Sam Gardner.
That means the bands won’t be as rushed, Miller said.
“The bands can spend a little more time with us and maybe we have a little bit longer of an opportunity to enjoy them,” he said.
Meanwhile, the parade route will remain the same.
Paul Canchester, a retiree from the Chicago suburbs who visits family in Florida every Christmas, called the parade’s return “great news.” Seeing the parade turned into an annual tradition for Canchester who remembered bringing his children to Winter Park since they were young years ago.
“It’s so fun to watch the bands march up Park Avenue and to hear each band play and then to hear them collaborate together at the end,” Canchester said Monday.
The parade comes at a time when many Central Florida governments are scaling back or reconsidering their festive events under an ongoing statewide debate about taxpayer spending and the threat of Amendment 3 which would cut local property tax revenue. For instance, Altamonte Springs canceled next year’s “Red Hot & Boom” July 4 fireworks because of the costs
Dressed in its holiday lights, Winter Park has always been transformed when the two bands march down Park Avenue, making the city, eight miles from Camping World Stadium, feel like the epicenter of Orlando’s bowl game – at least for an hour. Traffic shut down, and people watched the baton twirlers, tuba players and drummers perform down the street. The parade watchers were customers lunching at outdoor restaurant seating on Park Avenue, plenty of families and loyal sports fans cheering on their schools.
The Parade of Bands marches down Park Avenue. (Photos courtesy of the city of Winter Park.)
There were no floats, candy-throwing, politicians or firetrucks. Just music. Throw in the mascots and cheerleaders too.
“It’s all about the band,” Miller said. “It’s nice to be able to highlight and let them have their time to shine other than at halftime of a football game.”
The parade’s weekday date this year also means visitors can ride the SunRail which would ease parking challenges, Miller added.
Winter Park won’t know which two teams are playing until the matchup is set in early December.
Teams with big Central Florida fan bases, like Miami, Florida State or Clemson, could draw even bigger crowds in addition to the locals at the Parade of Bands.
Miller also hopes the parade expands next year to include the two bands in town for the other bowl game, the Citrus Bowl.
“That’s a year away,” he said. “We’ll see what happens with that.”
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by Beth Kassab | Oct 23, 2026 | City Commission, News, Zoning and Development
Synagogue Proposal Faces Fresh Scrutiny as Winter Park Commissioner Defends Impartiality
Chabad of Greater Orlando is seeking to build the city’s first permanent synagogue near Park Avenue that would also include a daycare and rooftop deck
Oct. 23, 2026
By Beth Kassab
A second vote required to approve what would be Winter Park’s first permanent synagogue has been delayed again, as opponents challenge the project’s compliance with city code and raise questions about a city commissioner’s acceptance of complimentary Orlando Magic tickets from a friend who received them from the rabbi leading the project.
The City Commission was scheduled to take up the matter Oct. 28, but Chabad of Greater Orlando, the organization behind the proposed synagogue and daycare, and GAI Consultants, which is seeking to build five townhomes on the parcel, asked to postpone the hearing until Dec. 9.
Frank Santos, who says he has spent $15,000 on consultants to review the project, is aggressively contesting the proposal. He argues that it would negatively affect a townhome he owns and other nearby properties through significantly increased traffic and noise, as well as the introduction of a predominantly nonresidential use on the site of the El Cortez Apartments at the corner of Morse Boulevard and Knowles Avenue.
Santos’ attorney, former Orange County Commissioner Ted Edwards, and consultant Jeff Briggs, who retired less than two years ago as the city’s longtime planning director, have identified what they describe as “significant missed setbacks, buffers, parking deficiencies and related matters.” They also contend that the synagogue approval process must essentially start over, with the proposal returning to the Planning & Zoning Board, according to a letter Edwards sent to the City Commission earlier this week.
A rendering provided to the city shows what the synagogue could look like.
City officials did not respond to a request for comment on the letter. Rebecca Wilson, the attorney representing Chabad and GAI, has said at public meetings that the project has worked to make alterations to be compatible with the neighborhood and agreed to more than 20 conditions including no amplified noise on the roof deck and limiting the number of children in the daycare.
She has said there are more than residential uses next to the property, including a church and office and retail space.
“Your code itself says that religious institutions and daycares are allowed if we go through this conditional use process,” Wilson said on Sept. 9, noting she’s lost count of the number of conditions placed on the development but it has “proven it’s compatibility” with the neighborhood.
Santos said the townhome he purchased in 2019 on Interlachen Avenue, which backs up to the proposed synagogue property, represents a “significant investment.” He said he does not live there and does not intend to do so in the future. Instead, he lives in another Winter Park home, a little more than a mile away, north of Palm Cemetery.
“My bigger concern is the impact on downtown Winter Park and the greater area,” he said Friday.
Santos, chief executive officer of Rosen Hotels & Resorts, also said he is communicating with Jonathan Beaton, owner of the public relations firm Inside Advantage PR. Beaton reached out to Santos and offered to help his cause, citing his own concerns about traffic and parking as a Winter Park resident.
Beaton filed a public records request with the city on Sept. 12, three days after the City Commission voted 4-1 to table the second vote, with Commissioner Kris Cruzada dissenting. Commissioner Elizabeth Ingram, who had voted in favor of the project as part of a 3-2 vote in August, said she could not support it again that night because of unanswered questions about the daycare’s playground and concerns about traffic.
A map included in city documents shows the location of the property in question.
Beaton, who previously served as a spokesman for former Congressman Alan Grayson, requested a wide range of records concerning communications to and from commissioners and city staff related to the project.
The request yielded hundreds of emails involving all five commissioners, but only Ingram’s records appeared to include text messages and calendar entries.
Among those records was a text message Ingram sent to Rabbi Dovid Dubov, one of Chabad’s leaders, at 9:31 a.m. on June 4:
“Good morning, Rabbi Dubov! we had a great time at the magic game – thanks again!!! I would be happy to meet with you to discuss the synagogue.”
She also suggested a potential meeting date.
Dubov replied, “Great to hear!” and the two settled on a meeting in July.
Beaton sent the Voice a screenshot showing only that exchange last week and also contacted other media outlets.
The Voice’s review of additional records and interviews provided further context about the tickets and the timing of the communications.
Other records and interviews revealed that the Orlando Magic game in question took place in April, before Ingram said she had seen or was even aware of Chabad’s plans, which would later come before the commission. She received the tickets through a friend who had gotten them from Dubov. The tickets were among dozens of complimentary tickets Chabad distributed to promote the game, which coincided with the annual Jewish Heritage Night with the Orlando Magic.
And Ingram’s message to the rabbi on the screenshot was actually a response to a message she received from him two days earlier on June 2, the same day Chabad and GAI held a community meeting with neighborhood residents. The meeting took place about a month before the proposal was first tabled at the July 7 Planning & Zoning Board meeting.
Dubov’s June 2 message read:
“Good afternoon Commissioner Elizabeth Ingram! I hope you’re doing well and that you enjoyed our Jewish Heritage Night with the Orlando Magic back on April 6. I received your contact information [from a mutual friend] and wanted to reach out regarding the development of our first synagogue in Winter Park. As we move through the planning process, I would love the opportunity to share the vision and current plans with you, hear your thoughts, and receive your feedback as well. If you are open to meeting sometime, please let me know what works best for you. It would be greatly appreciated.”
Dubov told the Voice in a text message that Chabad has participated in the annual event with the Magic for years and has distributed “hundreds of complimentary tickets as part of our efforts to make Jewish Heritage Night welcoming and accessible to all.” He declined to answer additional questions.
Ingram, who took office in March after running unopposed, said Dubov gave the tickets to a friend of hers, and she attended the April 6 game with her family.
She said she did not hear from the rabbi again until two months later, when he contacted her after obtaining her phone number from another mutual connection, as he explained in his message.
Ingram said she nearly always agrees to meet with people who request a conversation and has also met with opponents of the synagogue proposal. Records show that she had a meeting scheduled with Santos around the same time, on July 14.
Ingram said she thanked Dubov for the tickets out of politeness because he brought them up when he initiated their text exchange.
“He never brought it up again,” she said. “Do you really think I’m going to be swayed on this huge development proposal from one Magic game months ago?”
Ingram said she learned from a reporter last week that opponents of the synagogue were raising questions about the Magic tickets. She then received a call from Santos, who suggested she might feel pressure to recuse herself from the next vote because she had accepted the tickets. He also told her there were photos of her in a suite at the Kia Center, where the Magic play.
Ingram said the tickets she received for Jewish Heritage Night were not for a suite. She said she later sat in a suite with friends and family at a different game that month, paying her own way. She said the photos Santos referenced, which were posted on her Facebook page, were taken at that game.
“He called me and said he has a lot of stuff,” she told the Voice. “I told him the whole story, and I thought, how can you say I’ve not been asking hard questions? Anyone could tell I was really conflicted over the plans [for the synagogue].”
In fact, it was Ingram’s questions on Sept. 9, before the Magic game became an issue, that helped prevent the proposal from winning approval that night and led to the vote being tabled. The other commissioners appeared divided, with two leaning in favor (Cruzada and Craig Russell) and two opposed (Sheila DeCiccio and Warren Lindsey). Those were the same positions they had taken during the first vote in August, leaving Ingram as the potential swing vote who could decide the matter.
Santos told the Voice that he made a “courtesy call” to Ingram about the tickets and photos he had been told were on Facebook.
“I told her I was getting photos of her and her family in a suite,” he said. “I’m not on Facebook. Other people are insinuating and trying to connect the dots, not me.”
Ingram released a statement Thursday evening saying she had asked the city attorney whether she could recuse herself from the next vote “because of the misleading narratives that have circulated regarding my attendance at the basketball game.”
“In no way am I concerned of my ability to remain fair and impartial,” she said in the statement. “I felt stepping aside would help prevent further controversy and avoid undermining public confidence in the commission’s final decision.”
But City Attorney Kurt Ardaman told her that elected officials are “required” to vote on matters before the commission because abstention is allowed only in cases involving a conflict of interest. Such conflicts require “a special private economic gain or loss” for the elected official, an immediate family member or the official’s employer. Ardaman said Ingram does not have a conflict of interest in this matter.
“I listen to our residents and consider different perspectives, but my decisions are my own,” Ingram said in the statement. “I believe every development application deserves fair consideration under the applicable laws and land-use standards. Political support, personal relationships and outside criticism does not determine my vote.”
Ingram also said she did not believe the tickets were worth more than $100. However, she has now filed a gift disclosure form required under state ethics rules “in the interest of full disclosure.”
Additional records provided by the city show no text messages between Ingram and Dubov after June 23 when they continued a discussion about scaling back the synagogue’s size in response to community feedback.
On June 19, Ingram had shared her concerns about the scale of the proposal with Dubov.
An earlier rendering of the synagogue shows a different style of architecture before community feedback.
“I wanted to let you know this now in case you are willing and able to work with the architect on a revised concept that would be slightly smaller,” she wrote. “I think that is going to be the biggest hurdle going into the planning and zoning meeting and then commission meeting.”
It is not unusual for commissioners to share feedback on development plans or request architectural changes.
The Planning & Zoning Board approved the project with scaled-back renderings on Aug. 4 in a 5-0 vote. One member was absent, and another abstained because he works as an urban planner and had been asked to consult on the project before the application was submitted.
Ingram also received text messages and emails from other people about the proposal, including a text from Nikki Seybold, who is working with Santos and Edwards to determine whether the synagogue project complies with city requirements for parking and setbacks. Seybold texted Ingram on the morning of Aug. 28, two days after the commission’s first vote on the project, and asked whether they could speak by phone.
“Hey Nikki! Yes, I am actually just walking out of a doctor’s appointment so I will give you a call in a few minutes when I get in my car,” Ingram responded.
Ingram said her text exchanges with Seybold and Dubov reflect her philosophy of meeting with as many people as possible to learn about city issues.
“I’m very friendly to everyone,” she said. “They might bring up something to me that I hadn’t considered.”
Santos said he has a meeting scheduled next week with Edwards, the city attorney and city staff to determine whether the proposal violates city code, as he contends.
“I don’t want to spend any more of my time or my money on this issue,” he said. “I want it to go away.”
But he said that if the city did not require all the necessary waivers to bring the project into compliance with code, that would raise questions about other developments, particularly as construction has ramped up in downtown Winter Park in recent years.
“Did the Alfond Inn apply for all the waivers? Did the Rollins museum apply for all the waivers?” he asked. “This is not just about this project; it’s about past projects and future projects.”
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by Beth Kassab | Oct 20, 2026 | City Commission, Election, News
What Do Florida's Three Proposed Constitutional Amendments Mean?
By now, many people are familiar with Amendment 3, which would reduce homestead property taxes. But what about Amendments 1 and 2? An explainer:
Oct. 20, 2026
By Abe Aboraya
This story originally appeared in Oviedo Community News and is published here as part of a sharing agreement among members of the News Collaborative of Central Florida.
Voters getting a ballot for the November election will have three constitutional amendments to vote on. So what are they, and what would they do?
The general election is Nov. 3 and early voting is already underway and runs until Nov. 1.
Constitutional amendments in Florida must get 60% of the vote to pass. All three amendments this year were put on the ballot by Florida lawmakers.
Aubrey Jewett, associate professor and associate school director at the University of Central Florida’s School of Politics, Security and International Affairs, said voters will need to do their research on the amendments.
“We are voting whether or not to put things into the Constitution,” Jewett said. “And what we put in there really does matter.”
What is Amendment 1?
Amendment 1 would require the Florida Legislature to increase budget reserves from the current 10% to a 25% reserve.
It would require the Legislature to put $750 million into reserves annually until the threshold is reached, except in years when there’s a budget shortfall or an emergency, like a hurricane. Advocates for the bill said it’s a hedge against a downturn in the economy, while critics say it’s unnecessary, and that surpluses should go back to residents in the form of tax breaks.
The Republican Party of Florida has endorsed Amendment 1.
“This amendment will help strengthen Florida’s rainy day fund so the state can handle storms, downturns, and other emergencies without raising taxes or raiding the budget,” the state’s GOP wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Other groups have come out against the amendment, saying the money could be better spent elsewhere. That includes some union representatives, and Gov. Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis recommended a no vote, calling it a “foolish” constitutional amendment.
“We already have a maxed out rainy day fund and have run the largest surpluses in state history,” DeSantis wrote on X. “Any additional revenue should be used for lower taxes, including assisting local governments with grants so that homestead properties can be exempt from local property tax. Surplus revenue could also be used to remove tolls once the property tax issue is settled.”
How the text will appear on your ballot:
Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to increase the amount of funds that may be retained in the budget stabilization fund from 10% to 25% of general revenue collections, require the legislature to transfer the lesser of $750 million or the amount required to reach 25% of the general revenue collections each year unless certain conditions are met, and allow the legislature to withdraw funds for critical state needs.
Check here for the full text of the amendment. Check here for an analysis of the bill
What is Amendment 2?
Amendment 2 deals with property taxes, but specifically for farms and agritourism businesses.
In Florida, businesses pay property taxes on the value of the land and buildings. But they also pay a property tax on the value of all the business equipment. It’s called Tangible Personal Property, and can include the value of furniture, tools, appliances and other equipment.
That includes farm equipment, like tractors. Amendment 2 would eliminate the property taxes for that farm equipment across the state.
“The Tangible Personal Property tax literally handicaps a struggling sector of our society that we so desperately rely on,” wrote Republican Rep. Danny Alvarez when he filed the bill. “Getting rid of it allows farmers and ranchers the chance to reinvest their money in themselves in order to ensure we all have a better tomorrow.”
The state’s economists estimate that statewide it would cut $31 million from local governments if approved.
An analysis by Seeking Rents, an independent podcast and newsletter about Florida politics, estimated that at least 10 percent of the estimated tax savings under Amendment 2 would got to cannabis companies like Curaleaf, Trulieve and MÜV.
Some of the most valuable tangible personal property used in Florida agriculture belongs to companies that grow, process and sell marijuana, which is legal in this state for medicinal use, the organization reported.
How the text will appear on your ballot:
Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to exempt tangible personal property habitually located or typically present on land classified as agricultural, used in the production of agricultural products or for agritourism activities, and owned by the landowner or leaseholder of the agricultural land from ad valorem taxation. If approved this amendment would first apply for tax years beginning January 1, 2027.
Check here for the full text of the amendment. Check here for an analysis of the bill
What is Amendment 3 in Florida?
Amendment 3 is the amendment getting the most discussion in Florida.
The bill has two main impacts. First, it would increase the property tax exemption for homesteaded properties from the current $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and then $250,000 in 2028; afterwards, the exemption would increase with inflation.
Those exemptions would not apply to taxes for schools.
The amendment only applies to a person’s homesteaded property; it does not apply to commercial property or, crucially, to rental properties. The bill would cap the annual increase in assessed property value from going up by more than 5% annually; currently, increases in value are capped at 10%.
The bill would save taxpayers an estimated $12 billion annually at full implementation. But that savings will also leave a $12 billion hole in local government budgets, which depend on property taxes to fund services.
In Winter Park, officials have already begun trimming department budgets to prepare for the potential cuts.
City Manager Randy Knight has said most city functions will “survive” if Amendment 3 passes next month, but he’s warned of “pains” ahead in future years and the cuts continue to mount.
In the first year, the city would need to axe an estimated $3.7 million from its $90 million General Fund, which pays for everything from parks and roads to police and fire, followed by another $7.5 million the following year.
A Winter Park taxpayer who receives the maximum benefit would save about $850 in the first year and $1,780 in the second year, which equals nearly $150 a month, Knight said.
How the text will appear on your ballot:
This amendment increases the homestead exemption, for all non-school taxes, to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, and adjusts for inflation thereafter. It requires the Legislature to prescribe a uniform procedure for counties and municipalities, for their respective levies, to increase the homestead exemption up to full assessed value, and allows special districts, subject to referendum approval, to do the same. Persons who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026, will receive the existing homestead exemption upon qualifying for a homestead exemption, with the increased homestead exemption beginning with the fifth year of exemption, to the extent permitted by the U.S. Constitution. This amendment reduces the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead properties from 10% to 5%. This amendment requires counties and municipalities to use property taxes solely for public safety, education and schools, infrastructure, natural resources, bond debt service, retirement benefits for employees, and operations and administration. Other expenditures may be approved by county officers or county or municipal governing bodies unless prohibited by general law, notwithstanding Article VII, Section 9(a) of the Florida Constitution, which allows counties and municipalities to levy property taxes for their respective purposes. This amendment takes effect January 1, 2027.
Check here for the full text of the amendment. Check here for an analysis of the bill
WinterParkVoiceEditor@gmail.com
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by Beth Kassab | Oct 19, 2026 | Arts and Culture, County News, News, Taxes
Jerry Demings Wins Approval for TDT Spending Plan
The amount for the Dr. Phillips arts center was reduced and commissioners rejected a bid to give the convention center more money
Oct. 19, 2026
By Beth Kassab
The Orange County Commission on Monday approved nearly $1 billion in projects funded by tourist development tax revenue, including new sports facilities at UCF and a $50 million reduction in funding for the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
A last-minute push to include several hundred million dollars for another expansion of the Orange County Convention Center, which has already cost $2 billion, failed to gain support from any commissioner except Mike Crabb, who was appointed to Seat 2 in August by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Representatives of the tourism industry joined forces with local labor union members in an unusual alliance to urge Mayor Jerry Demings to delay a vote on his plan to spend $860 million on 13 projects. Demings refused, arguing that a delay could mean many projects he considered worthy might never get another chance at funding. He also bristled at assertions that the decision-making process lacked transparency or had been rushed, rejecting the suggestion that he should leave the matter to whoever is elected mayor next month.
“Yes, [the end of] our tenure is for some of us just months away, but it doesn’t mean that we should just sit here and do nothing,” Demings said. “This is my home, where I was born and raised. For nearly seven decades, I’ve lived here. I have put my life on the line for this community. Been in some tough situations over the years. My blood, my sweat, my tears have gone into working on behalf of this community. I will not retreat from working in my home and taking care of the people who live here.”
The 6-1 vote followed five hours of public testimony and debate.
Commissioner Kelly Semrad, who represents Winter Park, voted against the plan. Demings, Nicole Wilson, Crabb, Mayra Uribe, Maribel Gomez Cordero and Mike Scott voted in favor. Demings and Uribe are set to leave office soon, while Crabb and Scott are seeking election on Nov. 3.
Kelly Semrad
Nine speakers, many of whom worked in hotel management or other senior hospitality positions, urged the commission to add the convention center expansion to Demings’ list of projects.
Demings, however, said he was unwilling to consider such a change. The previous expansion, for which he helped secure funding, is still under construction, and he questioned whether another expansion was necessary for the center to remain nationally competitive.
“How big is big enough?” Demings asked. “How big is too big? And there are citizens who think that that’s not the appropriate place to make investments.”
Crabb twice attempted to amend Demings’ plan. He presented a spreadsheet he had prepared with different funding amounts for the projects to make room for the convention center expansion. After his first motion failed, he tried again, this time seeking to delay votes on both the convention center and the arts center while funding the other projects. Both times the other commissioners sat in silence rather than offering a second for his motions and both failed.
At least 14 of the 78 speakers told commissioners they were concerned about transportation in Orange County and wanted some tourist tax revenue directed toward improving roads, bus service and rail.
“I point out all these venues that you want to additionally fund are functional. They have options,” said Eugene Staccardo, a resident and civic activist. “This community doesn’t have an adequate transit system for tourism, even after billions of dollars of upgrades to I-4. It’s functionally not meeting the needs of [the] community … Say no to these large TDT proposals that will financially tie our hands for decades. Reserve the money for the future and to be used on hopefully a future transit system.”
Demings said he did not believe the Florida Legislature would expand the legally permitted uses of tourist development tax revenue to allow Orange County to spend the money on local needs such as public transportation.
“This legislature and those in the immediate past have not been so kind to this community,” he said. “They preempted us left and right. We have been left to figure it out on our own … Every one of these projects that we talked about today will add jobs. You would think that not any of those jobs are good jobs, but I’m here to tell you, many of those jobs are good jobs.”
Florida lawmakers have, however, granted exceptions allowing specific communities to use tourist tax revenue for local needs, such as affordable housing and public safety, after those communities mounted strong campaigns for the changes.
Semrad questioned why her colleagues were willing to disregard both residents’ concerns about transportation and projections in Demings’ own plan showing that TDT reserves would fall below the recommended $300 million threshold in the coming years as a result of the spending.
Demings and county staff members said the projections assumed annual TDT revenue growth of 2% over much of the next 10 years, though actual growth could be higher. They also said the county’s convention center capital spending plan includes additional TDT revenue for projects such as elevator repairs and fire alarm system replacements. Because those funds are not always fully spent, they argued, the projections were conservative.
“You’re okay with it, and I hear all the reasons why that math works,” Semrad told the group. “But I’m also familiar with market uncertainty and the conditions in today’s marketplace that are concerning, and that numbers could soften, especially in terms of travel. We all see it at the pumps. You guys, anybody who’s bought an airline ticket lately knows how expensive it’s getting. It’s going to impact our tourism industry … So I’m uncomfortable when I see red numbers.”
Ultimately, Uribe moved to keep reserves at the recommended threshold by reducing the allocation for the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts from $400 million to $350 million.
The arts center is receiving the largest share of the mayor’s TDT spending plan to build new theaters, add parking and make other improvements.
Kathy Ramsberger, the center’s president and CEO, addressed the commission and confirmed that the center could still move forward with its projects under the reduced allocation.
The following slides show the approved spending plan with the exception of the reduced arts center figure:
WinterParkVoiceEditor@gmaill.com
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