by Beth Kassab | Mar 5, 2025 | Uncategorized
Who is funding the candidates? More than $100k flows into Seat 3 race
Justin Vermuth’s campaign is powered by business interests while Kris Cruzada taps those who have advocated for a more reserved approach to development
March 5, 2025
By Beth Kassab
The latest donors to Justin Vermuth’s City Commission campaign include $10,000 bundled by Golden Corral franchisee Eric Holm and his companies, $2,000 from the tourism industry, $1,000 from Jacqueline Siegel, known as the “Queen of Versailles” and wife of timeshare magnate David Siegel and $500 from former Mayor Steve Leary’s political committee.
Vermuth raised $86,290, according to the most recent report filed, and spent $58,933 mostly on direct mail pieces, digital ads and political consultants. Vermuth, an attorney who works as the chief lobbyist for the national association that represents timeshare builders, did not respond to questions seeking comment.
Meanwhile Cruzada, also an attorney, reported a far smaller haul at $27,891 and spent just under $13,000 with the bulk going to mail pieces.
Justin Vermuth
Cruzada’s donors include $2,000 bundled from Full Sail University Co-Chairman and CEO Edward Haddock and one of his companies; $2,000 from former Mayor Phil Anderson and Jennifer Anderson; $500 from former Commissioner Carolyn Cooper and $250 from David Odahowski, president and CEO of the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation.
The donors to Cruzada’s campaign are largely, but not entirely, coalesced around the idea of a more reserved approach to future development in the city.
How redevelopment looks — in terms of building height, density and architectural style — along Orange Avenue, Fairbanks Avenue and other commercial districts will continue as key policy discussions over the coming years.
Each commissioner serves a three-year term as one of five votes who will help shape policy not only on development, but also on the city’s lake water quality, roads and Sunrail, the electric utility, historic preservation and how much residents and property owners pay in taxes and fees.
The election could represent a significant shift on the Commission. Last year Commissioner Craig Russell was narrowly elected with the financial backing of the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce and its members.
This year Warren Lindsey, a local defense attorney and member of the chamber, was elected without opposition, an apparent testament to his ability to appeal to both enough chamber members and business interests as well as those who consider themselves watchdogs over Winter Park’s charm and future development.
Kris Cruzada
The chamber, however, is funding Vermuth against Cruzada with some of the same donors who helped Russell into office.
For example, $10,000 comes from companies associated with the Holler family such as Holler Hyundai, Holler Honda, Classic Mazda, Audi North Orlando, Classic Honda and Driver’s Mart Sanford. They gave $1,000 each.
So did Frank Hamner, the longtime attorney for the Holler family. The family sued the city over changes to the Orange Avenue Overlay, a set of development rules that governs new construction in the key commercial corridor.
Cruzada said he favors the changes that the Hollers opposed because the new rules limit buildings to five stories and call for more green space.
Holm, who bundled $10,000 for Vermuth in the most recent campaign finance report, is a well-known Republican fundraiser and philanthropist in addition to his restaurants such as Golden Corral. In September, he hosted a fundraiser at his Lake Virginia home featuring now Vice President J.D. Vance that started at $5,000 per couple. Holm did not return a call seeking comment.
Cruzada, who is also a Republican, says he is hoping to show that the biggest campaign account doesn’t always win the most votes.
Warren Lindsey
“For many residents and business owners in our city, they want their public officials to listen to them,” Cruzada said. “And they may not have as much money, but they vote.”
In the fall, for example, former Winter Park Mayor Steve Leary far outraised Kelly Semrad by 4 to 1 in a race to represent District 5, which includes the city, on the Orange County Commission. But Semrad, a UCF professor who also advocated for spending more tourist tax dollars on local resident needs such as transportation, won by a 14-point margin.
Leary’s political committee during that race, which largely centered on potential annexations and development in rural east Orange County, gave $500 to Vermuth.
Leary was also heavily backed by development and tourism interests, who have lobbied to keep control over Tourist Development Tax dollars for the industry. The Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association has two political committees and each gave Vermuth $1,000, according to the most recent report.
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by Beth Kassab | Mar 4, 2025 | Election, News, Uncategorized
Kris Cruzada v. Justin Vermuth: The candidates answer questions
Both men say they want to run an efficient city government but have different ideas about spending and whether cutting property taxes is the right call
March 4, 2025
By Beth Kassab
Next week, Winter Park will choose between Kris Cruzada, an attorney and the incumbent in Seat 3 on the City Commission, and Justin Vermuth, a first-time candidate who is also an attorney and lobbyist for the timeshare industry.
Cruzada, 51, is married with two children and grew up in the area and has owned his home off the Winter Park Pines golf course since 2007.
Vermuth, 43, is also married with two children and purchased a lakefront home off South Lakemont Avenue in 2015.
Justin Vermuth
Vermuth, was endorsed by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, and has accumulated a large campaign chest funded largely by real estate and business interests.
Cruzada, who was first elected in 2022, says he declined the Chamber’s financial support before Vermuth entered the race and is running a less funded campaign focused on door-to-door outreach.
Here are the candidates’ responses to emailed questions from the Voice. Some responses are edited for length and clarity.
Question: Can you tell me a little bit about your philosophy on parking? Does Winter Park have too much? Too little? What should be done in regards to parking policy?
Kris Cruzada: The city is balancing current needs with space efficiency. The city reduced parking minimums because of the over abundance of parking in some of the commercial office properties. At certain times, mainly lunchtime, there is a demand for parking along Park Avenue. A lot of patrons want to park within 1/8 mile to 1/4 mile from their destination. From a recent city study, data showed that there was sufficient parking within a 1.5 mile radius of Park Avenue and Morse Boulevard. From personal experience, I find myself parking at Capen or Whipple and walking in to Park Ave. In the future, I anticipate declining car ownership, the city has to balance future needs with current needs and multi-modal transportation options.
Kris Cruzada
Justin Vermuth: When it comes to parking, we need to take into consideration the needs of our small business owners in addition to the needs of residents. I believe we can balance protecting what makes Winter Park so unique with smart, well-planned parking options while prioritizing walkability. The Winter Park Chamber brought in Henry Grabar last year who offered up innovative ideas on how to address our parking dilemma.
Q: Do you support SunRail? What should the role of cities like Winter Park be in funding SunRail and wider transit options?
Cruzada: Yes. Currently, the city provides funding support [for SunRail] of $350,000, plus CPI [Consumer Price Index], per year. I would currently not want to fund more from the city due to our needs with our own Transportation Master Plan.
Vermuth: I do support SunRail! Between making it easier to travel to downtown Orlando and bringing in visitors who want to enjoy our restaurants and small businesses, I think SunRail has been a net benefit. I think that maintaining the Sunrail station in Winter Park is something that we can definitely do without raising taxes or increasing spending.
Q: Do you support the half-cent sales tax proposal (that’s been discussed by Orange County) for transit?
Cruzada: I would, if Sunrail and Lynx could coordinate a budget that would prioritize weekend ridership and extended hours that would relieve parking on the weekends in Winter Park (especially when the City has events) and assist the service industry employees in Central Florida.
Vermuth: This issue will once again be for the voters to decide. I would like a clearer plan for how the money would benefit Winter Park residents. Before adding something like this to the ballot, we should do everything we can to meet our needs by reviewing our existing budget, cutting spending, and being more efficient.
Q for Justin Vermuth: Your campaign materials say you want to “lower taxes” and “limit unnecessary government spending.” Which taxes, specifically, do you want to lower and by how much? When it comes to spending, what would you cut and how?
A: Right now, our City Commission is declaring victory because the millage rate hasn’t increased. We need to cut the millage rate and stop spending money on unnecessary items, like additional code enforcement officers.
Q for Kris Cruzada: Your opponent says he wants to “lower taxes” and “limit unnecessary government spending.” Is cutting taxes in Winter Park (lowering the millage rate) possible without cutting services and, if so, and how? When it comes to spending, would you make cuts?
Cruzada: With inflation running high, and no signs of letting up in the near future, it would not be prudent to cut our millage rate. Keep in mind, for every rise or drop in our millage rate by a quarter point, .0025, we would gain/lose approximately $2.25 million in property tax revenue. When it comes to spending cuts, I’d look at two areas to help make us more efficient. Analyze the overtime hours and explore cross-training within some of our departments. In analyzing cost cutting, I’d be pay close attention to how it would affect our key performance indicators. I do not want to jeopardize our level of service that our residents have come to expect.
Q for Vermuth: What are examples of the “government overreach that attacks our small businesses and homeowners” you mention in your campaign materials? Which policies would you change in this regard?
Vermuth: One big example was the ban on gas powered leaf blowers, which caused additional costs for businesses and homeowners. I oppose the ban my opponent put in place and will be voting yes to overturn it! Another is the hiring of additional code enforcement officers–while failing to hire school resource officers! My goal is to protect what makes Winter Park special. We can’t let our government or a few empowered elites become an overly prescriptive Homeowners’ Association, telling small businesses and homeowners what they can and can’t do.
Context provided by the Voice: Cruzada was not yet elected when the ban was adopted as part of an amendment to the city’s noise ordinance in early 2022. Winter Park did not threaten to take school resource officers out of schools. In fact, the resource officers continued to work on campuses throughout the city even without a signed contract with Orange County Public Schools. City Manager Randy Knight has said the issue is not whether the city will pay, but how much. The cost is being negotiated because several cities, including Winter Park, argue the school district should use more of the state dollars designated for safety toward school resource officer costs.
Q for Kris Cruzada: How do you respond to your opponent’s claims that the current commission is engaging in “government overreach that attacks our small businesses and homeowners?”
Cruzada: The City is always trying to find ways to improve our quality of life. The leaf blower ordinance originally came about prior to my term on the dais. It came about because of the many residents working from home, during COVID on Zoom or Microsoft Teams calls, that complained about the noise from leaf blowers. The ordinance had a provision to delay enforcement for local landscapers/lawn maintenance companies to adapt. However, as we came closer to the time to begin enforcement, many of the lawn maintenance crews complained that it was difficult for them to charge electric blower batteries in the field or in shops because of the sheer number they had to have to fulfill their workload. As a result, the Commission voted to have it go to a referendum. We have listened to the residents and the small businesses within the community and brought it to a referendum for residents to decide.
Q: What is the role of arts in the community?
Vermuth: Winter Parks’ arts and culture are a huge part of what makes our community so special. I will oppose cuts to arts and culture while using my platform and relationships to seek state and federal funding sources to reduce the burden on taxpayers.
Cruzada: The arts allows for people to see and hear expressive ideas, which often bridge gaps between people and diverse groups. Arts within a community allows people to connect and grow with one another by reflecting on shared experiences, emotions and values.
Q: Would you support new expenditures to the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center?
Vermuth: Yes, provided they don’t lead to a tax increase.
Cruzada: Not at this time. I’d like to focus on more of our local nonprofit art institutions within the city.
Context provided by the Voice: A previous City Commission voted to spend $1 million on the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando ($100,000 per year for 10 years) and that payment period has now ended.
Q: Any other specific elements of your platform that you want to share with readers? What other messages about your candidacy do you want to get across that help differentiate you from your opponent?
Vermuth: I have three kids who attend school at Brookshire Elementary. That’s why one of my top priorities is to ensure that the safety of our students, teachers, and everyone who works at Winter Park’s public schools comes first. In addition, I think that my campaign can appeal to families who have a story like me and Lindsay’s — people who have worked hard and saved up in order to buy a house here. I recently learned that 4 out of 10 Winter Park students qualify for free and reduced lunch. It’s clear that while Winter Park is a wonderful place to live and work, there is more that we can do to make sure that every family feels safe, supported and secure.
Cruzada: My platform reflects a balanced approach to managing a full-service city. Winter Park residents and businesses expect a high level of service, along with a great quality of life. My goals are to stay focused on maintaining our quality of life. I have taken the initiative to go out to meet the residents by canvassing. As I have campaigned, I have met so many residents on their doorstep. Sometimes, residents talk about their history of living in Winter Park and how they first came to Winter Park. Winter Parkers are passionate about their city and are always seeking ways to improve it. Whether they live in Brookshire Heights, Kenilworth Shores, Waterbridge, Orwin Manor, Lake Bell, Park Grove, Lake Forest Park, Windsong, Arbor Park, College Quarter, Virginia Heights, Killarney Estates, The Shores of Lake Killarney, (so many neighborhoods that are too many to list), I have learned so much from the residents and their neighborhoods and know that they care about the city.
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by Beth Kassab | Feb 18, 2025 | City Commission, News, Uncategorized
Up to $100k in city grants available for Winter Park nonprofits via proposed new process
Like many local governments, Winter Park has long supported local organizations, including $1 million to the Dr. Phillips Center. Now it’s looking to formalize how it selects which nonprofits receive money
Feb. 18, 2025
By Beth Kassab
Winter Park nonprofits will be able to compete for a slice of the $100,000 in public funds previously designated each year for the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts under a new process likely to be established this spring.
Commissioners agreed at a workshop last week to form a committee made of volunteer members from other city advisory boards to review and rank applications for $10,000 grants of the available funds.
The city paid $1 million to the arts center in Orlando over 10 years and made its final payment last year.
A new committee process, which is likely to come before the City Commission next month, is the result of months of discussion over how to set clear and fair parameters for disbursing the money to local nonprofits now that the $100,000 each year is available for other uses.
The city’s current policy calls for 0.25% of revenues from the General Fund, Water & Wastewater fund and Electric fund or about $420,000 each year to be dedicated to supporting local nonprofits. It’s not uncommon for cities and counties to use a portion of their budgets to help local service and arts and culture groups.
Under the plan, six nonprofits that have existed as a line item in the city budget for years would remain there and be “grandfathered in” rather than be part of the competitive process.
Those organizations and their current allocations are:
United Arts: $19,000
Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens: $27,000
Winter Park Day Nursery: $41,000
Mead Botanical Garden: $98,000
Winter Park History Museum: $93,000
Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts: $12,000
Two other groups are included in this year’s budget but will not be grandfathered in: Men of Integrity at $18,000 and the Winter Park Institute at $25,000.
Kathy Ramsberger, CEO of the Dr. Phillips Center in downtown Orlando, appeared at last week’s commission meeting to report on the venue’s work so far and ask for more dollars in the future. Winter Park contributed $1 million to the $625 million project, which now includes the Walt Disney Theater, Steinmetz Hall, the Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater and Judson’s Live (pictured above). She talked about plans to build an additional 750-seat theater and other spaces such as an outdoor amphitheater.
Mayor Sheila DeCiccio told Ramsberger at the end of the presentation that the commission could potentially discuss the arts center when the city’s annual budget talks begin this summer.
DeCiccio told the Voice that the arts center would be required to apply through the new process, if it’s approved, just as any other nonprofit would be asked to do.
At the workshop commissioners appeared supportive of requiring the groups seeking grants to be based in Winter Park.
Commissioner Craig Russell questioned why the focus appeared to be on arts and culture rather than social service organizations.
Peter Moore, director of the city’s management and budget department, said the reason is because the social services category is so large.
“That’s OK,” Russell said. “There is a significant need.”
Russell, a Winter Park High School teacher and coach who runs a nonprofit aimed at needy students and families, said he would never apply for the dollars because of his role on the commission, but noted the good the dollars could potentially do in that sector.
Moore said the grant program could be revised to more explicitly include education and social service missions.
The commission is set to consider a formal proposal on the new grant process in March.
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by Beth Kassab | Feb 14, 2025 | City Commission, Election, News, Uncategorized
Endorsed by the Winter Park chamber PAC, Justin Vermuth builds campaign chest
Incumbent Kris Cruzada said he is relying on mostly smaller donations from residents
Feb. 14, 2025
By Beth Kassab
Justin Vermuth, who is challenging Kris Cruzada for Seat 3 on the City Commission, is leading the fundraising contest so far, bolstered by at least $10,000 in contributions from companies related to the Holler family and the attorney for the prominent landowners and car dealers.
Vermuth, who was endorsed this week by the political action committee affiliated with the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, reported $24,515 in contributions through Feb. 4 while Cruzada, the incumbent, raised $16,400 ahead of the March 11 election.
The bulk of Vermuth’s money, or $20,000, came in $1,000 donations — the maximum allowed per donor per campaign cycle.
For example, a total of $10,000 comes from companies associated with the Holler family such as Holler Hyundai, Holler Honda, Classic Mazda, Audi North Orlando, Classic Honda and Driver’s Mart Sanford. They gave $1,000 each.
So did Frank Hamner, the longtime attorney for the Holler family. Hamner, who serves as spokesman for the family, did not return a phone call or email seeking comment.
Asked about his relationship with the Holler family and how he met them, Vermuth said via email that he’s proud “to have support from residents, small businesses, and community leaders across Winter Park.”
“We’re building a broad coalition of supporters, many of whom have chosen to donate to my campaign,” he said. “I’m also proud to have an outstanding campaign team for advertising and polling.”
He declined to share the results of his polling so far.
Bundled contributions from companies related to the Holler family will seem a familiar strategy to those who follow Winter Park politics. Last year the family’s companies contributed in a similar way to Craig Russell, who won Seat 2 over Jason Johnson, by 34 votes.
The Hollers, along with landowner Mary Demetree, sued the city of Winter Park alleging that a series of development rules known as the Orange Avenue Overlay, where the family owns property, were improperly overturned in 2020. The new rules still stand.
Last year the City Commission, including Cruzada, approved the Holler’s proposal for a portion of its property at Fairbanks Avenue and Denning Drive that involved providing a piece of land to the city to widen the road and make improvements at the busy intersection.
Another similarity to last year’s election cycle: Vermuth, like Russell, has the support of Winter PAC, the political action committee affiliated with the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce. The PAC has raised more than $85,000 since the start of last year’s campaigns and spent more than $40,000.
It’s most recent expenditure on Feb. 10 is listed as nearly $8,000 for mailers related to a candidate paid to MDW Communications, which shares the same Lake Worth address as a political consulting firm called Claughton Consulting. Vermuth’s campaign has paid more than $11,000 to Claughton Consulting for polling, palm cards, e-mail services and yard signs, according to financial reports.
“The Winter PAC board of directors voted to endorse Vermuth because they believe he will bring a needed perspective shift in leadership, and he has personal experience with issues families in our community are facing,” read a press release from the PAC released this week.
Cruzada said he was approached with a potential contribution from the chamber PAC before Vermuth entered the race in mid January, but declined because he said he felt more comfortable taking contributions from individuals.
A chamber spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a question from the Voice about whether Cruzada was offered the group’s support.
“I think I have a record that shows I have worked with the Winter Park chamber,” Cruzada said, noting that he helped the group lobby for arts dollars in Tallahassee and also supported changes to the city’s parking code pushed by the chamber to reduce the amount of parking spaces developers must build in certain instances. “I was more about individual donations versus, say, a PAC … My supporters who walked neighborhoods and campaigned for me, I didn’t want to leave them behind at all. They are very well informed voters and participants in Winter Park policy.”
Less than half of Cruzada’s $16,000 campaign fund — about $6,000 has come in the form of $1,000 checks. His top donors include two former mayors — Phil Anderson and David Strong and Sally Flynn, a local resident and an organizer and volunteer for his campaign. (Full disclosure: Strong and Flynn are key supporters of the nonprofit Voice, which is solely supported by community contributions. See our editorial policy here.)
Most of Cruzada’s contributions come in the form of smaller-dollar amounts from more than 45 individuals, mostly Winter Park residents.
Vermuth’s other contributors included $3,000 from Seth Heller and his financial services companies in South Florida. Jason Gamel, president of the American Resort Development Association, also gave $1,000.
Vermuth serves as a senior vice president and chief lobbyist for the association that represents timeshare companies across the nation.
Two lobbyists from the firm The Southern Group — Kelly Cohen and Kaley Slattery — gave a combined $300. The firm represents a list of influential clients from Walt Disney World to Tavistock Development Company, which is seeking to develop large tracts of land in east Orange County.
About 20 Winter Park residents contributed to Vermuth’s campaign, including former Commissioner Sarah Sprinkel and chamber officer Carroll Goggin, according to the reports.
Update: This story was updated to include comments from Vermuth.
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by Beth Kassab | Feb 7, 2025 | City Commission, News, Uncategorized
Kris Cruzada and Justin Vermuth spar over budget to win votes for Commission Seat 3
Both men look to distinguish themselves ahead of the March 11 election
Feb. 7, 2025
By Beth Kassab
In the first candidate forums ahead of the March 11 election, Commissioner Kris Cruzada attempted to fend off a challenge from first-time candidate Justin Vermuth, who said the city needs to rein in spending and asserted “there’s plenty of pork” in the city’s budget, though he was light on specifics.
Cruzada, who was first elected in 2022, defended his record on the commission. He cited his contemplative approach to development such as working with residents on the west side to achieve a more palatable design for a new rental complex to be built near Winter Park Village as well as the city’s low electric utility rates, investment in the arts, improved parks and Winter Park’s solid financial position.
“I disagree with Justin’s opinion about our finances … they’re good,” Cruzada said. “We have $21 million in reserves, we have a balanced budget and we will continue to do so … we are succeeding.”
In back-to-back debates at the Winter Park Library on Thursday evening and at the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce on Friday morning, Vermuth mentioned at least three times that he’s “read all 267 pages” of the city’s budget.
“There’s plenty of pork in there that we can cut without impacting city services without impacting residents whatsoever,” he said, though each time he brought it up, he stopped short of detailing what or how he would cut spending or explain what he considered to be “pork.”
After the library forum put on by high school students through the new Winter Park Youth Council, the Voice asked Vermuth for specific examples.
He said he does not agree with the current City Commission’s decision to pay $3.8 million to buy land to help the nonprofit Winter Park Playhouse and generally did not agree with the city using public funds to acquire property.
An $8 million grant from Orange County is actually covering the cost of the Playhouse purchase and renovation along with $2 million to be privately raised by the professional theater, which will operate the venue.
Cruzada highlighted investment in the arts as essential to the city’s identity, recalling how he watched his own daughter grow in confidence after participating in a music program at Rollins College.
“I think for every one dollar we spend on arts we get a 10-fold return,” he said, noting another county TDT grant will also help build a new Rollins museum.
Vermuth signaled a willingness to cut back on arts spending.
“From a fiscal standpoint, we need to look at the arts programs holistically and see which ones make sense,” he said. “We need to lift up the arts community, absolutely, but we also need to do what’s right. We have a fiscal responsibility and we need to evaluate each of those programs as a group and individually to see which ones make sense to support in our community.”
The city provided $2.3 million last year in direct support to groups like Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts, which is now leasing the old library, United Arts, the Winter Park Historical Association, the Polasek Museum and the library, which took the bulk of the funding.
Kris Cruzada
Vermuth also said he is against the $4 million purchase of the land and buildings rented by Michelin-starred Soseki and Austin’s Coffee to make way for road, park and stormwater improvements. The acre on the corner of Fairbanks Avenue and Denning Drive has long been part of the city’s strategic plan and the commission voted unanimously in the fall to move forward on the purchase.
The businesses that rent space on the property have been outspoken about their investments in the buildings and their desire to stay put. The city has said it will honor the current multi-year leases.
“This isn’t a ‘Make Winter Park Great Again’ campaign … everyone knows Winter Park is great,” Vermuth said. “This is a ‘We can do better campaign’ … we can do better with the budget, with the way we treat our residents, the way we engage our community and bring the city government to them.”
The city budget totals more than $214 million, with growth in revenue driven by climbing property values that are expected to level off in coming years. Police, fire and public works take up more than half of the $83 million general fund.
At both forums, Vermuth cited the 10-year pro-forma in the budget document as evidence that Winter Park is heading in the wrong direction and that its reserve fund will dwindle from just under 27% of expenditures today to about 5% by 2033.
But a city spokeswoman explained the pro forma is intended as an exercise in looking ahead at hypothetical variables and what could happen if the commission didn’t make adjustments each year.
“A pro-forma shows what would happen if no management intervention happens from year to year,” she said. “But management intervention happens every year. The City Manager gives the Commission a balanced budget every year. The City Commission weighs the wants and needs for city services and capital spending against the resources available and adopts a balanced budget, usually without drawing down on any reserves. Part of managing any business is to look ahead so there are less surprises and so you can head off bad outcomes early. That is what these pro-formas help us do. They are not like audits, that are looking at actual numbers, and they certainly are not prescriptive that this is what we are going to do. They are planning tools to help guide the future so we can address negative trends early.”
Justin Vermuth
After a series of devastating hurricanes in 2004, the city’s reserve fund hit about 6% and the commissioners at the time set a goal to bring the fund back up to 30%.
Since then, the reserve fund has grown, reaching the 30% mark in 2020. But the percentage slipped in recent years to 26.6% because of soaring expenses caused by inflation, according to the budget document. The actual dollar balance of the reserve fund today is higher than ever at $21 million.
“Only eight years ago, reserves stood at $8 million, a significant improvement given the pandemic occurrence just a couple years ago,” the document says.
In a recent public message to residents, Commissioner Marty Sullivan called for a property tax increase of .6 mills to generate an extra $5 million a year.
Both Cruzada and Vermuth said they opposed such a plan. The city hasn’t increased the rate at which property owners pay taxes since 2008.
The candidates also agreed on the referendum that will appear with their names on the March 11 ballot. Both said they would vote to repeal the city’s ban on gas-powered leaf blowers.
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by Beth Kassab | Feb 1, 2025 | City Commission, News, Uncategorized
In first 'State of the City,' Mayor Sheila DeCiccio highlights strong financials
The annual event drew a large crowd and also honored Winter Park’s employees of the year, including a school resource officer from Winter Park High
Feb. 1, 2025
By Beth Kassab
Mayor Sheila DeCiccio underscored the city’s solid financial footing and pointed to a future of business growth and enhanced services such as flood prevention and the completion of the undergrounding project by the city’s electric utility in her first State of the City address on Friday.
DeCiccio, who made history last year when she was elected as the first woman to the office, spoke to a packed crowd at the Winter Park Events Center, including local officials such as U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost and state Rep. Anna Eskamani, who recently announced her bid for Orlando mayor.
She highlighted Winter Park’s strong financial position with growing residential and commercial tax bases and a robust reserve fund as part of the city’s $214.4 million annual budget.
Mayor Sheila DeCiccio and City Manager Randy Knight shake hands on stage Friday morning as commissioners Todd Weaver, Marty Sullivan and Craig Russell look on.
“We’ve kept our millage rate the same for 17 consecutive years and we have the strongest tax base in all of Orange County,” she said, pointing to AAA ratings by Fitch and Moody’s.
Fitch upgraded the city to AAA in August citing, “financial resilience given amble budgetary flexibility and Fitch’s expectation that the city will maintain reserves at or above 10% of spending.” The reserve fund sits at about 29% today, just below the city’s goal of 30%.
DeCiccio listed the recent expansion of the Community Redevelopment Agency, which allows Winter Park to keep more dollars that would otherwise be siphoned off to Orange County, as a way the city will shape development and increase tax revenue off Fairbanks Avenue near Interstate 4.
She also cited the undergrounding of electric wires, which sits at 80% completion and is slated to be finished by 2030 as a key factor in how Winter Park has kept the lights on during storms while other communities sat in the dark and lauded a year-long study that has helped prioritize flood-prevention projects.
DeCiccio gave credit to the city’s staff, which she said routinely pull off a number of events that make Winter Park a regional draw.
Last year’s holiday decor and events were just one example.
“It was said it was like being in a Hallmark movie,” she said.
Earlier in her address, DeCiccio nodded briefly to the less feel-good side of Winter Park. The town of about 30,000 people along a picturesque chain of lakes is also known for bitter political fights over everything from development to gas-powered leaf blowers. (A ban on the noisy machines will appear on the March ballot along with two candidates for Commission Seat 3.)
“Our shared commitment to unity and nonpartisan government has allowed us to rise above divisiveness,” she said.
Defense attorney Warren Lindsey, who was just elected to City Commission Seat 4 without opposition and will take office in March, was in attendance. Also in the audience was Justin Vermuth, the attorney and timeshare lobbyist who is challenging Commissioner Kris Cruzada for Seat 3.
Other highlights included:
Founders’ Award. DeCiccio recognized former Mayor David Strong with the 2025 Mayor’s Founders’ Award for his role in steering the city during the 2008 recession and helping protect Central Park from development from a proposal to build a hotel there. Strong, a third generation Winter Parker, whose dad was also mayor in the 1980s, entered the real estate business after graduating from Winter Park High and Vanderbilt University, where he received a football scholarship. DeCiccio also cited his work on Howell Branch Preserve, Casa Feliz and numerous philanthropic activities such as supporting local arts and museums. (Full disclosure: Strong is also a financial contributor to the Voice.)
Officer Christopher Belcore speaks to the crowd.
Employees of the year: Police Chief Tim Volkerson named Christopher Belcore, a school resource officer at Winter Park High School, as officer of the year. Belcore, he said, has served at the school for two years and received numerous accolades from parents about his ability to establish an authentic relationship with students while also leading key investigations. Belcore’s work was instrumental, Volkerson said, in the conviction of a student who Belcore learned had access to weapons and could have posed a threat to the school.
Winter Park Human Resources Director Pam Russell also recognized Jeanni Ruddy, who has helped grow the department’s wellness programs, with the 2025 honor. Winter Park Fire Chief Dan Hagedorn named Lt. Brandon Williams, who is also a paramedic, as fire employee of the year.
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