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.
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.
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.
WinterParkVoiceEditor@gmail.com
Thank You, Beth…
Jim Fitch
Well, Sally & The Flock ( Mr. Fitch is one) have delivered. Residents were just discussing when the Voice would give that last effort to push Kris Cruzada. Unfortunately, even those who once hoped that Cruzada would resist the Anderson-Flynn magi now know that he has failed. Residents need a Voice & Cruzada has failed every time. Residents deserve a man with the ability to not take orders from the few. All The Best to Team Vermuth 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thanks for participating in this conversation, Jan. Can you tell me — I am genuinely curious — what votes by Commissioner Cruzada do you disagree with? It is true that he received a campaign contribution from former Mayor Anderson. But he did not always vote with Anderson, if I recall. Also, not sure why you think this story would “push” Cruzada. These are the candidates in their own words.
“It’s interesting how quick you are to come to the defense of a candidate supported by your main donors. It’s my understanding you sent those questions to Justin on Feb 13 and gave him less than 24 hours to respond. When were the questions provided to his opponent and how long was he given to respond?”
I am not defending Cruzada. I’m defending myself. You accused me in your first comment and now, again, of being unfair. I posted a DIFFERENT story within 24 hours of sending in questions to Mr. Vermuth and then updated the story when he sent me his answers. He requested the email. My first choice is always to talk with someone directly. But if the candidate doesn’t want to make himself available then I will accept email as it is better for readers than not having a response. By the way, 24 hours for a news story is actually a fair amount of time. It’s really not unusual to turn an entire story in a fraction of that time and expect responses. But what do I know I’ve only been doing this for 25 years.
Says a lot about Jan’s politics that she doesn’t answer Beth’s question: “what votes by Commissioner Cruzada do you disagree with?” Talk about “pushing” a candidate…
Thank you for this informative article. It’s crucial to have direct and detailed responses when selecting representatives for our city. I appreciate the candidates for their efforts in reaching out to Winter Park citizens. It’s important to know what each candidate plans to prioritize, all while keeping a nurturing and respectful attitude that reflects the great spirit of our city.
I did send my vote in for Cruzada as I just don’t see a reason to change. I also sent that check to Cruzada that I said I would send. I am sure Cruzada is not a tool of the commercial interests given he got none of the commercial interest big donations that went to Vermuth. The two values that drove my pick were experience and independence from commercial interests. That said I don’t always agree with Cruzada either.
Special interests such as major commercial landowners, land use attorneys, development interests, and the WP Chamber( & PAC) have poured money into Vermuth’s campaign like a fire hose. This is not an accident, not a coincidence. Vermuth has happily accepted this money. As local campaigning becomes more and more sanitized with zero debate between the candidates in real time and almost no requirement that candidates take real voter questions in a live setting, why has no moderator asked these two where they would stand on reinstating the Orange Avenue Overlay or where they would stand if the Henderson Hotel on Lake Killarney came back before the commission? These are the elephants in the room. These are the reasons for the massive special interest push to flip what was once a resident centric commission. It happens one seat at a time. We are one seat away from “the flip”. Cruzada was far from perfect, but he will have my vote.
Thank you for bringing this up it is crucial to WP to know where our commissioners stand on issues such as these. For someone to say they want to stop government overreach, they’re pretty quick to align themselves with monied developer donors who wish to change Orange Avenue at 17-92 and Fairbanks & Denning. Traffic flow is already at a major issue at Orange – 17/92 and the overdevelopment of that corner will only make it worse for all people who use that corridor. Fairbanks & Denning is at issue too with the removal of a lane to put in median strips with trees and plants. While it looks great, it does cause backups during busier times of the day. Just imagine what will happen to those areas if the developers get their way. They are one commissioner away from taking control of our local government but using talking points like “government overreach” and “lower taxes” which doesn’t help anyone but the developers. I have lived her over a decade and I avoid both of those trafficky areas whenever I can. I would hate to see those areas get overdeveloped and make life miserable for all just so wealthy donors can have their way and amass more money in their already overflowing pockets. Vote Kris. While I don’t agree with everything he says or does, he most closely aligns with my values in moving forward in Winter Park.
Sorry for a couple of typos!
Just wondering … has a developer ever gone back to their hometown, after developing the dickens out of another locale, and said nostalgically and dumbfounded, “Gee whiz. What did they DO to my town??!!”
Thank you for this article. It is helpful to have more context from the candidates beyond what’s in their printed materials. I also appreciated the additional context, especially with fact checking being so scarce these days. Vermuth and supporters have a lot of familiar rhetoric, which has already proven itself problematic. I agree with Beth Hall’s commentary. I’ve been in Winter Park just a bit shy of a decade and wow – the change is palpable. If we want someone with the ability to not take orders and to make independent decisions, I think it’s counterintuitive to install the person that has accepted large sums of money from real estate and business interests.
Whichever side you land on… don’t forget to vote and encourage others to do the same.
Seems that Justin Vermuth has not responded to questions with specific plans or policies. For example, he wants to make Winter Park more walkable. Ok, sounds good but what does he plan to do? Protect families? From what? How? Is he ok with current police structure? And the Chamber PAC supporting him makes me wonder if special interests are involved? I don’t know but I voted for Cruzada because he provided detailed answers to Beth’s questions. Thank you for the wonderful and insightful reporting Beth!
The fact that 100% Chamber candidate Vermuth and 50% Chamber candidate Cruzada responded to Voice questions PROVES that Voice is a CHAMBER rag.
Chamber candidates NEVER responded to Voice questions when it was the OLD Voice.
Now that it is the Sentinel-Voice the Chamber has no problem with their candidates talking to them knowing full well that the Voice will make both Chamber candidates look good.
And more importantly knowing that Voice will FOOL the residents just like the Sentinel has been doing for decades.
Oh Old Winter Park Voice where have you gone? We miss you. Please come back.
Winter Park will be Las Vegas before long if the new Voice continues its Sentinel shenanigans.
I was eager to read Vermuth’s interview because every day when I receive his campaign flyers, I search for information regarding his experience in Winter Park government, or anywhere, really. So, I have to assume that he has no real understanding of our city government. This was borne out by the interview. It was the usual candidate sound bites with absolutely no specifics, which was disappointing.
Just wanted to point out that Justin Vermuth has served on the city’s lakes advisory board, appointed by Kris Cruzada. He has also served on an Orange County board related to government bonding. He does have experience on local government boards and we’ve reported that.
Lori,
Justin was appointed to the Lakes and Waterways Board by Kris Cruzada. He was elected by his peers as Chair of the Board and he has served on that Board since 2022. His job is working with local and state governments in Florida and across the country. I am in a similar field. Justin’s a well known and well respected Government Affairs professional. Justin’s network is going to be a huge asset for Winter Park. He knows who to talk to about appropriations and grants, how to advocate for them on behalf of the City, and how to work the process.
Thanks, Beth and Lawrence. I must have missed that info on his myriad mailings!