Ryan Gillespie

1 week ago | orlandosentinel.com | Ryan Gillespie

A few miles west from Universal's glitzy new Epic Universe lies another world, where a tattoo parlor, an adult boutique and graffiti-covered vacant buildings vie with the Fun Spot theme park and resort hotels for prominence. The city of Orlando would like to bring I-Drive north of Sand Lake Road closer to the standards of the tourist strip to the south, which sits in unincorporated Orange County. Last week, it approved a package of property tax incentives it hopes will start the process.

1 week ago | orlandosentinel.com | Ryan Gillespie

Property taxes are necessary to fund local governments and agencies but can be unfair to first-time homebuyers, a group of local Democrats argued Tuesday. Six elected officials gathered Tuesday at a roundtable hosted by Rep. Anna Eskamani as debate continues across Florida on if and how to reform property taxes - which are top funders for everything from local police and fire departments to public schools.

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Ryan Gillespie

Property taxes are necessary to fund local governments and agencies but can be unfair to first-time homebuyers, a group of local Democrats argued Tuesday. Six elected officials gathered Tuesday at a roundtable hosted by Rep. Anna Eskamani as debate continues across Florida on if and how to reform property taxes – which are top funders for everything from local police and fire departments to public schools.

2 weeks ago | ourcommunitynow.com | Ryan Gillespie

Share Grappling with the strain on police resources following some high-profile shootings, Orlando officials have gone back to the drawing board to figure out how to create a safer downtown. At a workshop Monday, it was clear there was some support for shutting alcohol sales off at midnight, though it doesn’t appear a majority of the city council yet agrees. “I’m a 12:00 guy right now,” said Commissioner Jim Gray of his support for ending alcohol sales at that hour.

2 weeks ago | orlandosentinel.com | Ryan Gillespie

Grappling with the strain on police resources following some high-profile shootings, Orlando officials have gone back to the drawing board to figure out how to create a safer downtown. At a workshop Monday, it was clear there was some support for shutting alcohol sales off at midnight, though it doesn't appear a majority of the city council yet agrees. "I'm a 12:00 guy right now," said Commissioner Jim Gray of his support for ending alcohol sales at that hour.