Winter Park Voice

The Winter Park Voice is a reliable nonprofit news platform dedicated to reporting on City Hall and other important topics. Our mission is to involve, educate, and unite residents on various matters that impact the quality of life in Winter Park.

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Steve Leary goes negative against Kelly Semrad in final week of county race

Oct 31, 2024 | winterparkvoice.com | Beth Kassab

Oct. 30, 2024By Beth KassabWith less than a week until Election Day, the battle for the only open Orange County Commission seat on the ballot took a negative turn. Steve Leary, the former mayor of Winter Park, unleashed a barrage of attack ads against Kelly Semrad, a UCF professor who bested Leary in the Aug. 20 primary by 2,800 votes.
Steve Leary, with Buddy Dyer’s endorsement, heads to run-off from second place

Aug 26, 2024 | winterparkvoice.com | Beth Kassab

Aug. 26, 2024By Beth KassabSteve Leary, the former Winter Park mayor and Republican who outraised his opponents in the District 5 Orange County Commission race by more than 3 to 1 and touted the endorsement of one of the region’s most powerful Democrats in Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, is now heading into the Nov. 5 run-off from a distant second place. Leary finished the Aug.
Other Florida cities issues dozens of citations for gas leaf blowers

May 4, 2024 | winterparkvoice.com | Beth Kassab

May 4, 2024By Beth KassabBill Quinsey hears more about leaf blowers than just about anyone else in Florida, where the deafening gas-powered devices turned into a political rallying cry during the latest session of the state Legislature. Quinsey, the code compliance manager in Naples, oversees a team that has issued 74 citations and 230 written warnings to people using the banned devices in the southwest coastal town of about 20,000 people.
Craig Russell sworn in and residents will vote next year on gas leaf blower ban

Apr 27, 2024 | winterparkvoice.com | Beth Kassab

April 25, 2024By Beth KassabVoters will decide next year whether Winter Park will keep its ban on gas-powered leaf blowers after two tense and divided votes Wednesday that included new Commissioner Craig Russell for the first time. The debate highlighted the power of the mayor’s role on the board — steering the debate and casting the final vote — with new Mayor Sheila DeCiccio twice breaking a 2-2 tie.
Craig Russell ekes out victory in close race for Seat 2 on the City Commission

Apr 16, 2024 | winterparkvoice.com | Beth Kassab

April 16, 2024By Beth KassabCraig Russell won Seat 2 on the City Commission on Tuesday by 34 votes, a victory that fell just over the threshold that would have triggered an automatic ballot recount. Russell, who will become the first Black commissioner in Winter Park in more than 130 years, tallied 2,869 votes or 50.3% while Jason Johnson received 2,835 votes or 49.7%. The totals were separated by .6% and it takes under a half percent to cause a recount.
New Mayor Sheila DeCiccio sworn-in as development projects stack up

Apr 13, 2024 | winterparkvoice.com | Beth Kassab

April 12, 2024By Beth KassabAs Mayor Sheila DeCiccio was sworn in as Winter Park’s first woman mayor last week, the number of significant commercial projects in the works continued to grow. While the pro-development versus anti-development debate has shaped much of the discourse during this election cycle, particularly in the heated contest for City Commission Seat 2 that will be decided on Tuesday, the number of projects in the pipeline now may be overlooked.
Chasm in development support widens as money flows into Seat 2 run-off

Apr 12, 2024 | winterparkvoice.com | Beth Kassab

April 12, 2024By Beth KassabThe attacks continued in the final days of the run-off for Seat 2 on the City Commission with Craig Russell and Jason Johnson each trying to convince voters they would would be the best defender of Winter Park’s unique character. The election is Tuesday.
Phil Anderson leaves mayor’s job with legacy of shaping city’s future

Apr 6, 2024 | winterparkvoice.com | Beth Kassab

April 5, 2024By Beth KassabPhil Anderson came into office in the spring of 2021 as the tumult of a global pandemic took the lives of thousands of Orange County residents and upended commerce from New York’s Wall Street to Winter Park’s Park Avenue. For months at the start of his term, the City Commission was still meeting via video. Shops and restaurants struggled to bring back customers.
Commission approves CRA expansion

Mar 29, 2024 | winterparkvoice.com | Beth Kassab

March 28, 2024By Beth KassabThe City Commission approved a major expansion of the Community Redevelopment Agency, which will generate extra dollars from Orange County to spend on projects and programs in the special district that will cover most of Winter Park’s major commercial corridors. Orange County must still approve the expansion — a vote is likely to be scheduled for the summer — before it’s finalized.
Where Craig Russell and Jason Johnson stand on issues

Mar 29, 2024 | winterparkvoice.com | Beth Kassab

March 28, 2024By Beth KassabWith less than three weeks until the April 16 run-off and mail-in voting already underway, Jason Johnson and Craig Russell are in a heated contest for a City Commission seat with Russell positioning himself as a political outsider who will break barriers of access for the average resident and Johnson running as the candidate who will most closely guard against unchecked development.