Fellow Winter Park Residents,

Please share with friends and neighbors.

Below are my recommended votes on Orange County issues along with explanations. This year’s ballot is extensive. I hope this assists in your consideration of your vote on these issues.

County Commission Election District 5 – Vote for Steve Leary

• Kelly Semrad: https://kellysemrad.com/about-kelly/

• Steve Leary: https://electsteveleary.com/about/

• Orange County annual general fund budget over $4 Billion.

• Government and organizational experience needed along with objectivity.

Vote NO on County Charter Amendment #1 – Revising Orange County Charter Initiative Petition Process.

• NO – Lowering percentage of voters required for Charter amendment petitions favors narrow agenda activists at the expense of the larger population of residents.

Vote NO on County Charter Amendment #2 – Requiring Continued Existence of Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

• NO – Requiring an Affordable Housing Trust Fund in the Charter is window dressing as the county commission sets the rules for funding such a vehicle.

Vote YES on County Charter Amendment #3 – Write-in Candidate Effect on Timing of Charter Officer Elections.

• YES – Avoids unneeded August primary elections.

Vote NO on County Charter Amendment #4 – Requiring Adoption of a Fiscal Sustainability Analysis Tool.

• NO – Requiring this in the Charter is meaningless as the county commission can always require it.

Vote NO on County Charter Amendment #5– Establishing Charter Office of County Attorney.

• NO – Gives county mayor unilateral power to dismiss the county attorney. County attorney position should always require a majority vote of the country commission.

Vote NO on County Charter Amendment #6 – Increasing Number of County Commission Districts.

• NO – This would enable more district gerrymandering.

Vote NO on County Charter Amendment #7 – Transportation Mobility Advisory Commission.

• NO – The county commission can already create such a commission at will as needed.

Vote NO on County Charter Amendment #8 – Supermajority County Commission Vote to Dispose of or Change Use of “County Protected Lands.”

• NO – Gives a minority control of land use changes. Not democratic and will contribute to economic stagnation.

• NO – Conflicts with affordable housing priorities.

Vote NO on County Charter Amendment #9 – Defining a Rural Boundary and Rural Area where changes in residential density and intensity are subject to a supermajority county commission Vote .

• NO – Gives a minority control of residential density and intensity. Not democratic and will contribute to economic stagnation.

• NO – Conflicts with affordable housing priorities.

Vote NO on County Charter Amendment #10 – Establishing a Process For Voluntary Municipal Annexations And Land Use in Rural Areas that requires the area be subject to Orange County land development rules, and requires a supermajority vote of the county commission to approve annexations.

• NO – Imposes Orange County land use on areas that wish to incorporate as municipalities.

• NO – Gives the minority of the county commission control over approval of municipal annexations.

• NO – Elements of this Amendment #10 likely conflict with State Law Chapter 171 and home rule authorities in State Law, that require the will of the people to incorporate as a municipality (not the will of the county commission).

Vote NO on County Charter Amendment #11 – One Half Cent Sales Surtax for School Facilities Construction, Improvement, Land Acquisition, and Technology Implementation.

• NO – The county school system does not need more money, they need less overhead.