Mayor and Commissioners,
The following offers over $6 million in annual general fund spending reduction and new revenue recommendations based on my knowledge and insights from over 20 years of involvement with the city. The dollar amounts are estimates. I offer to work with you individually and with staff to define spending and revenue opportunities in great detail.
Importantly, none of these suggestions impact public safety, utilities, roads, or any other city function directly impacting our residents at large. Implementation may inconvenience a few special interests but will benefit the vast majority of our residents and secure a more financially sustainable future.
Terminate the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) - This will immediately add about $4 million to the general fund, and by your projections will contribute an average of about $7 million per year to the general fund through 2037. This money should be going directly to support our 30,000 residents, not commercial interests. This one change will sustain the financial future of Winter Park while prioritizing our residents.
Repurpose the Winter Park Pines Golf Course - The course loses money and demands significant annual capital spending, resulting in about $1,000,000 in negative cash flow each year, while over 50% of rounds played are by non-residents. Based on about 33,000 rounds played in 2024, it would take an average greens fee increase of $30 to break even. This would price Winter Park Pines out of the local golf market, requiring creative thinking to better utilize this land. Selling land along Baldwin Park Street for residential, while making the course 9 holes plus passive park space is one alternative that should be considered.
Sublease The Winter Park Community Center - The community center loses over $800,000 each year, even after about $200,000 in space rental revenues net of rental management costs. We are losing over $30 for each of the roughly 25,000 annual program participants. Keep the space rental revenue and lease the rest to the YMCA or other appropriate organization.
Terminate the Natural Resources & Sustainability Services Department - Being sustainable is common sense and we don't need a "sustainability" department to practice sustainability. This will save us $500,000 a year in unneeded overhead and, ironically, allow our city to be more financially sustainable without diminishing the work we do to be more efficient and sustainable.
Raise Pricing for use of Winter Park playing fields - Winter Park subsidizes sports field for much of Orange and Seminole Counties. As much as or more than 50% of usage of our playing fields is for people who don’t live in Winter Park. Prices should be raised for all for-profit teams and for not-for-profit teams led by non-residents so as to raise an additional $500,000 a year to support all field maintenance costs.
Focus the Communications Department on the City Website - About half the communications budget goes toward public relations and city promotion. These are jobs for the Chamber of Commerce. Narrow the scope of the communications department and reduce the spending by $500,000 a year.
I would like to help and hope to hear from you.
Regards, Pete Weldon
(407) 267-5320
