Fellow Winter Park Residents,

Please share with friends and neighbors.

I am voting YES to keep gas leaf blowers legal in Winter Park. My very fastidious neighbor uses an electric leaf blower almost daily to tidy up her yard. It's high pitch whine is more annoyance than the gas leaf blowers used by our landscape contractor. Further, my landscape costs will increase materially if our contractor is forced to switch to electric leaf blowers. You will be annoyed whether leaf blowers are gas or electric.

But the real question is: Why in the world are leaf blowers an item for a voter referendum?

The leaf blower referendum is the result of tribal political nonsense on our city commission. It is not an important strategic city issue requiring a voter decision. BUT SOME THINGS ARE THAT THE COMMISSION HAS RAMMED DOWN OUR THROATS.

Why is there no voter referendum for the extension and expansion of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)? This commission decision will force $84,000,000 of city property taxes to be spent in about 10% of the Winter Park's total area to benefit about 12% of our residents. What about the other 90% of Winter Park housing 88% of our residents? No matter to the commission, they just force it down our throats.

The facts on the CRA expansion and extension are documented here:

Commission Wants $84,000,000 of Your Money

CRA Projects In the Big Money Grab

Repeal CRA Expansion and Extension

Please support good governance for our city.

Vote YES on the leaf blower referendum.

Tell the city commission to put the CRA expansion and extension to a vote of the residents: mayorandcommissioners@cityofwinterpark.org.