WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. – On Thursday, state lawmakers gave their support to a bill that could lead to major changes in Winter Springs ahead of next year’s mayoral election.
Seminole County’s legislative delegation voted 4-1 to advance a local bill to Tallahassee for the Florida legislature to consider. If it passes, it will lead to a voter referendum in Winter Springs where the people would decide whether or not to make changes to the city’s charter.
The 60-day legislative session starts in January.
A draft of the bill obtained by News 6 suggests a charter amendment that would make the mayor a full voting member. Currently, the mayor only votes if there is a tie.
It would also eliminate one city commissioner’s seat to maintain a total of five members. The transition would happen in phases starting in 2026. You can read the document at the bottom of this story.
[WATCH: New Winter Springs commissioners oust incumbents. What will change? (from 2024)]
State Rep. Rachel Plakon, R-Lake Mary, presented the bill to the delegation Thursday and said the proposal would be placed before voters in the 2026 general election for final approval.
“It improves accountability, eliminates confusion, reflects modern standards. It will align Winter Springs with other Seminole County cities and current governance models,” said Plakon. “And I want to point out this reform is in response to the legislature’s Joint Legislative Auditing Committee findings and is simply one step forward toward solving these issues.”
Current Winter Springs Mayor Kevin McCann told the delegation he is not against discussions involving the city’s charter, but he believes those conversations should be had by the people of Winter Springs. He said the city is already planning to discuss creating a charter review committee at a meeting next week.
“That process allows our residents, and not Tallahassee, to evaluate and recommend any charter changes,” said Mayor McCann. “What happens if that committee, after public meetings and deliberation, does not recommend this change? Or if the proposal goes before voters and they reject it at the ballot box? What then? Will those outcomes be respected?”
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McCann questioned the possible motives behind the bill. So did Winter Springs Commissioner Sarah Baker, who called it a “political move.”
“A small group of locally loud voices have approached you to intervene and make changes to our charter, with or without referendum, and a clear disregard of Home Rule powers granted by the Florida Constitution and, more important, the voices of our community,” said Baker. “I will be remiss not to mention that this is not a simple charter change. A local group has made it clear that the goal is for Jesse Phillips to run for mayor and to stack the deck.”
Jesse Phillips, founder of the Winter Springs Community Association, sent a message after Thursday’s delegation meeting that says in part, “while the Mayor and some of our local officials came to the meeting to attack or distract, the results speak for themselves: the delegation listened to the people, and the people won.”
It continues, “as the city now moves to act and implement this referendum, we welcome that. The people’s demand for reform has been heard, and that’s exactly what we’ve worked for.”
Phillips did not speak publicly at the delegation meeting, but Ken Greenberg, president of the Winter Springs Community Association and a former city commissioner, did. He said reforms to the city’s charter are long overdue.
“Winter Springs operates under a structure unlike any other small city in our region. A mayor that does not vote, yet holds a veto over those that do,” said Greenberg. “It has created gridlock, blurred accountability, and eroded public trust.”
Greenberg said every city in Seminole County, including nearby Oviedo, Longwood, and Lake Mary, has a mayor who votes alongside their commissioners.
“It’s time for Winter Springs to catch up,” Greenberg said.
State Sen. Jason Brodeur, R-Lake Mary, said he supports the suggested changes and an amendment to the bill that includes a voter referendum.
“If you want to look like some of the other places in Florida and be able to govern in a way that’s extremely similar to everywhere else, put it to the voters,” said Brodeur. “Maybe it passes, maybe it fails, but the people upon whom you are governing — just like at the state level — should have the ability to put this to a vote.”
State Rep. David Smith, R-Winter Springs, was the only member of the delegation who voted against advancing the local bill.
“Not in seven years has anyone ever emailed me, called my office, stopped me in Publix and said, ‘hey, you need to change the charter of this city,’” said Smith. “This is not a burning issue of the people.”
Smith said, although he does like some of the suggestions in the bill, he believes it should be withdrawn, and the leadership in Winter Springs should be able to execute their own plan and put it to a referendum.
“This is overreach of a classic example,” said Smith. ” And I know people out there listening, scratch out ‘Winter Springs’ and write in your city’s name. See if you want somebody from Tallahassee telling you how to change your government.”
Thursday’s vote from the delegation to advance the local bill means it will be part of the legislative process, Brodeur explained.
“This now resides specifically in the House of Representatives, and it will move like a regular bill,” said Brodeur. “It will get referenced. It will get heard. It could get amended, and that sort of thing, which gives us a ton of time. We don’t get a session until January. So, between now and then, the city of Winter Springs can move in a parallel path and do what they like to do in order to move forward.”
Brodeur added that if the city does decide to move forward with its own referendum, the bill can be withdrawn.
“So, should the city of Winter Springs, as promised, do everything that they said they want to do, a charter review, all that kind of stuff, at any time between now and the end of session — which is the second week of March — it can get withdrawn and pulled back,” Brodeur explained. “All we’ve done is advance this forward today to be considered for the next legislative session.”
Monday’s Winter Springs City Commission meeting includes “Consideration of Creating a Charter Review Committee” on the regular agenda. It is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.
[READ: The draft of the Winter Springs charter amendment bill]
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