Orange County decides on new redistricting map
Orange County is getting ready to expand from six commissioners to eight. Two new districts will have to be created, but figuring out which map to choose was the big debate on Tuesday evening.
ORLANDO, Fla. – Orange County is getting ready to expand from six commissioners to eight.
Two new districts will have to be created, but figuring out which map to choose was the big debate on Tuesday evening.
Local perspective:
The debate over how to redistrict the county focuses, in part, on whether to place Winter Park in the same district as unincorporated Pine Hills.
Winter Park Mayor Sheila DeCiccio pushed for her city to remain in the same district as their neighboring city of Maitland — because she believes they share similar issues and priorities.
“If Winter Park and Pine Hills are in the same district, Winter Park will dominate Pine Hills. This is wrong because Pine Hills will dominate in either map because of their population base,” said Mayor DeCiccio.
Ultimately, the commission chose not to include Winter Park in the same district as Pine Hills.
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The new boundaries put Winter Park in District 5 while shifting Maitland to District 7 with Orlo Vista and unincorporated Pine Hills. A decision that some residents in Pine Hills say will make the district fairer without Winter Park in it. An interactive map can be found here (PDF).
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“I’m glad that the people were heard. Our map throughout the entire redistricting process was the most popular map,” said Seven Charlestin, a Pine Hills resident. “We did our best to make it equitable for all of Orange County.”
What’s next:
The new districts will take effect next year when residents vote on the two new commissioners.
This vote will prompt a primary election for those new district seats in August 2026. Â The general election will be in November 2026.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Orange County Commission and Orange County residents.