Campaign websites: brunscheenformayor.co | www.Facebook.com/MikeBrunscheenForAltamonteSpringsMayor
Education: Attended UCF, studied Civil Engineering; no degree earned.
Occupation: Director of Development & Fundraising for Habitat For Humanity
Hometown: Born outside Chicago and raised in Pompano Beach, FL. I have called Central Florida home for 26 years, including the last 17 in Altamonte Springs.
Age: 44
Political or civic experience: I’ve spent over eight years serving Altamonte Springs, more than four as a volunteer and nearly four as an elected City Commissioner. Before joining the Commission, I served on four City boards, including as chairman of the Code Enforcement Board and vice chairman of both the Personnel Administration Board and Advisory Charter Committee. My service has also included the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office Civilian Review Board and several local nonprofit and community organizations.
I didn’t begin with elected office; I began by volunteering, learning how our community works and finding ways to serve.
Those experiences have given me a broad understanding of local government, public safety, land use, employees and community organizations that I bring to the Commission today and would bring with me to the Mayor’s office.
What is your top priority if elected?
My top priority is guiding Altamonte Springs through change while protecting the quality of life and financial discipline that have made our city successful.
We cannot control tariffs, wars, inflation, insurance costs or interest rates, but we can control how prepared we are and how responsibly we respond. Those pressures make everything from road work and utilities to public safety and everyday operations more expensive, which means local government has to be more disciplined, more efficient and more willing to find better ways to deliver services.
As Mayor, I want to make sure we continue doing more with less without sacrificing the things residents value most. That means protecting public safety and infrastructure, staying debt-free, maintaining healthy reserves, planning carefully for redevelopment and transportation, and embracing innovation when it saves money or improves service. The goal is simple: keep Altamonte Springs financially strong while preserving the quality of life people expect.
What makes you the best candidate in the race?
Experience, relationships and a record of actually doing the work.
I didn’t decide one day to run for Mayor and then start showing up. I spent more than four years volunteering on City boards before being elected to the Commission, and I have spent nearly four more years helping govern the city. I also live the decisions we make. I’m at our parks with my kids, I drive our roads, I work in Altamonte Springs and I raise my family here.
Over those years, I’ve built relationships throughout our community, Seminole County and beyond, and earned the trust of people who work with local government every day. That is why my campaign has been endorsed by Mayor Pat Bates, Sheriff Dennis Lemma, the Seminole County Professional Fire Fighters, constitutional officers, county commissioners and other community leaders. Sheriff Lemma called me a “proven leader” and longtime public safety partner, while the firefighters cited my record of open communication and support for public safety.
I know what Altamonte Springs does well, I understand the challenges ahead, and I know how to bring people together to get things done. Most importantly, I have a real stake in getting those decisions right because this is not just the city I serve.
It is the city my family and I call home.
What other issues would you tackle while in office?
Public safety, infrastructure, responsible redevelopment and transportation would all remain major priorities. Altamonte Springs is entering its 15th year debt-free, but the cost of maintaining the level of service residents expect continues to rise. Police alone represents nearly $16.8 million in the current budget, while property taxes provide less than half of General Fund revenue, so every major decision has to be made with long-term sustainability in mind.
We also have to keep investing in the basics people depend on every day, including roads, water and sewer systems, stormwater, parks and public safety, while preparing for redevelopment as our city continues to mature. I want to encourage quality private investment, expand attainable housing opportunities where they make sense, improve transportation connections and make it easier for residents to access City services and information.
Altamonte Springs has a long history of solving problems before they become crises. I want to continue that mindset by using technology and partnerships where they can save money, improve service or stretch taxpayer dollars further. Innovation should have a purpose, and that purpose should always be a stronger city and a better quality of life for the people who live here.
This Voter Guide was produced by the News Collaborative of Central Florida, a collective of independent local news outlets and aligned partners working toward a more informed and engaged Central Florida. Questions for the candidates were created by members of the collaborative and shared with candidates to answer. Attempts were made to contact all candidates to answer our questions – many responded but some did not. If a candidate did not respond, we have done our best to provide answers to our questions based on candidates’ websites, social media posts or public comments. For more information about the News Collaborative of Central Florida, click here.