{"id":196955,"date":"2026-03-18T21:42:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T21:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/196955\/"},"modified":"2026-03-18T21:42:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T21:42:09","slug":"qa-nelson-talks-end-of-term-retirement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/196955\/","title":{"rendered":"Q&A: Nelson talks end of\u00a0term,\u00a0retirement"},"content":{"rendered":"

After the\u00a0March 10 election<\/a>\u00a0sent mayoral candidates Christine Moore and Nick Nesta to an April runoff, The Apopka Chief sat down for an interview with Mayor Bryan Nelson\u00a0to discuss his tenure, his final weeks in office, and his retirement plans.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nelson was first\u00a0elected<\/a>\u00a0as mayor in 2018, winning reelection in 2022, after serving\u00a0in the Florida House of Representatives and on the Orange County Commission.\u00a0He also\u00a0operated\u00a0Nelson Insurance and\u00a0worked\u00a0for the family business, Nelson\u2019s Florida Roses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Were you surprised by the\u00a0election results<\/a>?\u00a0
I was definitely surprised. I figured it would be a runoff\u00a0\u2014\u00a0just thought I would be one of the top two candidates\u00a0\u2014\u00a0but I guess if\u00a0it\u2019s meant to be,\u00a0then that gives me a little more time to get everything organized around here.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Looking back over your years as mayor,\u00a0is there an accomplishment\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0most\u00a0proud\u00a0of?\u00a0
We came in with a deficit. We were down to an overall general fund reserve of what would have been\u00a0$4\u00a0million by the end of that year.\u00a0We\u2019ve\u00a0got to a point now where, at the end of the year,\u00a0we\u2019ll\u00a0have over\u00a0$30 million in reserves.\u00a0We\u2019ve\u00a0shored up a lot of\u00a0the other accounts.\u00a0We\u2019ve\u00a0got a cemetery reserve fund,\u00a0and\u00a0all three of the pension plans are now more financially stable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0done a lot of those things \u2014 which, unfortunately, a lot of people see the shiny object and\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0look at what it takes to get there.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0taken me eight years to get there, and\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0got the city in a great position to move forward, especially if property tax cuts are on the horizon.\u00a0They\u2019ve\u00a0got a financial cushion there that will give them at least a year or two to\u00a0figure out how to balance the budget.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019m\u00a0also\u00a0proud of the staff\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0got here.\u00a0They\u2019ve\u00a0done amazing work for the city and for our residents, and so I\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0be\u00a0more proud of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Do you have a biggest regret as mayor?\u00a0
I just wish we started getting the\u00a0water meters<\/a>\u00a0fixed earlier, but\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0there now. We got the rate down to where\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0sustainable.\u00a0A lot of people don\u2019t realize that utilities are their own cost center and profit center\u00a0\u2014\u00a0not that you\u2019re looking to make a profit, but they have to stand on their own.\u00a0They\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0be subsidized by general\u00a0funds.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

What would you say is the largest change\u00a0you\u2019ve\u00a0seen in Apopka from when you started as mayor until the present?\u00a0
Growth has overwhelmed us\u00a0\u2014\u00a0a lot of it\u00a0is good growth.\u00a0We\u2019ve\u00a0got a lot of warehouses that hopefully turn into a lot of jobs.\u00a0We\u2019ve always been known as a bedroom community, so\u00a0what you want to do is to turn it around and have as many jobs in Apopka as you have residents.\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0trying to get to that balance\u00a0between commercial, industrial, and residential, so that you can live, work and play here in Apopka.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0always been one of my goals. I think over the next four to 10 years,\u00a0you\u2019ll\u00a0start to see more jobs created here in Apopka, which will then give more opportunities for people to stay here and work here\u00a0and spend their money here.<\/p>\n

\"MayorPhoto by Dana O’Connor Mayor Bryan Nelson and his wife Debbie Nelson wave at the 2026 Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade.<\/p>\n

Would you say the number of jobs has increased along with the growth?\u00a0
We need more jobs. Obviously, we want high-paying jobs, if you can get those, along with the blue-collar worker jobs.\u00a0All\u00a0those are important.\u00a0As the nursery industry has dwindled down, trying to replace those jobs with other construction or retail jobs will be critical.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What is the single most important lesson\u00a0you\u2019ve\u00a0learned as mayor?\u00a0
You\u00a0have to\u00a0look at the long term.\u00a0How can you plan for the next 10, 20, 40 years? Unfortunately, the\u00a0general public\u00a0wants something today or tomorrow,\u00a0so\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0trying to manage\u00a0the long-term planning versus short-term goals.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0always a challenge.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What are your top three priorities for your final days in\u00a0office?\u00a0
We want to do\u00a0a groundbreaking\u00a0on Kelly Park Road.\u00a0We\u2019ll\u00a0get that\u00a0Kelly Park\u00a0Road\u00a0Interchange pioneering agreement<\/a>\u00a0started.\u00a0Hopefully we can get\u00a0the\u00a0six soccer fields<\/a>\u00a0started.\u00a0Hopefully\u00a0the\u00a0amphitheater at Kit Land Nelson Park<\/a>\u00a0will be completed.\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0hoping to get the liners at\u00a0Golden Gem<\/a>\u00a0finished.\u00a0Hopefully\u00a0we\u2019ll\u00a0do a groundbreaking for the\u00a0pickleball and tennis court complex<\/a>. So those are some of the ones\u00a0we\u2019d\u00a0like to at least get started.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"MayorSarah Merly Mayor Bryan Nelson poses with his portrait in City Hall.<\/p>\n

We\u00a0also\u00a0had\u00a0one of our first\u00a0Ocoee-Apopka Road<\/a>\u00a0meetings Tuesday, so\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0getting\u00a0that $17 million project started, and then the $13 million project at Northwest with the\u00a0amphitheater\u00a0improvements and the four new softball fields.<\/p>\n

Another one\u00a0we\u2019d\u00a0like to get started is the long-term\u00a0Border Lake<\/a>\u00a0fix.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0in the works.\u00a0We\u2019ve\u00a0got $6.25 million in grants, so we got some money to be able to complete a lot of that, which will then not only relieve the flooding in the Piedmont Lakes area, but also give us some\u00a0additional\u00a0water for our reclaimed customers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A lot of these projects are longer term than people expect.\u00a0We\u2019re\u00a0all impatient. For instance, the\u00a0ribbon cutting for the water tank<\/a>\u2014that was four years from conception to ribbon cutting.\u00a0So\u00a0these projects have been in the works for a long time.\u00a0
\u00a0
What do you hope your successor will do to help\u00a0Apopka\u00a0flourish?\u00a0
The rumors are that\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0going to get rid of a bunch of quality, seasoned staff, and I think\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0a big mistake. I think\u00a0we\u2019ve got\u00a0a great team. When I came in eight years ago, there was only one person that I released from their duties, and I even gave them a long run\u00a0out\u00a0so they were able to find another job. But other than that, I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0lay\u00a0off\u00a0anybody.\u00a0There\u2019s\u00a0a lot of institutional knowledge in this building, and\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0built a\u00a0really good\u00a0team, and for them to put a bunch of people on the chopping block makes no\u00a0sense.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What are you hoping your successor will do positively?\u00a0
Complete\u00a0a lot of the projects\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0got in the hopper.\u00a0Hopefully\u00a0they\u2019ll\u00a0retain\u00a0the staff and give them a chance to prove themselves.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

What would you\u00a0hope\u00a0your legacy in the community?\u00a0
One of them would be saving Camp Wewa. I think getting this financial house in order was a huge one across all those departments.\u00a0I\u2019d love to see the mountain bike park come to fruition. That would be\u00a0a great addition\u00a0to our\u00a0ecotourism\u00a0reputation.\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0trying to capitalize on that with Camp Wewa, the birding park, and the Northwest\u00a0Recreation Complex.\u00a0We\u2019ve\u00a0got\u00a0a lot of great outdoor opportunities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What are your plans for retirement?\u00a0
I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0know what the next chapter brings, but\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0putting feelers out there.\u00a0Hopefully\u00a0something will come along. I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0want to work as hard as\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0been working. I get\u00a0in\u00a0the office at 6:30 in the morning and stay till work\u2019s finished, plus all the other events\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0got on.I\u2019d like to definitely spend some more time with my wife,\u00a0kids\u00a0and grandkids.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll find something to do\u00a0\u2014\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0sure of that.\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0just waiting for the right\u00a0opportunity where I can\u00a0help. I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0want to be a burden on anybody. But\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0got a skillset that\u00a0not many\u00a0people have, and so hopefully something will come along that will\u00a0benefit\u00a0whoever the\u00a0employer is and will give me some satisfaction\u00a0of\u00a0something I can\u00a0accomplish.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Sarah Merly is an editorial assistant and reporter for The Apopka Chief. She joined the Chief in May 2025 after graduating from Patrick Henry College’s journalism program in Washington, D.C. In her spare time, Sarah loves watching rom-coms, visiting Disney, and throwing parties.<\/p>\n

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