Summary: The recent audit of Winter Springs has unveiled significant irregularities in the City’s hiring of contractors, raising serious concerns about transparency, compliance with city laws, and the allocation of taxpayer funds. While these findings reflect a broader issue, there are two striking cases that demand closer scrutiny. Breaking the…
Auditor: A $10-12 million erosion of public trust
“Finding 3: The City’s use of consent agendas to revise the project list provided to the public in advance of the voter referendum approving the local government infrastructure sales surtax reduced transparency by depriving the opportunity for public information and discussion. In addition, the City did not provide for separate…
Auditor: City’s refusal to hold Veolia accountable linked to wastewater failures
Finding 2: “The City should improve its water utility contract monitoring processes.“ For years, residents asked for Veolia, the Flint, Michigan water company, to be held accountable. A petition was signed with over 1,500 signatures demanding they be fired. The second finding of the recent audit established a direct link…
Wastewater System Operations: Safeguarding Our Community Amidst Ongoing Concerns
Audit Finding 1: “The City continues to incur fines and penalties for wastewater treatment violations.“ Summary: The first finding of the operational audit of the City of Winter Springs (click to read) paints a stark picture, one that resonates with residents who have been raising concerns since 2019. These concerns,…
Analysis: Did Winter Springs wastewater spills contaminate drinking water supply?
In the run up to the last election, in which multiple city commissioners were seeking re-election in the face of the failures of the water system, the city created a tax-payer funded website to share information about the water system designed to cast it in a positive light. One of…
Winter Springs refuses to repay taxpayers after Inspector General finds millions in misappropriated funds
After experiencing critical infrastructure failures to our roads, water system and bridges during Hurricane Ian, county commissioner Jay Zembower requested an audit of the City of Winter Springs’ use of Penny Sales Tax funds. Several failed bridges should have been maintained using these funds. The county’s Inspector General audit found…
SEMINOLE COUNTY: We called Winter Springs; nobody was home
Cade Resnick has been actively involved in providing information related to the sewage issues affecting the Highlands and Tuscawilla, and has had ongoing communication with city staff, who have shared alarming details and concerns of the mishandling of Hurricane Ian. According to conversations with Seminole County, they attempted to reach…
OFFICIAL NOTICE: Winter Springs Tax Increase
Please find the following official tax increase notice as published per state law by the City of Winter Springs: FACT CHECK TAX-PAYER FUNDED MISINFORMATION: The City of Winter Springs has allocated $197,000 tax payer dollars for an election year marketing spree, which has included misinformation sites touting a science center which doesn’t exist, and the…
More than 10,000 gallons of sewage spilled in Winter Springs in four separate incidents
Over the course of the summer months, in the aftermath of the self-induced water shortages, the city’s agreement to pass a resolution affirming several of our Association’s key assertions about the city being in violation of our Consumptive Use Permit, failing to follow through on reclamation plant plans and failing…
Water Investigation Update: past leaders left city with 300 million gallon cushion and funded projects to meet future needs
NOTE: at the end of the meeting, your city commissioners led by a Commissioner Kevin Cannon tried to FORCIBLY BLOCK this testimony from being entered into the PUBLIC RECORD. Read for yourself: Tonight the City of Winter Springs held a special meeting (which they are calling an “investigation”) into our…