Special election approved for Oviedo

Update: The Council decided in a later meeting to nix the special election and move the ballot item to the November 2023 election.

On Monday night, the Oviedo City Council approved an all-mail-ballot election to take place on Feb. 21 to decide whether or not the city can grant tax exemptions to new businesses and expanding businesses that are expected to create full-time jobs in Oviedo.

The special all-mail-ballot election comes after the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Office mistakenly left off the Economic Development Ad Valorem Tax Exemption referendum on this year’s General Election ballot. The county will foot the bill for the special election. 

Mayor Megan Sladek argued Monday night that the special election should be lumped in with the General Election in 2023 in hopes of garnering a greater turnout and to save taxpayer dollars. Sladek pitched that the elections office would still give the city the money it would pay for a special election but instead it would be in the form of a credit toward the general election.  

The rest of the Council wanted to stick with the special election, which was decided at the last Council meeting. 

A secure ballot intake station will be available at City Hall, 400 Alexandria Blvd. in Oviedo, for ballot drop-off from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Feb. 13-17, 2023.