Winter Springs shuts down talk of dissolving police department

The Winter Springs City Commission declined to talk about dissolving its police department Monday. 

Florida constitutional Amendment 3 is on the ballot next week which, if passed, would increase the property tax exemption to $250,000 in two years. That would potentially cut $4.1 million from Winter Springs’ city budget. 

Commissioner Paul Diaz, who has been vocal in his support of Amendment 3, said the city should look at a cost comparison of what it would cost to have Seminole County provide law enforcement in Winter Springs. 

“Nothing that was being proposed by me tonight endangers any department, changes any funding, changes any job for any officer,” Diaz said. “The conversation is strictly a financial conversation, which is the role of this commission.”

But Winter Springs Mayor Kevin McCann asked for a vote to end the discussion before it even happened. McCann said just the discussion of dissolving the department can cause officers to leave. 

“Listen, after election day and Amendment 3, we’re going to have to have a lot of conversations if that passes,” McCann said. “But to do so now is undue stress to the people that protect us and the damage that can be done. I’m asking for a motion to stop this conversation dead in its tracks, right now.”

Deputy Mayor Cade Resnick made the motion. It passed 4-1, with only Diaz voting against it. Resnick, McCann and Commissioner Victoria Bruce are all up for reelection. 

“I hope you understand the signal that we’ve sent,” McCann said, speaking of the city’s police force. “The vast majority of this Commission stands behind you. We will continue to stand behind you. You deserve our loyalty and our support, and you will have it till my last day.”

Abe Aboraya is a Report for America corps member.