Jesse Phillips

Problem 1: Affordability. My four-step plan to lower the cost of living is to: 1) stop unnecessary future utility rate increases; 2) roll back recent stormwater fee increases and use Penny Sales Tax funds for stormwater and hybrid pond repairs; 3) reduce trash collection fees; and 4) conduct an independent water-rate study aimed at lowering rates toward 2023 levels as our new wastewater plants come online.

Problem 2: Accountability Restore residents’ home-rule authority over our City Charter by proposing a charter amendment establishing a clear process for residents to propose future charter changes by petition and place them before voters. This is our home, our rule. Winter Springs residents deserve the final say in how our city is governed.

Problem 3: Accessibility Update our Comprehensive Plan with a Mobility Master Plan addressing emerging transportation needs, including e-bikes, ridesharing, and better connectivity between neighborhoods for bicycles and golf carts. Accessibility also means access to our democracy. I would work with Seminole County to establish an early-voting location at the Winter Springs Civic Center, giving residents a convenient place within our city to cast their ballots.

My background in small-business IT and data analysis, combined with seven years of community advocacy on issues ranging from wastewater to financial transparency, would bring a different perspective to the City Commission dais. I have spent years studying the challenges facing Winter Springs, working with residents, reviewing public records and advocating for greater accountability. I am ready to bring that experience to the leadership decisions facing our city.

We have been raising concerns about affordability for years. For Winter Springs residents, particularly seniors and families on fixed incomes, the cost of living is affected not only by housing costs, but also by rising city utility bills. My four-step affordability plan would stop unnecessary future rate increases, roll back recent stormwater increases, reduce trash fees, and commission an independent water-rate study aimed at lowering rates toward 2023 levels as our new wastewater plants come online.

I will vote YES. Amendment 3 would substantially increase Florida’s homestead exemption for non-school property taxes, providing meaningful relief to homeowners. Meanwhile, Winter Springs’ budget has grown from $45 million in 2018 to more than $115 million in the proposed FY2027 budget, while residents face rising costs for utilities, insurance and everyday necessities. I believe the City should absorb the impact through disciplined budgeting and spending reductions rather than replacing property-tax savings with new fees.

Utility regulators should ensure that data centers pay the costs their enormous demands place on the electrical grid rather than shifting those costs to residential customers. Florida’s new SB 484 takes that approach by requiring protections against cost-shifting while preserving local governments’ land-use authority. I also do not believe hyperscale data centers are appropriate for Winter Springs given their potential demands on electricity, water, infrastructure and surrounding communities.

Winter Springs’ aging wastewater infrastructure is one of our most significant local environmental challenges. I spent years advocating for greater transparency and action to address problems at our wastewater facilities. Rebuilding those facilities is now underway, and we must keep the projects on schedule, meet our environmental obligations and ensure we have a clear, financially responsible plan to complete both plants and protect our waterways for the future.

Winter Springs does not face the same immigration challenges as many larger communities. I support enforcement of federal immigration laws and the work of law enforcement to protect our community from criminal activity. At the same time, our country should maintain a lawful and orderly process for people seeking to come to the United States legally. As mayor, my responsibility would be ensuring that Winter Springs remains a safe community while respecting the respective roles of local, state and federal government.

Winter Springs is already nearly 90% residential, so future development should focus on what improves residents’ quality of life rather than simply adding more housing. My work on the “No Super Walmart” effort demonstrated my willingness to push back when development doesn’t fit our community. Within the law and our Comprehensive Plan, I would prioritize responsible commercial redevelopment, including more dining and entertainment options and independent medical offices, while protecting established neighborhoods and broadening our commercial tax base.

I have proposed that Winter Springs and Seminole County enter into an interlocal agreement allowing the City to acquire Jetta Point Park and preserve the property for public infrastructure and stormwater purposes, using future Penny Sales Tax funds. That would give us an opportunity to take a broader look at the Howell Creek basin and develop long-term solutions for flooding and drainage.

Residents need relief from years of rising utility bills. I would stop unnecessary future rate increases and commission an independent water-rate study aimed at determining how we can responsibly move rates back toward 2023 levels as our new wastewater plants come online. My broader affordability plan also calls for rolling back recent stormwater fee increases by using Penny Sales Tax funds for eligible stormwater projects and reducing the amount residents pay for trash collection.

Transparency is the best safeguard against conflicts of interest. I would require clear disclosure of potential financial conflicts involving development applications and expect officials to recuse themselves whenever required by Florida law. I would also make relevant financial disclosures, voting-conflict forms and development-related meetings easier for residents to find online. Residents should be able to see who is seeking approval from their city and whether anyone making that decision has a financial interest that could create a conflict.

We should measure traffic when residents actually experience it. When evaluating the transportation impact of new development, I would push for greater emphasis on peak-hour traffic, intersection performance and existing congestion rather than relying primarily on full-day averages. Development should also be responsible for mitigating the traffic it creates through appropriate improvements such as turn lanes, signals and connectivity. Our planning decisions should reflect real-world conditions on our roads, particularly during morning and evening peak periods.

Not every traffic problem requires widening a road. I would work with Seminole County and other agencies controlling our roads and signals to identify problem intersections using peak-hour traffic data, travel times and resident reports, then prioritize practical improvements such as signal retiming, longer turn lanes and better coordination between signals. Seminole County acknowledges that signal timing is based on traffic-volume data and can vary by time of day, so these systems should be regularly reevaluated as traffic patterns change.

Yes. As I discuss in my book, ‘Our Home, Our Rule’, Seminole County’s Rural Boundary is an important local example of Home Rule empowering residents to protect the character of their community and provide a check on development pressures. Seminole County voters placed these protections in their Charter and recently strengthened them. I am also proud that John Hallman of Defending Rural Florida endorsed my book, calling its discussion of Home Rule “clear, thoughtful, and much-needed.”

As a member of MetroPlan Orlando’s Community Advisory Committee, e-bike safety has been a regular topic of discussion and concern. We need an aggressive public education campaign to make sure students and parents understand safe riding practices and the rules of the road. We should also examine opportunities for safer routes and better connectivity between our neighborhoods, schools and parks, giving young riders alternatives to heavily traveled roads wherever practical.

I have already submitted several election-reform proposals to the Charter Review Committee, addressing early-voting access, candidate qualification, citizen-initiated charter amendments, campaign-finance accountability, disclosure of conflicts and election-year City advertising. I believe clear rules, greater transparency and easier access to the ballot can strengthen public confidence in our local elections. Ultimately, residents should know the rules are applied consistently and that City government is not being used to advantage any candidate.

As a Town Center business owner, I believe two challenges are visibility and accessibility. I would establish a small-business roundtable so local business owners can regularly identify obstacles and propose solutions directly to City leadership. I also want our Mobility Master Plan to examine better connections among Town Center, surrounding neighborhoods and the Cross Seminole Trail, making it easier to walk, bike or use other transportation to reach local businesses, increasing activity without simply adding more vehicle traffic.

I won’t pledge in advance to support recommendations before seeing the Charter Review Committee’s final work. I fought for years to establish this review because I believe residents deserve the opportunity to consider changes to their Charter. The Committee is advisory, and the City Commission determines what goes before voters. My commitment is to protect a meaningful public process and give residents the opportunity to make the final decision on the future of their Charter.