Orange County commissioners created two new commission districts ahead of the next election cycle.
On Tuesday night, commissioners voted 5-2 on a new elections map that would increase the number of districts in the county from six to eight. Commissioners had to choose between two options: Map 1A and Map 7B. The difference between the two, and the bigger decision commissioners faced, was where to put Winter Park.
In the end, commissioners voted to keep Winter Park exactly where it is in District 5, which is part of Map 7B.
The decision to do so began last November, when voters elected to add two more commission districts. That began a months-long redistricting process.
Members of Winter Park City Council led a public comment session, expressing their preference for Map 1A, which would have placed Winter Park in the new District 7 along with other urban communities like Maitland, Eatonville, College Park and Pine Hills.
“Map 1A lets our city share the district with other urban municipalities, allowing us to share similar issues and priorities,” said Winter Park Vice Mayor Marty Sullivan. “Map 7B would combine Winter Park with a mainly rural area that has quite different issues and priorities in the best interest of my city and our neighboring municipalities.”
Not everyone shared the Winter Park City Council’s concerns. Orange County District 5 Commissioner Kelly Martinez Semrad voted for Map 7B.
“Winter Park says, ‘Oh, we have nothing in common with the rural east.’ Well, there are things that are in common with the central portion (of the district), but there are also commonalities with the rural east,” Semrad said. “The homeowner rates, the property ownership, or the property values, the car dependency, there are similarities. … Winter Park has remained a portion of District 5 since its inception. It's the western anchor of where we are.”
The majority of those who contributed to the public comment session did so in favor of Map 7B, with many expressing concerns that Map 1A did not serve the best interests of Pine Hills residents. Winter Park’s issues are not the same as Pine Hills’ and its affluence might outweigh the power of Pine Hills residents, said Jasmine Burney Clark, of Ocoee, founder of Equal Ground, a civil rights organization.
“Under Map 1A, some of the residents risk having their voices diluted by affluent and established municipal power,” Clark said. “While under 7B, it offers more unified representation. It gives residents stronger voices, ensuring that the commissioner who is representing their district can focus on addressing the disparities that exist.”
According to Census data, Winter Park’s population is about 30,000, while Pine Hills has about 80,000 residents.
Not everyone from Pine Hills agreed that 7B offered the best path forward. LaTanya Nichols has lived there for 32 years. She supported Map 1A.
“Winter Park has had many similar struggles as Pine Hills. They have adopted programs and community redevelopment initiatives that have allowed them to grow and change over time,” she said.
Currently, Pine Hills is in District 2. Following the district expansions, it’ll join District 7 along with other communities like Eatonville and Maitland. While Winter Park will not be part of the new district, Nichols believes Pine Hills can still learn how to overcome the community’s growing pains from its District 7 neighbors.
Those include issues such as flooding and sustainable roadways, transportation, and safety.
“Other communities around us have addressed those things. And we need to learn lessons learned from those organizations, those surrounding communities to make those changes,” Nichols said.
