Controversy swirls over Winter Park election contributions

Controversy is swirling in Winter Park over recent contributions to a City Commission candidate – but could that be the case for all four of the City Commission hopefuls?

Candidate Carolyn Cooper was called out during last week’s forum at the Winter Park Public Library for accepting a $1,000 contribution from WastePro, a waste and recycling company whose contract with the city is set to expire soon.

Cooper later returned the contribution, saying that she wasn’t aware of the donation.

“The truth of the matter is, as a commissioner, you don’t know every single company that’s doing business with the city,” Cooper said during Friday’s forum. “I hate to waste time talking about this.”

Opponent Lambrine Macejewski’s campaign has also pointed out that Cooper received a $1,000 contribution from ROC Seniors Chief Investment Officer Phil Anderson, who had recently proposed an assisted living facility before the city for the former Progress Point property.

Macejewski continued to question Cooper’s integrity during last week’s public debate, which posed the question to candidates whether they’d received contributions from businesses that work with the city.

“One of the first things that they taught us [in college] was that you never take money from a vendor,” Macejewski said. “There are reasons for that. First is because then you’re bought. Then you owe them something. It’s not a good business practice.... Now the process has been tainted.”

“No, I don’t think I’ve received any,” Macejewski said regarding taking contributions from business working with the city. “To your original question, my opponent has, but I haven’t.”

But campaign contribution reports show Macejewski has received multiple donations from entities that do business in front of the city, including Becky Wilson, an attorney who frequently represents developers proposing projects before the Commission. Wilson, who contributed $500 to Macejewski’s campaign, represented the developers of the Paseo apartments, ROC Seniors for their proposal on the former Progress Point property, and most recently Winter Park Town Center, Ltd. before the City Commission on Monday regarding the construction of an REI retail building in the Winter Park Villages.

Macejewski has also received $1,000 from Sydgan Corp., a company owned by prominent Ravaudage developer Dan Bellows.

And Cooper isn’t the only candidate recent to receive contributions from WastePro. Mayor Steve Leary was given $500 by the vendor during his campaign last year.

Candidates Peter Weldon and Macejewski have also both received contributions of $254 from former Winter Park mayor and current Winter Park Memorial Hospital administrator Ken Bradley. The hospital was just before the city last August when its request for a new patient pavilion was approved. Weldon voted in support of the project as a member of the Planning and Zoning Board.

A sum of $250 was also donated to Weldon from land use attorney Michael Elsberry, who represented the developers behind the notorious Carlisle project. And Anderson of ROC Seniors has contributed $1,000 to candidate Tom McMacken’s campaign as well.

“I want to note that every one of us has accepted money from people with financial interest in Winter Park,” Weldon said during the recent candidate forum. “I think we kind of have to all grow up a little bit in terms of accusing people of being less than forthcoming when they’re taking money from people who are simply only trying to promote a conversation about their interests.”