Winter Park candidates talk 'negative campaigning' at final public forum

Winter Park City Commission candidates sparred in the final public forum last Friday before the March 15 election day – a last look at the hopefuls that turned contentious as campaigns took parting shots.

The candidates were asked early on about their stance on the $30 million library bond referendum, told to give a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.

Only incumbent Tom McMacken would commit to a straight answer, telling a crowd of residents it was a ‘yes.’

“I believe it’s going to be an incredible asset for our city,” McMacken said. “I always compare it like going from a rotary phone to our new cell phones – it’s that kind of quantum leap to a new library.”

“I’m in support of the referendum of the new library and I do hope that it passes.”

Debate moderator Karen Climer of the League of Women Voters also asked about the candidates’ thoughts on negative campaigning.

“I am extremely comfortable that I have actually carried out a top-ranked campaign,” said candidate Carolyn Cooper. “We have said nothing negative about my opponent, and we could have, but Winter Park is tired of dirty politics.”

“My opponent changed her political affiliation and associated herself with a very high-profile consultant who is determined to have you question my character…. That saddens me, because that’s not Winter Park.”

Opposing candidate Lambrine Macejewski responded by further questioning Cooper’s ethics, standing by mailers that begrudge her opponent for voting for an increase in commissioner salaries while city staff was on a salary freeze for three years.

“I’m about honesty,” Macejewski said. “I am not printing anything that’s not true. The record is negative, so therefore people think it’s negative.”

“It had not been adjusted since 1953,” defended Cooper, adding that a higher salary would make way for new commissioners who aren’t necessarily “privileged.”

Tempers would continue to flare between Cooper and Macejewski as the candidates were asked what makes them angry in regards to politics and government.

“Ugly campaigns, that’s it,” Cooper said.

Meanwhile McMacken and his opponent Peter Weldon offered their own takes.

“What makes me mad is that [under the Sunshine laws] Commissioners can’t sit and talk to each other on a one-on-one basis,” McMacken said. “That is such a roadblock to our solving city problems.”

Weldon insisted that he doesn’t get ‘angry,’ he only gets ‘frustrated’ with policy issues, specifically the recently updated historic preservation ordinance.

“I don’t think reducing the percentage to allow a neighborhood to force 49 percent of their neighbors into a historic district is a good decision,” Weldon said. “I’m very animated and interested, not angry at all.”