Winter Garden City Commission approves language to deter solicitation

The Winter Garden City Commission unanimously approved an ordinance amending city code to deter solicitation within city limits. 

The commission approved the ordinance after a second reading of the proposed language changes and amendments during its meeting Thursday, July 24. Mayor John Rees was absent. 

“I know as District One commissioner, I’ve had a lot of complaints from people downtown trying to eat, especially in the outdoor areas, and having people come up and they can’t enjoy their evening,” Commissioner Lisa Bennett said. “We also get a lot of people door-to-door. I don’t know if the other districts do, and it would be nice to have an opt-out.”

Other commissioners nodded their heads in agreement as Bennett spoke. 

Planning Director Kelly Carson said the ordinance is “intended to protect public safety, ensure accountability and give community members more control over solicitations of their homes or places of business.”

The changes included revising the definition of solicitor to include those requesting charitable donations or conducting surveys for commercial purposes, while still allowing religious and political canvassing. 

Another revision is the expanded list of prohibited activities, including banning soliciting in the city’s public rights of way, as well as updating the solicitor permitting process to require each individual solicitor, who must be at least 18 years of age, to apply separately. 

Nonprofits are required to obtain a solicitor’s permit and follow all solicitation rules, Carson said, but they can request a waiver of a permit fee. 

Carson said another revision was creating a “no solicitation” list, giving residents and business owners the ability to opt-out of having solicitors visit their property. She said the police department will manage the list, which will be shared with all solicitor permit holders. Residents and business owners will have the option to allow only charitable solicitors visit their property, as well. 

Since the first reading of the proposed ordinance, Carson said one change had been made. The city wanted to clarify that these regulations do not pertain to panhandlers. The city already has a code section that outlines regulations around panhandling in Winter Garden, and those regulations would not change with this ordinance. 

“Specifically under Section 22-26 six definitions, we added the following sentence, ‘Individuals requesting donations for their personal benefit, rather than for the benefit of an organization with cause, are classified as panhandlers and are required to follow the regulations outlined in city code Chapter 50, Article four, rather than the provisions of this article,’” Carson said.

Tentative millage set

The commission unanimously approved an initial tentative millage rate of 4.8565 — an increase from the 4.5 rate approved in 2024. If levied, the ad valorem tax revenue is projected to be $30,248,743. 

City Manager Jon C. Williams said the budget is a fluid document that changes almost daily, sometimes multiple times per day. With recent updates, city staff was able to lower the tentative millage rate from 5.3 mills to 4.8565. 

He said the proposed increase is in response to the impact of shrinking revenues, escalating the costs associated with delivering municipal services. 

“Every year when we set the tentative millage rate, we usually set the tentative millage rate higher with the intent to give us some flexibility as we go through and work the budget, ultimately with the goal of bringing it down,” Williams said. “That still does remain our goal this year to bring this down even more to the existing goal of 4.5.”

He said the commission always can reduce the rate during the budget hearings, which will be held in September, but the rate cannot be increased above the tentative rate without starting the whole process over again. 

Williams said the current gross taxable value for the coming year is projected at $6,556,322,800, a 7.7% increase in taxable value over fiscal year 2024-25. It is an increase of $468,354,280. 

Williams said one mill generates about $6,556,323 in revenue, which is budgeted at 95% of the estimated amount levied. 

The estimated amount levied in the 2024-25 fiscal year is budgeted ad valorem tax revenue is $26,300,24, and Williams said staff anticipates achieving that amount.

If the city can bring down the millage rate to 4.5 and the commission adopts it, Williams said the projected ad valorem tax revenue is calculated at $28,028,280. 

Public hearings for the fiscal year 2025-26 budget are set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, and Thursday, Sept. 25, at City Hall.