By Reggie Connell, Managing Editor
"Well, I believe in the soul… the small of a woman's back… the hangin' curveball… high fiber… good scotch… that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent overrated crap… I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a Constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve, and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days."
--Crash Davis, from the 1988 movie Bull Durham
I put that quote at the top because it's about belief. In Bull Durham, Annie Savoy (played by Susan Sarandon) presses Crash Davis (played by Kevin Costner) to declare what he stood for, and he delivered one of the most memorable R-rated speeches in cinematic history.
Related: A budget is not a spreadsheet; it's a mirror.
It's a test worth taking from time to time: step out of your comfort zone and state your beliefs. What's at the core of your passions? I'd love to see our Council answer this question in detail, but for now, I'll give you my beliefs—Crash Davis style.
- I believe Apopka deserves a city council that acts with purpose and knows the difference between priorities and noise.
- I believe this city needs leaders who govern with clarity instead of distraction.
That leads me to some of my beliefs that readers may find surprising about the Apopka City Council. Yes, I have thoughts, criticisms, or advice for each of them.
- I believe Mayor Bryan Nelson wants to do what's best for Apopka. I don't believe he's out to harm anyone or put the city in peril.
However, good intent without vision is not leadership.
Nelson governs from an outdated playbook that mistakes inflated reserves and a low millage rate as success. Those might be one indicator of strong management, but today, in Apopka's current state of the city, they're outdated metrics. Apopka requires more than a big savings account and low taxes.
It requires bold planning.
After seven years in office, I struggle to name a single transformative project or visionary initiative that Nelson brought forward to improve the city.
I do remember my first interview with a newly elected Mayor Nelson when he bragged about cutting each department's budget. Here is his philosophy in 2018:
"I don't think employees have been as frugal with taxpayer dollars as they should have been," Nelson said. "So we're going to have a real sit down with everybody and say 'Listen, this isn't your money it's the taxpayer's money. You need to spend it like it's your mom and dad's money.' We've got to have a real clear understanding of that."
Then he went on to explain a clever trick he learned while in the Florida Legislature:
"I will ask our department heads to create a budget with zero increase, then a budget that's 5% less, and then 10% less. So you prioritize their spending for them. In the legislature, we would ask them to give us a good argument as to why they need what they say they need. We find savings. For instance, we shouldn't be spending money on overtime until we get this thing under control. You have to look at every line item. If we can't afford something, let's figure out a way to get by without it."
This sounds like a good plan for a family struggling to make ends meet and living paycheck to paycheck. However, a city with a budget of over $100 million in general funds should invest in the future of its town and its residents, not pinching pennies. It's not hard to imagine how Apopka ended up understaffed and so grossly behind the eight-ball on infrastructure and so many other areas with an incoming strategy like that.
That's not leadership—it's maintenance, and ultimately ineffective governance.
- I believe Commissioner Nadia Anderson wants to do what's best for Apopka. I know she had residency challenges before the election and receives a lot of criticism about them on local social media. But I'll be blunt. I don't care what her address is. The only address that matters to me is her residency at Seat 3 on the dais and what she chooses to do with it.
I take her at her word when she says a resident asked her about commissioner salaries, and that's why she brought it up during a Council meeting, which then made it onto the agenda the following meeting, and ultimately a workshop dedicated to commissioner salaries in October. However, for the vast majority of Apopkans, there are bigger issues to discuss and more important topics to dedicate a workshop to.
Let's be clear. The HR Director did a survey of comparable cities. Some are higher, some are lower. In 2015, commissioners received approximately $13,000. Now, 10 years later, they receive approximately $18,000. I'm not sure what triggered the salary increases, but that seems about right. Maybe you think they deserve less or more? Either way, it's not a topic deserving of a workshop given all the issues Apopka is facing.
In 2021, he called for South Apopka annexation even at a cost of $10 million. In 2023, he called for a five-year annexation plan. He asked for a South Apopka Committee to study the issue and report back to the Council on the best way to move the annexation forward.
In an op/ed to The Apopka Voice, he wrote these hopeful words:
"During the 5-year plan, there needs to be checkmarks to indicate progress toward achieving the end goal. Fire Station 7 needs to be on Cleveland Street to prepare for the annexation. As elected officials, we need to start looking for funds to assist with this growth, as we did with Fire Station 6 and the extension of Harmon Road."
So far, the five-year plan hasn't started yet. There is no mention of Fire Station 7 going on Cleveland Street, and no funds are even mentioned by the Council to assist in growth.
No check marks of progress.
But what did Smith get for his trouble? A hastily-called vote on annexation by Nelson during the discussion on the charter review amendments, as if annexation of a historic community is simply a throw-in amendment on a future ballot.
Nelson is on record as opposed to annexation. I'm not a political analyst for his campaign, but I suspect that someone somewhere in his ecosystem thinks a vote on annexation without any education of benefits to South Apopkans will fail, but also turn out voters to vote against it and for him. No matter his reasons, it's disrespectful to Smith and the South Apopka community.
- I believe the residents of South Apopka deserve a better process, probably one that starts with new leadership.
And yet, while roads crumble, Golden Gem remains unresolved, and homelessness continues to grow, our Council somehow finds the time to hold workshops on commissioner salaries.
- I believe Commissioner Nick Nesta wants to do what's best for Apopka. I applaud his passion on the dais, but I think a less confrontational demeanor would be more effective and your discussions with the Council more persuasive.
Edward Bass is a great example.
I don't think Bass coined the phrase "disagree but don't be disagreeable,” but he lived it both inside and outside City Hall. I wrote any number of editorials and news articles critical of decisions he and the administration made, yet at City Council meetings and at events, he would come over and talk to me like I was his strongest ally. I remember at an event at the Amphitheater, Denise and I approached Edward, and he talked to us about anything and everything as if we were old friends. I also remember him defending his budget decisions in workshops and hearings with full-throated ferocity.
I miss you, and Apopka misses you, Edward.
The lesson to learn here is that Bass was always civil during these debates, yet he always made his points.
- I believe it's a model Nesta could use on the Council effectively.
- I believe Commissioner and Vice Mayor Diane Velazquez genuinely wants what’s best for Apopka. At present, she likely holds the highest approval rating on the Council. As the senior member, first elected in 2014, she has consistently earned strong support, winning the most votes in the post-John Land era. With this political capital and public trust, now is the moment to champion your initiatives, following the example of former Commissioner Kyle Becker.
- I believe it's time, Vice Mayor Velazquez, to show us what’s in your heart and share your vision for the future of Apopka.
The Crash Davis speech may seem like it's about baseball, romance, and high-quality scotch, but it's not. It's about clarity. It's about being pressed to declare what you stand for and having the courage to say it out loud.
That's what Apopka needs right now from its leaders: clarity, courage, and conviction.
The problems we face are not small. Development pressures continue to mount. Our infrastructure is under strain. Growth is outpacing planning. Homelessness is no longer something you can ignore. Golden Gem Road is a glaring example of how unprepared leadership leaves residents in limbo.
And South Apopka—an area with decades of history, inequities, and complexity—is being discussed as though it's just another item on the agenda, without the research, transparency, or proper community engagement it deserves.
This is not leadership. It's governing by default. It's hoping the future solves itself while the present is left to its own devices.
It's a dangerous way to run a city.
- I believe Apopka is a great city with even greater potential. But potential without vision is just possibility. And possibility without leadership is wasted.
- I believe residents deserve better than workshops about salaries. They deserve leaders who show up, take risks, and fight for priorities that actually move Apopka forward. Leaders who understand that governing isn't about maintaining the status quo—it's about shaping what comes next.
And here's where I land on local politics:
- Just like I believe in career physicians and career plumbers with lots of experience and talent, I believe in career politicians—when they are effective, visionary, and courageous.
Longevity isn't the enemy - ineffectiveness is.
Career politicians who can't lead, can't plan, and can't deliver? Their careers should end at the ballot box. But if they are talented and effective, experience is a strength, not a weakness.
Crash Davis believed in the soul, the sweet spot, and outlawing Astroturf. I believe in accountability, vision, and leadership. Above all, I believe in Apopka—and that its people deserve leaders who believe in Apopka too and have the talent and vision to lead it forward and make it into the great city it can be.
