Duran: “It's your city. What is your vision? How will you vote?”

Michael Duran.

In Summary:

Michael Duran, father of fallen Apopka firefighter Austin Duran, writes that the upcoming election is a rare chance for residents to reshape city leadership and rethink what they want from those who serve them. He argues that failures in staffing, accountability, public access, and transparency under Mayor Bryan Nelson have carried real consequences—including the circumstances that led to his son’s death. Duran urges voters to reflect honestly, demand higher standards, and choose leaders who prioritize safety, integrity, and community over political convenience.

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Lately, in the past few years, I have found myself pondering many things. Things that I could have done better, or even differently. I look at the actions I’ve taken or didn't take and ponder... was I right? Could I have done more? Could I have done better?

Related: As Apopka changes, its mayoral candidates must rise to the moment.

This time of reflection allows me to adjust. Make corrections and, most importantly, make a difference not just in my life, but maybe even in others.

Election season is upon us. This is a fantastic time for all of us to reflect and ponder the desired direction of your city. It's not an easy task with the number of candidates running for the chance to earn the trust to work for you. All but one single seat will appear on the ballot this season. Maybe a first in Apopka’s history- This incredible opportunity will allow city residents to reshape the entire landscape of Apopka’s government, possibly.

A little bit of background about me- I am the father of the Apopka fallen firefighter, Austin Duran. I do not live in  Apopka, but I am a stakeholder within the city. After all, my son was a city firefighter. His mother and my daughter live in Apopka. Austin was raised in Apopka. A city that he loved, worked, and played in.

When Austin graduated from the Fire Academy, he filled out only one application, against my advice. I told him to fill out a hundred, so that you can pick which department is better for you. He said he already did that with his single application to Apopka. He was hired in July 2020, and almost to the date, two short years later, I ponder… should I have insisted he apply to more than just one department? That guilt will live on in me forever. Should I have done it differently? Could I have done it better?

My position is always top-down. Having proper leadership and management is the make-or-break, winning-or-losing factor. Having a great coach or a city mayor can and will make a difference, whether the game is won or lost. But let's face it, the coach isn’t running the ball into the end zone, the players are. But how they got there can be traced directly to the coach. If the team has a poor season, year after year, we don’t really blame the players. We blame the coach. A team owner will hold the coach accountable, and so should we regarding a city mayor.

Who has been leading this team for the last four years? Have they been a good mayor, or did they need coaching? I need to respond to the current mayor, Bryan Nelson, and his campaign ad and recent articles about not filling staff positions.

His campaign ad states: "Apopka deserves leadership that protects your wallet."

Residents should ask themselves, 'Do you feel that your wallet is being protected?' At least in the last two budget cycles, residents have seen their water rates increase into the double digits. As disappointing as that is, residents ought to be grateful that a handful of them actually showed up at city council meetings and argued against the proposed increases. It originally was much, much higher. The mayor reassured us that it's possible to lower that increase by January. Let's be honest, why not now vs. January? And if that happens, it will only be a political tool for re-election.

Then there is the “cut your property tax rate.” That statement is misleading, as I don’t believe it was actually ‘cut’; rather, it just wasn’t increased. But at what cost does that bear on the city? It's important to remember that the city is not a business for profit. It's your tax dollars, your money that pays for things like fire, police, parks, and recreation. “Cutting” your property tax takes money away from important departments that each of you relies on and enjoys.

That brings me to a “cut” that Mayor Nelson had made when he appointed former fire chief Sean Wylam. He cut the training chief's position and payroll. To protect your wallet? Agree or disagree, it cost a young firefighter, Austin Duran, his life. A life was lost to protect your wallet, yet the needle had to be moved afterwards, and millions had to be reinvested in the fire department.

Pay a little now, or pay much more later. Austin paid the most.

Pointed question to Mayor Nelson: Was it worth it? That is a question I don’t expect ever to get an answer to from Nelson.

His campaign statement, “That’s responsible stewardship - doing more with less, planning, putting taxpayers first.”

Unfortunately, he didn’t do more; he did less with less and at an incredible cost.

Does he? Did he put taxpayers first? Mayor Nelson unilaterally moved taxpayer, public comments to the very end of city council meetings, dismissed staff, and directed his IT department to end the live stream at the start of public comments. So allow me to paint a clear picture of this. The entire city council meeting was being live-streamed. At the end of the agenda business, city staff is asked to leave; the IT department stops the live stream; and only then can taxpayers speak their concerns, upcoming events, or criticism to a virtually empty hall for months. It should be noted that Commissioner Smith and Anderson voted with Nelson to prevent taxpayers from speaking at the beginning of the meetings, as they have for many years. After many months and public criticism, Commissioner Anderson finally voted in favor of the taxpayer, along with the original voting commissioners, Nesta and Velazquez.

You might be asking yourself, Am I biased? The answer is hell yes, I am. I watched my son begin a career with the City of Apopka, and I watched it end in only two short years. I witnessed and participated in nearly every city council meeting following the preventable death of my son. I had to fight a city, a mayor who would rather forget Austin than ensure our first responders are safe and fully trained. I witnessed a mayor taking credit for a now great fire department, and refusing to honor a fallen firefighter, the ONLY firefighter to die in the line of duty in all of Apopka’s long history. I’ve witnessed this mayor ‘protecting your wallet’ by giving a proven, failed fire chief a perfect job performance evaluation and the maximum pay RAISE, while at the same time refusing to mention or ever say Austin’s name.

I ponder the outcome of the March 10 election. I ponder the voter turnout. I am not trying to persuade you to vote. Your vote is your vote. But, before you lock in on any candidate, be sure to know exactly what you envision your next mayor to be. Do you envision honesty, or a mayor who was censured for lying? Do you envision transparency or a mayor that prevents taxpayers from speaking at public meetings and ends the live stream for residents who can’t make the meeting?  Do you envision a mayor that is truly committed to serve YOU, the taxpayer, or a mayor that says IF he is re-elected, that will be his last term? That alone should throw up some serious red flags. If he is being truthful that this would be his last term if re-elected, that screams no transparency and no accountability. Or will he lie again after the four years if re-elected, as he promised in his last campaign to work for half salary? Do you feel like he is protecting YOUR wallet, or his own?

Apopka is a great city with amazing people, and I visit Apopka very often. I am a stakeholder, and my family has invested more than we intended to.

It's your city. What is your vision? How will you vote? I’ll ponder…

Key Points:

• Michael Duran reflects on personal regret, civic responsibility, and the loss of his son, Austin, the only Apopka firefighter to die in the line of duty.

• He criticizes Mayor Bryan Nelson’s decisions regarding fire department staffing, training, and the elimination of the training chief position—changes he believes contributed to Austin’s death.

• Duran challenges claims of fiscal responsibility, pointing to increased water rates, stagnant property tax levels, and what he sees as misleading rhetoric about “protecting your wallet.”

• He raises concerns over transparency, citing Mayor Nelson’s decision to move public comments to the end of meetings and end livestreams before citizens could speak.

• Duran urges voters to evaluate candidates on honesty, accountability, and commitment to residents—warning that promises of a “final term” or past broken pledges should prompt skepticism.