By Rod Olsen
Editor's Note: Rod Olsen is a former HOA President of Rock Springs Ridge and an Apopka resident who often contributes his opinions at the Apopka City Council meetings during the public comments section and in frequent op/eds to The Apopka Voice. He wrote this open letter to Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson as Apopka heads into budget season.
Mayor Nelson,
During last year’s budget workshops, ONLY THREE of the City’s Department Heads answered affirmatively that their 2024-2025 budget represented everything they needed in people, supplies, and materials to meet Apopka Taxpayer needs. This is unacceptable and is reflected in our continued failure to meet our current and ever-growing needs.
Related: With infrastructure not meeting the community's needs, it's time for a moratorium on development in Apopka.
We look to you to lead and get us in front of our growth. The City’s failure to meticulously plan, budget, conduct timely, proper preventative maintenance, and do so promptly is reflected by:
- unhappy Taxpayers
- Multiple flooding issues
- water restrictions
- lack of reclaimed water pressure
- Road needs and conditions
- Sidewalk needs and conditions
- Golden Gem Pond
- Golden Gem Road
- Park conditions
- Our failure to expend CRA funds
- Staff turnover
- critical Staff vacancies
- lack of infrastructure
- overcrowded schools
We look to you to ensure that we provide the needed budget to properly provide the Staff, equipment, supplies, and materials to get the job done in a timely and appropriate manner.
No one wants to see a tax increase. To date, we have gotten what we have paid for.
We cannot fix yesterday. You must stop repeating past failures. We must stop kicking the can down the road, hoping that our new resident growth will cover our current and growing needs.
The fact that ALL BUT THREE Department Heads did not present the budget they needed was immediately exposed on the second day of the 2024-2025 fiscal year. This was the very first City Council meeting, October 2, 2024, when you had to make the first of many budget adjustments. The adjustments and resulting fallout continue to this day.
These are some of the budget-related recommendations presented to you over the past 2 years that remain relevant today:
- Given our growth and ongoing Taxpayer concerns, you should survey Taxpayers and inquire: What is one thing the City can do to better meet their needs?
- We must address the Public Services staffing, repairs, maintenance and required upgrades in our water treatment, sewer, streets, and sidewalks.
- We must address the 35% of our City assets past their projected lifespan.
- Budget recommendations should begin with each Department Head meeting with their Staff.
- Each Department Head should meet with every Department they serve to determine what they can do to better meet their needs.
- Departments should submit ALL their staffing, equipment, materials, and supply needs.
- Apopka’s 35 square miles must be factored into First Responder staffing.
Your due diligence should include meeting with each Department Head to ensure that they have the right personnel, the right number of personnel, and the right equipment, supplies, and materials for them to fulfill their respective responsibilities successfully.
The needs of each department should be the trigger for our new millage rate.
You must take timely and appropriate action.