Maribel Brinkle, President of the Apopka Historical Society
By Maribel Brinkle, President of the Apopka Historical Society and Museum of the Apopkans
In Summary:
Maribel Brinkle, President of the Apopka Historical Society, argues that Apopka’s museum and historical society received no meaningful support during Moore’s eight years in office, including an unanswered $2 million funding request. She also criticizes the city's allocation of a $13.1 million tourism grant entirely to recreational projects rather than to cultural or historical investments. The letter urges voters to reject what she describes as a pattern of neglect and support leadership that prioritizes Apopka’s history and downtown revitalization.
Dear Editor and Fellow Citizens of Apopka,
As President of the Apopka Historical Society and the Museum of the Apopkans, I have long approached local governance with grace, patience, and a steadfast commitment to collaboration. For years, I have extended every courtesy to elected officials, offering support and resources in our shared duty to preserve Northwest Orange County’s heritage. Yet, when Commissioner Christine Moore’s opinion piece “History Leads the Way” appears and fosters misperceptions about her record, I must with deep reluctance make an extraordinary exception and speak with unflinching clarity.
Related: Apopka Historical Society spotlights Linda Lee in Black History Month podcast.
Ms. Moore presents herself as a lifelong champion of Apopka’s history. The record reveals a different truth. During her eight years in elected office as Orange County Commissioner for Northwest Orange County, she provided our museum and historical society no meaningful assistance whatsoever. When we formally requested $2 million to support critical expansion or a new facility vital for safeguarding and displaying our irreplaceable artifacts and stories about our Black and Latino communities, that request went unanswered.
Her call for a new Historic Preservation Board and “expanded community ambassador groups” is particularly revealing. This statement demonstrates how profoundly out of touch she is with our community’s long standing efforts. It lands as a slap in the face to the Apopka Historical Society, which through dedicated volunteers and successive boards has faithfully preserved the history of Apopka and Northwest Orange County for 57 years. Since our founding in 1968, we have quietly and effectively safeguarded our city’s heritage without the need for yet another bureaucratic layer.
This article mirrors the same dismissive attitude that defined the current city administration under Mayor Bryan Nelson throughout his two terms. Residents have repeatedly come to me, frustrated by the deteriorating condition of our city museum and the neglected state of downtown. In those conversations, I have consistently observed that our past mayor was a capable legislator but a poor administrator who failed to prioritize Apopka’s only dedicated cultural institution—an institution that includes many respected community members, including members of his own family.
The awarded $13.1 million Tourism Development Tax (TDT) grant to the City of Apopka further underscores this troubling pattern of missed opportunity. While other recipients directed their awards toward meaningful cultural and historical investments, Apopka chose to allocate every dollar to outdoor recreational fields and amphitheater upgrades at the Northwest Recreation Complex.
Consider how neighboring communities and organizations used their TDT funds:
- Orlando Science Center: Nearly $14 million — to enclosed the rooftop terrace and add a permanent space science exhibit.
- 4R Foundation (4 Roots campus): $12 million — to construct two art auditoriums.
- Rollins Museum of Art: $10 million — to build a new museum nearly three times larger.
- Winter Garden Art Association: $4 million — to construct a new museum.
- Friends of the Mennello Museum and others: Millions more for expansions, renovations, roof/HVAC improvements, and performance venues.
These projects focused on museums, cultural centers, exhibit spaces, and performing arts facilities to boost tourism, preserve heritage, and enhance visitor experiences. Apopka, by contrast, received substantial funding yet directed none of it toward our museum, historic preservation, or downtown cultural assets.
After eight years in office, Commissioner Moore’s silence and inaction on our cultural heritage coupled with this latest allocation highlight a clear lack of investment in Apopka’s history. Her article offers little more than lip service: eloquent words without the deeds to match. A vote for her represents a vote for the same old guard, the same selective promises, and the same disappointing outcomes for our museum, Main Street program, and genuine cultural progress.
Apopka stands at a defining crossroads. For too long, the old guard has steered us, invoking promises selectively, romanticizing history for political advantage, and leaving commitments unfulfilled. It is time to turn the page decisively.
Our city urgently needs the fresh vision, unencumbered energy, integrity, and transparent leadership that the younger generation can provide. I have extended patience and goodwill to every politician I have worked with. In this pivotal moment with the mayoral runoff on April 14 I urge our community to rally together with renewed purpose.
Reject the unreliable patterns of the past. Choose leaders who will finally deliver meaningful support for our history, our culture, our downtown, and every Apopkan who has waited for authentic change.
Let us move forward hopeful, united, and resolute to consign mismanagement and the neglect of our shared heritage to the past. Under new leadership, we can truly honor Apopka’s legacy by forging a brighter, more inclusive future for all.
Key Points:
- The letter disputes Christine Moore’s record on supporting historic preservation in Apopka
- A $2 million request for museum expansion funding went unanswered, according to the author
- The city’s $13.1 million tourism grant was allocated to recreation rather than cultural projects
- The author criticizes both Moore and the current administration for neglecting the museum and downtown
- The letter calls for new leadership in the April 14 mayoral runoff
