What’s Really Going On at City Hall?

I believe in full transparency, especially when it comes to how your city government operates. The latest report from the Florida Auditor General, delivered to the Mayor on October 22, 2025, outlines eight key findings about how Winter Springs is functioning behind the scenes.

You deserve to know the facts. Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly from this latest review.

✅ The Good

There are a few steps in the right direction worth noting:

• Procurement is working. The City has corrected past issues with how contracts and vendors are selected. Purchases are now being made fairly, transparently, and according to policy.
• Anti-fraud measures are in place. A formal anti-fraud policy is now adopted, improving protections for your tax dollars.
• Public records are mostly on track. 29 of 30 sampled requests were completed on time with no fees.

⚠️ The Bad

Progress has been made, but much remains unfinished:

• Oversight is weak. Although an engineering firm is reviewing water utility operations, the City hasn’t fully implemented policies to enforce performance or cost controls.
• Sales tax money was misused. $103,000 of infrastructure surtax funds were spent on hurricane-related work—outside legal use and not properly recorded as loans.
• Internal controls need work. Pre-approvals for city purchase card (P-card) use aren’t documented as required. Public records fees lack backup documentation.
• Turnover at the top. The City cycled through three different City Managers since 2023, and Commissioners are still violating charter rules by bypassing the City Manager and giving direction to staff.

❌ The Ugly

This one is serious—and still unresolved:

• Wastewater violations continue. Despite prior warnings, the City is still out of compliance with environmental laws. This has resulted in:
  • A $51,310 fine
  • A $695,850 consent-order mitigation project
  • Repeated failures at both wastewater treatment facilities
  • Harmful overflows into Howell Creek
  • Ongoing FDEP violations

This is unacceptable. Clean water is not optional—it’s a basic right. While the City has blamed its contractor, it remains our responsibility to enforce accountability. A new operator began on October 1, 2025. I will be watching this transition very closely on your behalf.

My Commitment to You

As your elected representative, I take this audit seriously. We can’t fix what we don’t face, and this report makes it clear we still have major issues to correct.

You can read the full preliminary audit findings for yourself here:

I will continue to push for transparency, water quality improvements, and better management of your tax dollars. If we want a city that’s fiscally strong, environmentally safe, and governed with integrity, we have to demand better.

Let’s fix this—together.

—

Victoria K. Bruce

City Commissioner, District 2