Longwood asks voters for up to $50 million for police and fire stations; Oviedo puts five charter changes on the ballot

Voters in two nearby Seminole County cities will decide city charter questions and a bond measure on the Nov. 3 ballot, according to a voter guide published Friday by WKMG News 6 and the News Collaborative of Central Florida.

Longwood has two questions and Oviedo has five. They appear only on ballots in those cities.

Longwood: public safety bonds and debt rules

The larger Longwood question would let the city issue up to $50 million in general obligation bonds to buy land for, design, build and equip a police station and one or two fire stations. The bonds would mature within 30 years and would be repaid from property taxes levied at whatever rate is needed to cover the debt, according to the ballot language.

A second question would change Section 6.10(b) of the Longwood charter, which governs how the city borrows for capital projects and real estate. Under the proposal, borrowing between $5,000,000.01 and $30 million would need yes votes from at least four commissioners. Anything above $30 million would need a majority commission vote plus a referendum.

Those dollar thresholds would be adjusted each year using the Producer Price Index.

Oviedo: terms, votes and the Rural Area

Oviedo's five amendments mostly deal with how the city runs its elections and meetings:

• Four-year terms. City Council terms would grow from two years to four starting with the 2028 election. Members elected in 2027 would serve three-year terms, a transition meant to line up city races with even-year presidential and governor's elections.
• Roll calls. The charter would no longer require a roll call vote on ordinances and resolutions. Each council member present would still have to vote yes or no, except as state law provides, and the clerk would still record each member's vote in the minutes.
• Special elections. The window for holding special elections would be pushed back by 30 days to better match state election procedures.
• Qualifying. Candidates would qualify for council races in June instead of August. Elections would stay in November.
• Rural Area annexations. Any ordinance bringing land into the city from the Seminole County Charter's Rural Area, as the boundary stood on July 4, 2026, would need the votes of at least four of the five council members.

Sources

clickorlando.com