Nonpartisan Candidate for Winter Park City Commission, Seat 1
Education: BA, Adrian College; CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive)
Occupation: Commissioned Professional, Boy Scouts of America (Retired); Fund Raising Consultant
Home: Winter Park
Age: 66
Past Political/Civic Experience: Winter Park City Commission 1982-93; Mayor of Winter Park 1993-97; Metro Plan Orlando 1993-1997; Orange County Tourist Development Council 1993-97; Chairman, Winter Park Civil Service Board 2000-2015; Chairman, Winter Park Chamber of Commerce 1982; Council President, Central Florida Council, Boy Scouts of America 1997-99; President, Winter Park Rotary Club 1986-87;Chairman, Mayflower Retirement Community, 2005-06; President, Association of Fundraising Professionals, 2010; Winter Park Outstanding Citizen of the Year, 1996; U.S. Navy League.
Website: http://www.garybrewerforwinterpark.com
Email: garyb704@aol.com
Q: What is your top priority if elected?
An economically diverse community with balanced, sustainable growth and a focus on residential neighborhoods. From its historic beginnings in the late 19th century, Winter Park has been a "city of homes" supported by a thriving commercial district providing the goods and services necessary to support and sustain the community. Separating one from the other would dramatically alter the balance that makes, Winter Park, Winter Park. As a community we must seek and find common sense solutions to sustain this special synergy of the vision of our founders. It is unproductive for Winter Park to continue going through these periodic cycles where all growth is stalled or even halted. When the community and the Commission reach a clear consensus our talented city staff will consistently perform effectively. I am troubled that we seem to have again reached a tipping point where the community is polarized over issues of growth and density. A community is like any living organism; if it doesn't grow, it will die. The question we should focus on is how do we grow?
Q: What makes you the best candidate in the race?
Answering this question will demand consensus and my record of over 40 years of public service, 15 of which were in elected office in Winter Park, has demonstrated my ability to guide the community to reach consensus. Environmental stewardship with a focus on urban forestry, community green space and exceptional recreational facilities. As an Eagle Scout and lifetime Scouter I have been trained from my earliest childhood that we are all responsible for protecting our environment. Winter Park's lakes and waterways are what attracted our founders when they were developing the plan for our town in 1882. Land use decisions must be made with constant consideration of protecting the fragile ecological balance of our environment. Potable water resources are essential for any community to survive and therefore our greatest asset. I believe we need more diversity of thought represented on our advisory boards. Our charter states that the Mayor shall appoint, subject to confirmation of the City Commission, all advisory board members. When I was Mayor beginning in 1993, I chose to delegate identification of advisory board candidates to each individual commissioner and I would then advance their recommendation, no questions asked, for confirmation by the City Commission. I believed that practice developed a more balanced point of view at the advisory board level where recommendations were formulated. When elected, I will encourage the Mayor to again adopt this practice.
Q: What other issues would you tackle while in office?
Accredited Police and Fire Departments. Public safety is our 1st and highest priority. After leaving the office of Mayor in 1997, I was soon appointed to the Civil Service Board with operational oversight over the Police and Fire Departments. Today, both the Police and Fire Departments are among a select group of cities nationally who are accredited. We must maintain these accreditations to ensure the highest level of service to the citizens of Winter Park. As Chairman of the Civil Service Board I have called for the restoration of four police officer positions that have been frozen in the current city budget.