QUARTER 2 2026
Keeping all employees informed about City news, awards, events and messages that will allow you to get to know different departments, employees and those who go above and beyond to make Oviedo one of theTop10CitiesinFlorida.
On June 25, the Liberty Tree was officially announced in a Ceremony with American Legion Memorial Post 243. There was a 21 Gun Salute and a flag
ceremony. Our Liberty Tree is a Hickory, planted at City Hall.
On November 3, 2026, Florida voters will consider Amendment 3, a proposed State Constitutional Amendment that will significantly affect how Cities, counties, and other local governments are funded.
While every Florida voter will make an important decision at the ballot box, it is important for all of us to understand why Amendment 3 is being discussed and how its passage will affect our organization and the services we provide to the Oviedo Community.
If approved by 60% of the voters, Amendment 3 will significantly reduce the amount of property tax revenue available to the City. It increases the non-school property tax homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with inflation adjustments starting in 2029. The result is an anticipated loss of $5.1 million in FY2027-28 and $9.2 million in FY2028-29.
Amendment 3 also sets what cities may spend property tax revenue on:
Provide for public safety, including law enforcement, fire service, and emergency medical service; Provide funding for education and public schools; Finance or refinance infrastructure, including expenditures on road and bridge construction and maintenance and stormwater control; Finance or refinance natural resource projects, including flood control measures; Issue local bonds for uses consistent with this paragraph and to make debt service payments for existing obligations;
Fund the operations and administration of county officers and commissioners established underArticle VIII and municipalities, and the expenditures approved by such county officers or county or municipal governing bodies, except those expenditures prohibited by general law.
This means the City can spend property tax dollars on the items listed above, with one important caveat. The last bullet contains the phrase “except those expenditures prohibited by general law”. What that means is that the legislature can pass a law at any time restricting what the City can spend property tax dollars on.
Though Amendment 3 requires voter approval, it gives the Legislature the authority to pass laws in the future that will increase the non-school property tax homestead exemption to the point of eliminating property taxes without voter approval.
If approved, Amendment 3 will require the City to adjust the budget to accommodate the reduction in revenue, while still providing:
Recreation and Parks
Development Services
Public Works
Communications and customer service
General government support operations
The City Council requested a plan to address the potential impacts of Amendment 3, and directed staff to develop opportunities to replace revenue where allowable, and reduce expenses where possible. The plan will be presented to the City Council at theAugust Work Session.
Revenue replacement – as the eyes and ears closest to the community, our employees have unique understanding of our operations; please consider sharing ideas with your director that can:
Improve cost recovery and the associated dollar amounts.
Generate new revenue streams and the associated dollar amounts.
Cost savings – even the smallest savings add up ifwe all work together. Please share any ideas with your director on howwe might:
Improve utilization of city assets and contracts, including associated dollar amounts.
Reduce expenditures, including associated dollar amounts.
Ifyou have an idea, please do not hesitate to share it with your department director.
Limitations on City time.As City Employees, we are often asked questions about how Oviedo City Government operates. It’s important to explain what we do and why it is important, but we must be mindful of our responsibilities as public employees and not engage in political advocacy during work hours.
During work hours, city employees should not expressly advocate for or againstAmendment 3 on City time or using City resources. Information provided during work hours in response to questions should remain factual, not use city resources, and focus on its impacts to City Services. When in doubt, please feel free to direct residents to official materials from the City's public information office on the City’s website. Consistent, factual information helps ensure everyone receives accurate, understandable, and effective messaging.
Answering questions if asked outside of work hours – If friends, family members, or others ask questions outside ofworking hours, employees do not have such limitations on what they are able to communicate, provide their opinion, and exercise their FirstAmendment Rights.
Your Communications Director was quite busy arranging and organizing media interviews on many different topics this spring with everything from events like the Arbor DayTree Givewaway and Fishing with a Cop to more impactful stories. Other topics covered were Water Safety Month with the Aquatics Team, Door Alarms with the Fire Department, even Solid Waste Increases with Public Works and many other safety messaging including Tussock Moths andAlligator Mating Season with Parks and Recreation.
Two stories that really stood out were the Severe storm that caused damage in Alafaya Woods, giving kudos to the Public Works clean up team and Police Officer St. John who saved the life of a man in severe cardiac arrest in the parking lot of a church.
All stories generated by your Communications Manager are thought out, impactful and positive for our community. I am grateful to work with departments who understand and encourage the reach our City receives with such coverage. All-in-all this quarter we had a total of 91 stories about Oviedo (Not including other stories the featured citizens or businesses in Oviedo)
On June 25, 2026, Nadia Todor received notification that she had met all certification requirements and has earned the designation of Certified Government Finance Officer (CGFO). In achieving her CGFO status, Nadia has satisfied rigorous education and experience standards, passed the Code of Ethics exam, and successfully passed challenging proficiency examinations.
Nadia’s accomplishment is in addition to her Master’s in Public Administration from UCF and her Law Degree from the University of National and World Economy (UNWE). Sofia Bulgaria.
Moody’s Investor Service has upgraded our credit rating!
Both the City’s and the Utility’s ratings were upgraded.
The City’s new rating of Aa1 is one level below Moody’s highest rating of Aaa. The Utility’s new rating ofAa2 is two levels below Moody’s highest rating ofAaa.
These ratings are the result of the great work of Council and Staff and reflect the continuing improvement of the City’s financial position.
Regular Session August 3
Regular Session August 17
Work Session (tentative) August 24
Budget Session September 10
Budget Session September 21
Work Session (tentative) September 28
Regular Session October 5
Regular Session October 19
Work Session (tentative) October 26
Reminder: Please have your agenda items placed in the OneMeeting workflow no later than 3 weeks prior to the meeting date. Complete Council Meeting Schedule & deadlines available on Sharepoint. Please contact City Clerk Elianne Rivera, ext. 5504, if you have any questions or would like to schedule OneMeeting training.
Contact Records Coordinator Annie Mattinson, ext. 5501, or your department’s Records Liaison if you have any questions. You can find the City’s Records Management Handbook & other resources on the City Clerk’s SharePoint page.
Contact our office if you have any questions or would like to schedule Public Records training. You can find the Public Records flow chart & other resources on the City Clerk’s SharePoint page.
This employee is responsible for the Records Management and Disposition for their respective Department and will review Department records to identify those eligible for destruction in accordance with the General Schedules, verify inclusive dates, and record series titles.
TIn Fiscal Year 2024-2025 the City dispositioned 141.4 cubic feet of records, with a cost savings of $13,370.78. Calculated using the Florida Department of State cost avoidance formula.
As records are eligible for disposition they should be destroyed.
As we approach October and the start of the new fiscal year you should begin to look at your records to ensure compliance with Florida records law. It is important to evaluate all your files; paper, digital files on your desktop and drives. Note: If you destroy the paper file but a digital version of it still exists, the file has not actually been destroyed.
Emails are retained for 5 years. At the top of each email it includes the date the email will expire.
If you have emails in your Outlook that you need to retain, you will need to transfer them over to another drive. This includes emails that are in subfolders within Outlook.
Any emails moved from Outlook and placed in a drive are subject to public records law. IT cannot retrieve these emails because they will no longer reside in Mail Archiver.
Please Note: You will be responsible for retrieving emails you save in the event that a public records request is made for them, or any content held therein.
Spring has been a season of continuous improvement. Staff attended annual conferences on shared insights and professional enrichment. Additional focus noted the pursuit of delivering high quality standards and customer satisfaction with an emphasis on team collaboration and communication.
The first conference of the year was the 2026 National Planning Conference in April. Among the many topics, discussions covered the use ofAI in planning; transportation and infrastructure; economic trends; and housing challenges and solutions.
The FAPAP – Florida Association of Public Art Professionals Conference followed. Groups shared interest discussions on “Where PublicArt Meets Community” and “PublicArtAcross the State”
The FPZA2026Annual Conference – Florida Planning and ZoningAssociation. This May conference offered discussions on planning and zoning topics plus networking with other professionals.
Also attended in May, was the FABTO conference – FloridaAssociation of Business Tax Officials.
Members had sessions on the legal aspects of business tax receipts from public communication records and audits - to the best practices of the business tax receipts with changes that are being proposed by the State Legislature.
Code Enforcement also got some training done at the 2026 F.A,C.E Conference -(FloridaAssociation of Code Enforcement Officers) in June. Topics included officer safety sessions; legislative updates and body camera legislation; local enforcement authority and nuisance abatement procedures. These information sessions improve general knowledge and department operations, helping staff provide a superior service to the community.
April 2026
Christian Castaneda – (Police: Police Officer Trainee)
Elijah Garcia – (Police: Police Officer)
Danielle Enevoldsen – (Human Resources: Benefits Manager
Logan Spears – (Public Works: Engineering Intern)
May 2026
Christopher Idrogo – (Public Works: Maintenance Worker I)
Robert White – (Public Works: Field Inspector)
June 2026
Raymond Cortes Castillo – (Fire: Firefighter/EMT)
Jesse Mejia – (Fire: Firefighter/EMT)
Jean Moure Acevedo – (Recreation & Parks: Maintenance Worker I)
Kyla Mullen – (Fire: Firefighter/EMT)
Tracy Parker – (Public Works: Administrative Assistant)
Clayton Pressley – (Fire: Firefighter/EMT)
Refer someone and earn $$
Employees who refer applicants have a chance to earn bonus money. You can earn $200 if the recruited employee is hired and an additional $300 if the recruited employee completes their probationary period. All the applicant has to do is put your name as the referral in their application!
Thank you to everyone who attended our recent Hypertension Lunch & Learn! A total of 24 employees participated in the event, enjoying a complimentary Chipotle lunch while learning practical ways to prevent and manage high blood pressure.
The program featured two 30-minute presentations led by Nurse Educator Chip Bryant of MyHealth Onsite, covering the basics of hypertension, risk factors, and healthy lifestyle habits. Attendees also had the opportunity to ask questions and gain valuable insights into protecting their heart health. Coming Up Next: Lunch & Learn – Eating on a Budget
Mark your calendar for our next Lunch & Learn on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Join MyHealth Onsite Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Shelby Nowlin for Eating on a Budget, an informative session featuring practical tips for planning nutritious, affordable meals without sacrificing flavor or quality.
Following the presentation, Shelbywill demonstrate how to prepare Energy Bites—a simple, healthy, no-bake snack that's easy to make at home.Attendees will also enjoy a complimentary lunch from Just Salads, making this a great opportunity to learn practical nutrition tips while enjoying a healthy meal.
Registration opensAugust 26, 2026. Watch for additional details and be sure to reserve your spot!
�� Mark Your Calendar!
�� Your annual opportunity to review and update your benefits is here!
�� Open Enrollment
August 12 – August 26
�� Information Session
�� Wednesday, August 12
�� 8:30 AM �� 10:00 AM �� 2:00 PM
�� Council Chamber, City Hall
Learn about your benefit options, hear about plan updates, and get answers to your questions.
�� We look forward to seeing you!
Tracy Parker was hired as an Administrative Assistant for the Public Works Engineering Department in June. She is a dedicated member of the team who helps keep daily operations running smoothly and efficiently. She enjoys supporting staff, coordinating administrative tasks, and ensuring that both internal and external customers receive excellent service. She is a Florida Native who enjoys nature walks, history, and personal enrichment videos. She is a devoted wife and mother of two. She holds an A.S. Degree in Administrative Office Management from Seminole State College of Florida.
Known for her professionalism, reliability, and willingness to help others, Tracy takes pride in creating an organized and productive work environment. She enjoys being a supportive team member and contributing to the success of the organization through her dedication and strong work ethic. The Public Works department is very grateful to have Tracy join the team!
The City of Oviedo Engineering Internship Program provides students with hands-on experience by exposing them to a variety of municipal engineering, infrastructure, and public works projects. Interns work alongside City staff to support daily operations while gaining valuable real-world experience in engineering, planning, GIS, and field inspections.
Throughout the internship, interns assist with a wide range of technical and field assignments, including:
Preparing landscape maintenance schedules.
Conducting stormwater pond and outfall inspections.
Mapping utility and drainage easements using GIS.
Researching vacuum and pressure sewer systems.
Reviewing and analyzing as-built drawings and construction plans.
Collecting and mapping stormwater pipe data.
Performing field visits to document sidewalks, signage, and other infrastructure through photographs and measurements.
Verifying engineering cost calculations.
Organizing and maintaining engineering records and project files.
Interns reviewed potable water tank construction plans, providing their first opportunity to evaluate real-world engineering documents and better understand the design and review process beyond the classroom.
Interns participated in a field assessment and collaborated with a homeowner’s association to evaluate tree planting opportunities, gaining valuable experience in client interaction and site evaluations.
Interns assisted with the City's sidewalk improvement initiative by evaluating curb ramps and sidewalks for ADA compliance. The project provided extensive field experience and strengthened their understanding of accessibility standards, engineering design requirements, and infrastructure assessment.
Interns collected and mapped stormwater infrastructure data using ArcGIS, including pipe diameters, lengths, and invert elevations. This project enhanced their GIS skills, improved their ability to interpret as-built and construction plans, and developed their problem-solving abilities during field data collection.
Congratulations to the West Mitchell Hammock Water Treatment Plant for their 2025 Outstanding Class B Water Treatment Plant award. The Florida Water Resources Conference (FWRC) Outstanding Water Treatment Plant awards recognize top-tier facilities for excellence in operation, maintenance, and water quality.
The Fire Department did a total of 15 Public Education events for the months of April, May and June. These include: Groups, schools, citizens, etc. visiting the stations; Engines or Rescues visiting schools or community/City events. We sprayed quite a few school kids for the end of school and participated in Parks & Recreations and Police Summer Camps.
Congratulations to Engineer Paramedic Danny Forrest who was chosen as Firefighter of theYear by both the American Legion Memorial Post 243 and the Oviedo Rotary Club in 2026. Keep up the great work Danny!
In June, we welcomed four new recruits to the family!
Kyla Mullens
Jesse Mejia
Clayton Pressley
Raymond Cortes-Castillo
Theywere hired on in June and completed orientation in July
June 8 marked the 24th anniversary of the tragic loss of Oviedo Firefighter Shane Kelly (Badge #56). We continue to remember the life of Shane Kelly and the professionalism, dedication, and compassion he displayed while rendering aid at the scene of a serious traffic crash. We also remember Dr. Donald Diebel Jr., who also lost his life assisting Shane with administering patient care. That tragic day will always be etched in our memory, and we must continue to honor both Firefighter Shane Kelly and Dr. Donald Diebel Jr for their selfless service.
As we continue to experience retirements and change in personnel, I ask that we continue to remember and honor Firefighter Kelly and let us all never forget the ultimate sacrifice he made on June 8, 2002.
John 15:13 “Greater Love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”.
Back inApril,A-Shift got some time in practicing extrication techniques.
Maurasse Belony - Sworn in April 15
Elijah Garcia - Sworn in April 22
Garcia originally hailed from New Smyrna Beach before his family moved to Colorado. He originally wanted to work in medicine and began studying neuroscience before the birth of his son.
He wanted to change the trajectory of his career and after doing a ride-along with a police officer, law enforcement was the career he chose. Garcia wanted to make a positive impact on people’s lives while serving his community. He attended school and became a sworn officer with the Erie Police Department in January 2022.
Garcia moved his family back to Central Florida in December 2025 and joined the Oviedo Police Department, where he will continue to serve.
Belony was born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale and is currently serving in the military, while simultaneously serving as a police officer. Belony joined the Army after graduating high school and moved to Central Florida in 2025 before joining Oviedo Police and going through the academy.
Belony knew he wanted to be a police officer since elementary school, after he met a police officer at a career day event. That meeting solidified his desire to serve and protect others.
Congratulations to the following officers for their Unit Citations that were presented by Deputy Chief Foley
Detectives: Sgt.Varkony,Valerio, Salemi, Warren and Solares
Officers: Meyer, Lt. DePanicis, Brongel, Smith, Franze, Garcia-Chow, Lopez, Marrero-White, Ortiz, T. Jernigan, S. Jernigan, Stimpson, Burkett-Dreggors, Reyes and Riddleburger.
On February 25, 2026, Oviedo officers responded to a report of a shooting where the suspect fled on foot. Responding officers quickly secured the scene, preserved key evidence, and established a perimeter while coordinating with K9 units and partner agencies. Through effective communication and prior knowledge of the suspect, officers identified and located him at his residence, taking him into custodywithout incident approximately 34 minutes after the initial call.
Detectives and forensics personnel conducted a thorough follow-up investigation, obtaining video evidence and executing a search warrant that led to multiple felony charges, including attempted homicide and aggravated assault. This incident highlights the strong teamwork, coordination, and professionalism of all involved, resulting in the swift apprehension of the suspect and a wellexecuted investigation.
Saving lives is what first responders do. It is the first thing they are trained to do and it is their prerogative. Today, Oviedo High School SRO Officer Chris St. John met the man he saved on Sunday, April 26th. Doug Black, his girlfriend Cathy (pictured with him) and her family had arrived at church with the intention of attending service. That morning, Mr. Black was not feeling well. As he arrived in the parking lot, his condition worsened. His girlfriend stayed with him, refusing to leave his side, and when he showed a decline in health, she immediately jumped out of her car and ran to find help.
Officer Chris St. John, who was working a traffic detail that morning, jumped into action and immediately used an AED before performing manual CPR on Mr. Black.
Mr. Black became alert when Oviedo Firefighters arrived. Mr. Black was taken to Sanford HCA Hospital for treatment.
Mr. Black has since made a full recovery and wanted to meet Officer St. John, who saved his life. May 6 was emotional and filled with nothing but love and gratitude, from Mr. Black, whose life was saved and from Officer St. John, who was thrilled to see Mr. Black make such an amazing recovery.
This is why we are police officers.
Congratulations to the following officers for their Unit Citations that were presented by Deputy Chief Foley
We had an amazing time with our families at Long Lake Park this morning for our annual Fishing with a Cop event. There were some fish caught and released back into the lake. More importantly, we got to connect with our residents for a beautiful morning of fishing. Thank you to our partners Seminole County Sheriff's Office and Mud Hole Custom Tackle, for making this event a success! Thank you to our media partners for coming out and talking to us! We love our community!
Our kids had some great adventures during the annual Summer Camp. Thanks to a generous donation from Helpful Hands, the kids got to enjoy a week of field trips and education from Police and Fire.
Officer Ryan Dazaut who was chosen as Officer of the Year by the American Legion Memorial Post 243 and the Oviedo Rotary Club.
Also to our officers who participated in the Tour de Force ride!
We are so proud of our officers who participate in the annual Tour De Force bike ride every year! It is a tough challenge where riders travel 270 miles, on bike, from North Miami Beach to Daytona Beach over a 5 day period. Today kicks off day one which is a ride from North Miami Beach to Boynton Beach for a total of 50.3 miles. Tour De Force is on it's 30th year! This year’s tour will benefit the families of all fallen Florida Law Enforcement Officers that were lost in the line of duty during 2024. Go Team Oviedo PD!!
One Year
Thank you for your dedication!
Natalie Angel (Development Services: Development Review Coordinator)
Maurasse Belony (Police: Police Officer)
Edwin Rodriguez (Public Works: Utility Technician)
Christopher St. John (Police: Police Officer)
Leann Winegar (Police: Property & Evidence Specialist)
Five Years
Charles Bennett – (Fire: Firefighter/EMT)
Jacqueta Scott – (Finance: Procurement Manager)
tEN YEARS
Edward Heim – (Police: Detective)
Yvonne Mouser – (Information Technology: GIS Coordinator)
thirty years
Matthew Rothfuss – (Fire: Fire Lieutenant)
Maurasse Belony – Police Officer Trainee to Police Officer (Police)
Thank you for a job well done! Thank you for a job well done!
marisol laureano
recreation and parks
TERI HOKANSON TERI HOKANSON
LILY WEST LILY WEST
Thank you for a job well done! Thank you for a job well done!
madelyn bui
annie mattison
abou diallo
alex gonzalez
anderson mitz
collin hilson
issac marales
joe thomas
pete matos
steven rohena
public safety
christopher st. john christopher st. john
sgt. robert vanheusen sgt. robert vanheusen ross allen ross allen
ryan ellis ryan ellis
michael davidson michael davidson
manuel ildefonso manuel ildefonso
david montelongo david montelongo
"He started with the Citywith a shovel in his hand" were the words of Public Works Director BobbyWyatt.
At the July 29, 2026 employee luncheon, we wished Operations Manager Dave Pardo a very happy retirement after serving our community for 30 years! Mr. Pardo has been through the thick of it, having spent his entire career in Public Works, working his way to Operations Manager. He will be sorely missed. Fun Fact: Dave Pardo spearheaded the Arbor Day Tree Giveaways all these years! We wish you all the best Dave!!
Thank you to the ENGAGEMENT SQUAD for all your hard work honoring employees in the City!