{"id":4664,"date":"2026-06-19T10:39:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T10:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=4664"},"modified":"2026-06-19T10:39:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T10:39:00","slug":"maxwell-readers-have-good-tough-questions-for-mayoral-candidates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=4664","title":{"rendered":"Maxwell: Readers have good, tough questions for mayoral candidates"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Two months ago, I asked readers if they had any questions they wanted to ask the candidates for Orange County mayor.<\/p>\n

Read more Orlando exhibit spotlights women veterans as nation\u2019s 250th approaches<\/a><\/p>\n

Boy, did they.<\/p>\n

Readers submitted more than 100 questions that were impressively detailed and important \u2014 about everything from roads and the environment to transit and taxes.<\/p>\n

One of the most unusual came from former radio host Jim Philips who said he used to ask candidates one simple question: Have they ever peed in a public pool?<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they answered no, they were liars and deserved no further consideration,\u201d Philips said, noting that former Gov. Bob Graham answered \u201cyes\u201d without hesitation. \u201cHe was re-elected. People want the truth, no matter how unpleasant!\u201d<\/p>\n

Duly noted. Still, readers had many other topics they want addressed. So, just as I did eight years ago, I\u2019m taking the questions directly to the candidates.<\/p>\n

I sent all the questions below to all four candidates Friday. I\u2019ll summarize their responses in a future column and post a much longer piece online that features their unedited answers.<\/p>\n

The four candidates are former Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy, Orange County Clerk of Court Tiffany Moore-Russell, County Commissioner Mayra Uribe and Chris Messina, a tech entrepreneur who mounted a previous, unsuccessful campaign a few years ago. The three women are Democrats. Messina is a Republican. The office is nonpartisan.<\/p>\n

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Far and away, the most-asked question involved hotel taxes. Many readers \u2014 including Wayne, Brad, Kelly, Jeff and about a dozen more \u2014 wanted to know if any candidates plan on making a serious push to change state law to allow that money to be spent on things this community truly needs. (Things other than just the convention center and Visit Orlando\u2019s advertising budget.)<\/p>\n

Larry Y. asked: \u201cWith respect to the utilization of the Tourist Tax, where do they stand regarding further expansion of the convention center and funding of Visit Orlando? And what changes would they actively advocate to change?\u201d<\/p>\n

Anne had a more basic question: \u201cWhy are you running?\u201d<\/p>\n

Others wanted to nail down specifics. For instance, one of the biggest environmental controversies in recent years involved the Central Florida Expressway Authority\u2019s decision to run a toll road through Split Oak Forest, an environmental preserve county leaders vowed decades ago to protect forever.<\/p>\n

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County leaders have waffled back and forth about whether they should keep fighting to protect this land. So Sheila and Mike asked: \u201cIf you are elected, how will you proceed with the proposed toll road through Split Oak Forest?\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Split Oak betrayal: Will Florida ever change? | Commentary<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n