Mascotte City Manager Jim Gleason and Montverde Mayor Joe Wynkoop were guest speakers at July’s South Lake Chamber of Commerce Breakfast held at Bella Collina. Chamber Chair Kalena Meyers led the discussion with questions to both city officials on their community’s anticipated growth, vision, and long-term vision.
The City of Mascotte is a Council-City Manager form of government. The elected council serves as the policymakers (Board of Directors), and the City Manager (CEO) works for the Council to implement their policy directions in addition to the day to day administration of the city.
Mascotte City Manager, Jim Gleason has been Mascotte’s City Manager for over 8 years during which time the city has had 6 tax cuts in the past 6years with the last 4 tax cuts being full rollbacks in the tax rate, the 2019-2020 tax rate is lower than the rollback rate. Jim proudly explains the city has a lower tax rate today than the 2010-2011 tax year, the one before he started. The tax rate has gone from 9.6147 mils highest in Lake County to a proposed rate for 2019-2020 of 7.55 mils.
Currently, Mascotte is the only city in south Lake County that has approved permitting marijuana dispensaries within city limits.
Gleason said that the city unveiled its new website last week and is working on updating the city’s logo to be revamped to a descriptive representation of Mascotte. Mascotte’s current logo is a ship with no actual ties to the present or future of Mascotte. The city is also working on plans for a new Public Safety Building with the first phase being the fire station. The building will be located across the street from Mascotte’s city hall, located at 100 West Myers Blvd (SR 50), on the south side of 50 next to Family Dollar and CR 33. This phase will cost an estimated $3 million.
Jim is a self-proclaimed social liberal and a fiscal conservative, who knows how to eliminate debt, balanced budgets, and cut taxes. His leadership style is working for Mascotte.
The Township of Montverde consists of 5 locally elected residents that are Councilman and women who work with Mayor Joe Wynkoop to govern the town.
Mayor Wynkoop is presently responsible for running the town’s day-to-day operations but said that will soon be changing if the residents pass a Charter change in November to a council/city manager government.
Both the Montverde Mayor and Mascotte City Manager predict lots of business and housing growth in the upcoming years.
After the updates, the Chamber presented each city with sponsorship checks for their upcoming Light Up Mascotte and Montverde Day.
Also, the Community Public Service Awards were presented to Officer Taylor Oldham of the Mascotte Police Department and Chief Kevin Rausch of the Montverde Fire Department (see SLCC AWARDS).
The sponsor for this month’s breakfast was WCA Waste.
