CFX to Buy Land, Won't Disclose Properties or Cost | The Locally Times
A March 25 committee meeting will approve land purchases, but the expressway authority has not disclosed which properties are targeted or the cost to taxpayers.
## CFX Shields Details on Land Purchases The Central Florida Expressway Authority’s (CFX) Right of Way Committee will convene on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, to approve land acquisitions for unspecified expressway projects. While the 2:00 p.m. meeting is public, the official notice omits the details necessary for public oversight. The documents posted by CFX do not include a list of the properties or parcels under consideration, the budget allocated for the acquisitions, the project driving the purchases, or the funding source. This opacity makes it impossible for residents or local governments to assess the potential impact on neighborhoods, businesses, and property tax rolls ahead of the committee’s decisions. ## Winter Garden Balances New Fines, Resident Aid The CFX meeting occurs as other local governments navigate their own financial initiatives. On the same day, March 25, the City of Winter Garden will begin issuing $100 civil citations for speeding in the school zone for Esteem Academy. A city notice indicates this is the start of a new camera enforcement program, authorized by a 2023 state law, that will expand to Whispering Oak Elementary on April 1. Concurrently, Winter Garden is accepting applications through May 1 for its Utility Bill Assistance Program for Low Income Seniors. Program announcements state that qualified residents, who must meet federal poverty guidelines, can receive up to a 90% reduction on their monthly utility bills. ## Other Public Finance Decisions on the Horizon Several other upcoming events will shape local budgets and community development. In the Town of Lady Lake, a special election is scheduled for March 24 to fill a vacant seat for Town Commission, Ward 2. In the City of Edgewater, public records show labor negotiations with the firefighters’ union, IAFF Local 4575, are scheduled for March 31, which will have direct consequences for the city’s budget. Edgewater’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) also has a meeting scheduled for April 6. For the CFX, the March 25 meeting remains a critical event where decisions on public funds and private property will proceed with limited external scrutiny due to the lack of a public agenda or supporting documents.