Winter Garden Launches School Cameras, Conceals Revenue Plan | The Locally Times
The city is issuing $100 speeding citations at two schools and plans a city-wide expansion, but no public records detail how the revenue will be spent.
The City of Winter Garden has activated a new automated speed enforcement program in two school zones, levying $100 civil citations against drivers, but has not publicly disclosed how it will allocate the revenue generated from these penalties. A city notice posted on February 3, 2026, details the program’s operational specifics but offers no information on the new revenue stream, leaving a gap in public understanding of the program’s financial implications. A second set of cameras at Whispering Oak Elementary School is scheduled to begin issuing $100 citations on April 1, 2026. The program, enforced by the Winter Garden Police Department, targets vehicles traveling more than 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. The cameras operate 30 minutes before and after school, as well as for the entire duration of the school day, on days school is in session. The city notice states the program’s intent is to increase the safety of children and staff by deterring speeding. The Winter Garden City Commissioners approved the ordinance that created the program in January 2025, acting under authority granted by a 2023 State of Florida law. While the city has been clear about the program's public safety rationale, it has not released projections for revenue or a plan for its use. ## No Public Plan for Program Revenue Public records lack any designated fund, budget line item, or official policy statement outlining the allocation of the citation revenue. It is unknown if the funds are intended to cover the program's own operational costs, be directed toward other public safety initiatives, be reinvested in school-related infrastructure, or be added to the city's general fund. This absence of information prevents public oversight of funds collected from residents through enforcement actions. The city’s March 25 notice specifies that a violation is a civil penalty and does not affect a driver’s license points or insurance rates. Despite the civil nature of the penalty, the lack of a transparent financial plan obscures the full scope of the program, which now functions as both a public safety tool and a revenue-generating mechanism without a public accounting of the latter. ## Expansion and Vendor Secrecy Compound Questions The financial questions surrounding the program are set to grow. The city’s public notice confirms plans to activate the camera program at all remaining City of Winter Garden schools during the 2026/2027 school year. This expansion will increase the number of citations issued and the total revenue collected, though records do not quantify the projected financial impact of this city-wide expansion. Furthermore, the city has not disclosed the terms of its contract with the vendor that supplies the speed-detection camera system. Details regarding the cost of implementing and maintaining the camera network are not present in the available public records. It is also unknown whether the vendor contract includes a revenue-sharing agreement, in which a private company receives a percentage of each citation paid. Without access to the vendor contract, residents cannot know what portion of the $100 penalty is retained by the city and what portion is paid to a private, for-profit entity. The absence of this information makes a complete cost-benefit analysis of the program impossible for the public and policymakers to conduct. The costs of the program, the revenue it generates, and the share of that revenue directed to a private vendor are all critical details that remain undisclosed. ## Key Documents Withheld from Public The city notice references the January 2025 ordinance that authorized the program. However, the specific text of that ordinance, particularly any clauses related to revenue collection or fund allocation, is not included in the city's public announcements or supporting documents available online. This makes it difficult to determine if city officials established a financial plan at the program's inception. Beyond the financial questions, the city has provided no data on the program's effectiveness at deterring speeding, nor has it released information about the appeals process for contested violations. The primary question—what happens to the money collected from the $100 citations—remains officially unanswered. Until the city releases key documents, the financial workings of its school zone safety program will remain opaque. The withheld records include the full text of the January 2025 ordinance, the complete contract with the speed-camera vendor, and a detailed budget or policy document showing how all revenue from the program will be allocated.