Winter Garden Launches Speed Cameras, Hides Vendor and Contract | The Locally Times
The city began issuing $100 speeding citations on March 25 under a new camera program, but public records do not identify the vendor, contract cost, or the procurement process.
The City of Winter Garden began issuing $100 speeding citations on March 25, 2026, under its new School Zone Camera Safety Program, an automated enforcement effort the city says is intended to increase safety. As the program rolls out, however, public records do not identify the private vendor operating the cameras, the cost of the contract, or the procurement process used to select the company. This absence of documentation prevents public scrutiny of a program that delegates law enforcement functions to a private entity and creates a new revenue stream from residents, the size of which has not been quantified. The system began issuing $100 civil citations at Esteem Academy on March 25, following a warning period. A similar system at Whispering Oak Elementary School is scheduled to begin issuing citations on April 1, 2026. The program is enforced by the Winter Garden Police Department. The city’s notice states that cameras will issue a violation to any vehicle traveling more than 10 miles per hour over the posted school zone speed limit. The cameras are active on school days for the full duration of the school day, as well as 30 minutes before the start of school and 30 minutes after dismissal. The city specifies that the $100 penalty is a civil infraction and will not affect a driver’s record or insurance rates. This enforcement action follows a January 2025 ordinance passed by the Winter Garden City Commissioners, which authorized the use of a speed-detection camera system in school zones. The ordinance itself was enabled by a Florida state law approved in 2023. The city began implementing the program in January 2026, leading up to the start of citations in late March. ## A Procurement Process Shielded From Public View While the city has publicized the rules of the program, it has not disclosed the process by which it was established. The 15-month period between the city commission’s approval of the ordinance in January 2025 and the first citations in March 2026 provided a window for a public procurement process. However, public records do not contain any documentation of such a process. Locally Times could not locate any publicly posted requests for proposals, invitations to bid, or meeting minutes that name the vendor chosen for the School Zone Camera Safety Program. The criteria used to select the vendor, and whether the contract was competitively bid or awarded on a sole-source basis, are not detailed in any available city documents. The contract itself, which would outline the duties and compensation of the private partner, has not been made public. This lack of documentation makes it impossible for the public to assess how the vendor was chosen or what qualifications city officials prioritized. It also obscures the financial and operational relationship between the City of Winter Garden and the private company now involved in issuing civil penalties. ## Unanswered Financial Questions on Cost and Revenue The absence of a public contract leaves critical financial questions unanswered. The total cost to taxpayers for the acquisition, installation, and ongoing maintenance of the speed-detection camera system is not specified in any city announcement. Records do not specify how much public money, if any, was invested to launch the program. Furthermore, the city has not disclosed how the revenue generated from the $100 citations will be allocated. Automated enforcement programs run by private vendors often operate on a revenue-sharing model, where the company receives a portion of each fine paid. Without the contract, it is unknown what percentage of the $100 fine goes to the city and what percentage goes to the undisclosed vendor. The projected annual revenue from the program is also not available. This information is vital for understanding the financial incentives of the program and clarifying whether it is structured primarily for safety, as stated by the city, or as a revenue generator. The terms of the contract would also define which party bears the financial risk for system maintenance, contested tickets, or potential legal challenges. ## Expansion Planned as Core Details Remain Secret Despite the lack of transparency surrounding the program’s initial phase, the City of Winter Garden has announced plans for expansion. According to the city’s March 25 notice, officials plan to activate the program at all other schools in the city during the 2026-2027 school year. The city has not publicly identified which schools are next, nor has it provided a more specific timeline for the expansion. This means the city is moving forward with a broader implementation of a system whose vendor, cost, and revenue structure remain unknown to the public that will be paying the fines. Until the city releases the procurement records, the contract with the vendor, and a detailed breakdown of the program's costs and revenue distribution, residents will have an incomplete picture of the new enforcement system operating in their community. The identity of the company profiting from these citations, and the terms under which it was hired with public authority, remains a secret.