Winter Springs tightens travel rules after spending questions

Winter Springs commissioners moved toward yearly sign-off on what counts as an allowable travel charge after reimbursement questions over alcohol, hotel upgrades and other conference spending put city credit-card use under scrutiny. The dispute centered on the 2025 Florida League of Cities conference at Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, about 33 miles from Winter Springs, and included Mayor Kevin McCann repaying the city for accidental Uber charges on a city card.

Winter Springs’ handbook says lodging within 50 miles of city hall will not be reimbursed without written approval from the city manager, and the city’s 2023 P-Card resolution required written managerial pre-approval for purchases over $250. The November audit found records were missing for some pre-approved spending and found 23 P-Card transactions over $250 from October 2023 through March 2025 that had not been pre-approved by a manager or supervisor. The audit also said the city manager can approve written exceptions up to $5,000 a month for specific needs.

Commissioner Paul Diaz pressed for an online spreadsheet showing how much each elected official has been reimbursed for travel, saying residents should be able to track how their money is used. Commissioner Sarah Baker said commissioners were issued cards without guidelines on expected use and that a staff document on card use did not fully apply to commissioner travel. Commissioner Victoria Bruce asked for clearer caps on meals, transportation, room nights and parking, saying valet parking was the only option at the League of Cities conference. City Clerk Christian Gowan said he had to drive to Orlando multiple times for clerks conferences to comply with the lodging rule.

City Manager Kevin Sweet said the current review system worked because inappropriate charges were flagged and reimbursed immediately, but he said no policy could anticipate every scenario. McCann said some higher travel costs can reflect legitimate work, including lobbying trips to Tallahassee and service on multiple boards, while Commissioner Cade Resnick said he does not seek reimbursement for local travel. Winter Springs Residents First has requested documentation of commissioners’ purchases from the conference.

County employees face a $25,000 credit limit, a $1,500 single-item limit and annual training to keep card access, while Oviedo allows P-Cards for hotel stays and parking approved in the annual budget and says no officials have repaid inappropriate expenses since 2024. Longwood and Lake Mary do not give commissioners P-Cards at all.