Referendum may go on March 2026 ballot
By Teresa Sargeant
Reporter
The Apopka City Council explored the logistics of conducting a feasibility study in gauging interest for putting South Apopka annexation referendum on the ballot, with the focus being the March 2026 election cycle.
To learn more about the annexation survey, the city contacted 10 cities and municipalities about conducting surveys. Three municipalities provided cost estimates ranging from $63,000 to $155,000, according to Blanche Sherman, city finance director, at the May 21 City Council meeting.
The point of conducting the South Apopka annexation survey is to see if the South Apopka annexation cost would surpass $50,000, possibly reaching $100,000. If the annexation does exceed $50,000, a formal solicitation process is needed, and funding will be sought through a budget amendment after the contract award, Sherman said.
The South Apopka annexation area includes 650 residential properties, and the proposed annexation would incorporate approximately 5,943 new residents into the City of Apopka.
Commissioner Nick Nesta clarified that the voters will decide on the annexation.
“It’s not homeowners, and it’s not landowners, it’s voters,” he said. “So it can be tenants that can control what a homeowner—what happens to a homeowner’s property or their multifamily property, whichever property it is.”
Commissioner Nadia Anderson recommended hiring someone to conduct a door-to-door survey to ensure it gets all residents, because many people don’t check their mail, sometimes mail gets lost, or people don’t respond to surveys.
“It’ll be a way to save money, but also make sure that we’re effective,” Anderson said.
Mayor Bryan Nelson recommended sending a survey out through registered mail to unincorporated South Apopka. However, the registered mail survey was conducted in 2020, when then-city attorney Michael Rodriguez suggested it, Vice Mayor Diane Velazquez said.
Florida Statute governs how a feasibility study is conducted that includes giving 15 days notice to the county of the results of the study, city attorney Cliff Shepard said. He also emphasized the importance of wording survey questions carefully to get accurate responses.
Nelson gave direction to interim city administrator Radley Williams about preparing a feasibility study request for proposal and finding an organization that could conduct a door-to-door survey.
1984 was the last time the South Apopka annexation referendum was put up for a vote. The referendum failed because South Apopka residents rejected it, even though city residents passed the referendum. In recent years, public discussions, workshops and campaign platforms addressed returning the South Apopka annexation to the ballot.
The Apopka Chief and The Planter are weekly community newspapers, independently owned and family operated, that have served the greater Apopka area in Central Florida since 1923 and 1965 respectively.
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