Orange County mayoral candidates debate taxes and housing

Orange County mayoral candidates Tiffany Moore Russell and Chris Messina faced off Wednesday night on WFTV. The debate occurred less than a week before Election Day. This marked the final televised encounter between the two before voters cast their ballots.

The candidates presented contrasting approaches to the county budget. Messina, an entrepreneur, stated he would not raise taxes. He added that he is committed to cutting taxes. Messina noted that if Amendment 3 fails, he will seek other areas for tax reductions. Amendment 3 is a proposed constitutional amendment that would expand homestead exemptions for non-school district property taxes, which would reduce government revenue.

Moore Russell, a former Orange County Clerk of Courts and county commissioner, pushed back on the tax-cut promise. She argued that committing to cuts without being in office is difficult. Moore Russell said she would not promise to cut a specific program because she does not yet know the impact on residents. If elected, she plans to explore ways to stabilize the budget. She suggested that some capital improvement projects could be delayed rather than cut entirely, depending on their priority.

Housing and development were central topics for both candidates. Moore Russell said she would focus on expediting the permit approval process for affordable housing. She stated that delays in approval increase project costs. Messina, who said he lived on the streets for two months as a teenager, plans to address blight directly. He intends to work proactively with developers to redevelop blighted strip malls across the county. These projects would include mixed-income housing and commercial businesses.

The mayoral race is non-partisan, though the candidates belong to different political parties. Moore Russell is a Democrat, while Messina is a Republican. Moore Russell led the August primary election with nearly 32 percent of the vote. Messina finished second with just over 27 percent. The winner will replace outgoing mayor Jerry Demings. Demings previously served as county sheriff and Orlando Chief of Police.

Early voting in Orange County is available until 8 p.m. Sunday. Election Day is Tuesday. The outcome will determine the direction of the county's housing and budget policies for the next term.