Thank You, Winter Springs!

As my campaign for Winter Springs City Commissioner, District 3 wraps up, I wanted to take a moment to pause, reflect, and express my deep gratitude to everyone who has been on this journey with me. This campaign is so much more than a bid for public office; it’s a collective mission to build a brighter, stronger, and more resilient Winter Springs. And none of this would be possible without the support, encouragement, and enthusiasm from people like you.

To Our Volunteers and Team Members

To the dedicated volunteers who have given their time, talents, and energy—thank you! From knocking on doors and organizing events to working tirelessly behind the scenes, you have been the backbone of this campaign. Your efforts remind me daily of what a remarkable community we have here. Each conversation you have, each door you knock on, and each call you make contributes to the bigger picture of our shared vision for Winter Springs. I’m endlessly grateful for everything you’ve done and continue to do.

To Our Donors and Financial Supporters

Running a campaign is no small feat, and every donation has allowed us to reach more voters and amplify our message. Your financial support reflects your belief in our mission to make a positive difference in our community. With every contribution, no matter the size, you've made an impact that pushes us one step closer to realizing our goals for Winter Springs. Thank you for standing with us.

To My Family and Friends

To my family and close friends who have encouraged me every step of the way—thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your unwavering belief in me and our campaign keeps me going on the most challenging days. You have not only supported my candidacy but have also been a part of shaping this campaign's core values. You are my foundation, and I am endlessly thankful to have you by my side.

To the Residents of Winter Springs

Finally, to every resident who has taken the time to speak with me, share your hopes and concerns, and listen to my plans—thank you. You are why I am running for City Commissioner. Winter Springs is filled with people who care deeply about their neighbors, their city, and their future. Each conversation and interaction has been a reminder of the responsibility and privilege of public service. I am inspired by your stories, and I am committed to working tirelessly on your behalf to ensure that Winter Springs continues to thrive.

My Opponent

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to show democracy in action by having an engaged opponent. Best of luck to all running for our city commission. Remember to vote for someone in each district, no matter which district you live in. The city commission works for all our residents.

Looking Ahead

As we move forward, there’s still work to be done. I am excited to keep meeting more of you, to listen, and to work together to shape a Winter Springs that reflects the values we all hold dear. With your continued support, I am confident we can create a future that prioritizes safety, infrastructure, green spaces, and a strong sense of community.

Thank you again to everyone who has joined this journey. Together, we are building the foundation for positive change in Winter Springs. I am grateful for every step of this journey, and I look forward to working with each of you to make a difference.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Sarah Baker

Candidate for Winter Springs City Commissioner, District 3

Pump/Lift Station Update: Waste Water Infrastructure in Winter Springs

In the few years since we’ve lived in our home on Winter Springs Boulevard, we’ve had the lift station manhole in our yard fail three times.  While some spills were minor, other spills have been catastrophic. The last spill in March of 2024 was over 12,000 gallons (reported). 

Upon calling attention to this spill to residents on community Facebook groups, making a report with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and speaking to multiple news outlets, the city took initiative to prioritize fixing these ongoing failures and ordered a permanent bypass pump in case of pump failure or power outage. (Related story: Winter Springs to install bypass pump after wastewater lift station failure) A mobile backup and new generator were placed on site of the pump station post Ian when the station was flooded and failed, but with the last failure being unrelated to flooding or power, clearly more needed done.

This week, the Utility Superintendent for Winter Springs, Clifton Mullis, knocked on my door to let me know his crews were going to begin work on installing the permanent backup pump and some of his guys would be in my yard checking the lift station and pipes.  Over the course of the next few days, the project became less than a simple install of the permanent bypass pump.

Disconnecting pipes in preparation of the bypass hooking up, lead to finding failures within the pipes.  Our infrastructure is old, we know there are failures happening regularly.  It’s evident when we see washout on our roads, bridges, and yards caused by holes in these pipes.  Once they had the pipe’s issues exposed, a washout sinkhole formed.  Not knowing how much more failure they may uncover; they brought in a large utility crew and basically every piece of equipment the city has on hand to mitigate any possible spills including mobile bypass pumps and three pump trucks.  They were NOT going to allow another catastrophic spill from any of the nearby life stations. 

Over the coming days, I checked in a lot with the city, our hired engineering firm Corollo, and

Veolia.  They were very forthcoming with information on the setbacks they’ve experienced while working to get the permanent bypass installed.  In the meantime, they have pipes rerouted and pumped by the bypass while getting new pipes in and the ground stabilized.  It looks like it will be a few more days of work, but hopefully they are past the setbacks that the failing pipes caused. 

While this is just one of many problems with our infrastructure and hopefully not a Band-Aid that will come off in due time, it does seem like the immediate risk of spills from this particular pump station and the lift stations surrounding it will for the time be mitigated.

Additionally, more improvements will eventually be made to this pump station. It's location right on Howell Creek (and next to my yard) mean that with heavy flooding, the entire pump station is at risk of being underwater. In the next phase of improvements, a grant has been obtained to demo the existing site and raise it significantly to reduce the risk of the station being under water. I am waiting for an update on this step of the plan.

The waste water infrastructures have failed and effected more than just me. It's in need of a complete overhaul and not just fixing thing as they fail. This was a fight I took on before entering the race for Commissioner, but it's a fight I'll continue fighting for all of you.

FLA011067_Spill at 800 Austin Court_WL_230319

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Sarah

Not a Typical Politician

Why are you running for this office?

I am running for District 3 Commissioner in Winter Springs because I love where I live and want to give back to the community in a very tangible way. The city of Winter Springs has been under scrutiny since before I moved here. Topics like wastewater infrastructure failures, concerns over the safety of drinking water in areas of town, road and bridge maintenance, fire hydrant maintenance, ADA inadequacies, irresponsible spending, missed deadlines, etc. have not only tarnished the opinions of those in our neighboring cities but also created division and frustration within our community. It’s time we have a dais that is willing to work with each other, hold all the keepers of the budget accountable, commit to transparency, and open the communication channels between city hall and residents. I believe the 3 seats on the November ballot are key to seeing a positive shift in Winter Springs with fresh talent coming in for our turn. I want to see Winter Springs into a brighter future.

What do you feel makes you qualified? 

In my career of working in brand marketing, I am often faced with a reoccurring problem; a smaller than I ‘need’ budget.   If I had an unlimited budget, or even just a bigger budget, my job would be easier.  But that unlimited budget is a fairy tale scenario; what I have is the budget I am given and no more.  I must make it work. I have 2 tasks at hand; maintain the sales we have AND grow them into more locations and more sales.  Having a budget that is less than desired is the problem of every municipality. They must make tough decisions, sometimes the choices aren’t glamorous or newsworthy.  Accountability to maintain what we have in the city of Winter Springs has been punted to the next guy for too long.  I am willing to dig my heals in and say no to frivolous expenditures and yes to necessary repairs or replacements.  And because I believe that communication solves easily foreseen confusions, the community will know WHY I vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on any proposed project.

Anything else you would like to add.

I used to always say I loved politics. I've wanted to be involved in politics since I was a little kid. But the truth is, I hate politics. Hear me out…

What I do love is policy reform, I love making a difference, I believe in being the good I want to see in the world, I love taking broken things and fixing them, I love putting brains together to find solutions. I hate that in today's world, much of “politics” comes with quid pro quo. Integrity is a virtue I hold dear. I hope that’s the most important thing you take away from this campaign of mine.

I look forward to fighting for you!

Sarah