Friends of Wilton Manors Parks

10/30/2026

Almost there Fronds!

10/28/2026

Hello Friends and Frounds,

Our next meeting will be held on Monday, November 2nd at 6pm.
Please note that that location will be at the Cultural Center/ Women's Club just behind the Volleyball courts at Hagen Park.

Memberships are $20.00 and we are all volunteer. Please don't feel compelled to donate extra to Zeffy.

Join or renew your membership today to be part of our community of supporters. Your membership directly supports our mission. Thank you for choosing to be…

10/04/2026

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeFrFBQql8D/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&stkn=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

09/30/2026

Hello Friends and Fronds,

Our next meeting will be on Monday Oct 5, at Hagen Park. 6pm.

On Sunday Oct 4, from 8am to 11am, "Friends" will be partnering with the City and the Audubon Society to clean and do some native plantings at M.E. DePalma Park (the butterfly park). Please come out (oh my!) and help in this important National Wildlife Habitat designated park.

09/23/2026

Hello Friends and Fronds,

Mayoral Candidate, Julie Carson has responded to our survey.

Candidate for Mayor Julie A. Carson
Responses to “The Friends”

Introduction

My first service to the City was as a member of the Recreation Advisory Board. Thereafter, from 2010 thru 2020, I served as City Commissioner with an emphasis on Wilton at Play –highlighting our 16 Parks and associated Recreational Services which improve physical and mental health. From Mind and Mobility; to bird watching; Library programming; Tennis; Volleyball; Pickelball; the magnificent after school program (BASH); and other activities
hosted by our Leisure Services Department which enhance the lives of community partners and residents of all ages. A healthy connection to the natural environment leads to a happier
community.

I was instrumental in the revitalization of Mickel Park; initiated the creation of Colohatchee Dog Park, spearheaded by community input; and transformed 811 Park and Bark, a previously unused City Pocket Park, into a thriving neighborhood gathering place for
humans and their canine kids. Woof and W**e was also imagined during my tenure. WiltonAt-Play is a large part of what makes our tagline “Life’s Just Better Here” true!

1. Do you believe the current City budget provisions for our Parks and Park Services are adequate? Should the budgeted amount be either increased or decreased? Specifically, what should be increased or decreased?

A: For 2026-2027, I believe that that City Budget provisions for our Parks are adequate. I would encourage City Residents and Park users to help in funding of Park projects through donations to non-profit organizations, including the City, by restricting such donations to Park enhancement projects.

2. Does your response to Question 1 change in the event Florida Property Tax Amendment 3is passed by voters resulting in decreased tax revenues to our City? If need be, what would
you specifically cut in Leisure/Park Services. Please also include any specific cuts in programming in your response.

A: If Florida Property Tax Amendment 3 is passed by Voters, Wilton Manors will need to determine how to re-balance the budget by cutting services and/or increasing revenue to all
departments. While I will defer to the opinions and desires of residents and stakeholders for the ultimate solutions, we will need to look for new efficiencies and establish savings in a
variety of ways. Remember that Amendment 3 represents a tax shift, not a tax decrease. I would prefer to keep programming and services (including the library) at the same level.

I would look for certain efficiencies, not necessarily material but incremental, including but not limited to:
- Reduction of Cell Phone Stipend across all departments;
- Reduction of Mayor and Commission Salaries;
- Reduced maintenance of Park properties and/or more eƯicient scheduling of same;
- Possible increase in per hour parking fees City-wide;
- Potential new user fees, membership fees, and/or possible non-resident fees for pickleball, tennis; beach tennis; gym; and/or classes; and increased facility rental fees.
- Review of staffing to determine any redundancies (which should be ongoing).

3. Do you support, or would you ever vote to sell off any park land in Wilton Manors?

A: No. With the qualified exception of item 4 below.

4. The Colohatchee Park "Extension" waterfront parcel, approximately a half an acre, was bought by the City, and is currently not in use. What are your specific proposals for this
parcel?

A: Green space is critical to the environmental footprint and climate resiliency of our City. The “Extension” Property located adjacent to Colohatchee Park is vacant property whose
original structures were demolished when purchased by the City. The unrealized vision was to create a new access area and parking space for Colohatchee. These parcels remain vacant and idle – far from the highest and best use. Any proposal on my opportunity list for these parcels would include the creation and granting of an agreed upon access easement for the City to the Park, through or as a part of, the “Extension” Parcel, along with certain reasonable parking.As a proponent of affordable and workforce housing, there is an opportunity to sell or lease the parcel to a developer with the caveats that the City be granted an access easement and parking and that several affordable housing units be created. These units can even be
smaller as now allowed by our Code! I would like to see the City be a leader in innovative, affordable housing, including rentals, and this could be a start to that aspiration. Though the
parcels have likely increased in value, they are not being used for the highest and best purpose, and no real property tax income is derived.

5. Would you raise or implement new user fees for the residents of Wilton Manors? For non-residents?

A: Depending on whether Amendment 3 passes, new user fees should be considered. See question 2 above for more elaboration.

6. What is your vision for our Parks and Park Services? Please describe what changes you would make, if any.

A: Wilton Manors is two square miles surrounded by water. Efforts to improve residents’ health, quality of life, and sense of community are paramount when I am elected Mayor. My
family and I spend many hours at our Parks and their preservation and protection are imperative.

“Leadership with Dignity and Respect for All”

09/21/2026

Hello Friends and Fronds,

Just to let you know that the City has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Audubon Society regarding the maintenance of M.E. DePalma park, (The Butterfly Park). "Friends" will help them with the clean up, and plantings on October 4th. We invite you to join us.

So a little history...M.E. DePalma

"A true pioneer of the City of Wilton Manors. In 2004 she led the charge to have Wilton Manors designated as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. She worked with residents and businesses to create spaces which were friendly to native wildlife. M.E. DePalma created the first web site for the City of Wilton Manors and in 2003. The South Florida Business Journal recognized her company as one of the top 25 Design and Development companies in South Florida."

Ms. DePalma passed earlier this year, and her daughter, Pamela has become deeply involved with the Park and her mother's legacy.

Hope to see you on October 4th.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14p6JTepx1j/

Wilton Manors, let’s grow together! 🦋

Join your neighbors for a morning at M.E. DePalma Park as we give a little love back to one of our community’s special green spaces. We’ll be weeding, planting beautiful Florida natives, and creating even more habitat for our butterflies and pollinators. 🌿🌼

📅 October 4 | 8–11 AM
💧 Water + snacks provided
🌱 No green thumb needed — just a little community spirit!

Bring a neighbor, meet a neighbor, and help our little corner of Wilton Manors bloom. 🦋💚

09/19/2026

We have received a response from candidate Manish Kalra. He is a Candidate for City Commissioner. I have already blocked political comments. Please take your issues up with the candidates themselves.

From Manish...

"Our parks are a big part of why we chose Wilton Manors. Many years ago, I still remember sitting in the shade by the mangroves at Richardson Historic Park & Nature Preserve and saying, “Maybe we should move here.” We did. So for me, this is personal: it’s about protecting the places that make our city special.

And - Groups like yours are why our parks are so loved and cared for. So - Thank you !

1. Do you believe the current City budget provisions for our Parks and Park Services are adequate? Should the budgeted amount be either increased or decreased? Specifically, what should be increased or decreased?

I’d be careful calling the funding “adequate.” Leisure Services was budgeted at about $4.6M in FY25, yet the city has no dedicated parks line item, and park fee revenue flows into the General Fund. The General Fund’s transfer for capital improvements also fell from about $3.6M to $0.5M in a single year. That’s how deferred maintenance quietly builds up. I’d push for a dedicated parks budget line and a published list of maintenance and repair needs with costs, so “adequate” becomes something we can measure

2. Does your response to Question 1 change in the event Florida Property Tax Amendment 3 is passed by voters resulting in decreased tax revenues to our City? If need be, what would you specifically cut in Leisure/Park Services. Please also include any specific cuts in programming in your response.

Amendment 3 limits how cities can use property tax revenue to listed categories like public safety and infrastructure, and parks and recreation are not named. The Broward Property Appraiser’s earlier analysis of similar proposals estimated Wilton Manors could lose around 20% of its property tax revenue, and up to $6.25M if non-school homestead taxes are eventually eliminated. Voters will decide the amendment. My job is to make sure the city is ready either way. That means modeling the impact now, using our healthy reserves (currently about double the recommended level) as a bridge, and reviewing costs across every department before touching the programs residents rely on. Cutting park services should be one of the last things we should consider. What the city should be doing now is planning a contingency budget rather than waiting.

3. Do you support, or would you ever vote to sell off any park land in Wilton Manors?

No. And I’d go further than a personal pledge, because pledges only last one term. I’d support a charter amendment requiring voter approval before any park land can be sold. Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood are putting similar protections in front of their voters, and Wilton Manors residents deserve the same guarantee.

4. The Colohatchee Park "Extension" waterfront parcel, approximately a half an acre, was bought by the City, and is currently not in use. What are your specific proposals for this parcel?

The city bought this land in 2019 . It was financed in part through a loan , which we are going to pay till 2030. My proposals :
• Hold a neighbor and park-user workshop
• Protect the waterfront character, with a low-cost interim use such as passive green space, native plantings, or kayak access.
• Apply for a state FRDAP grant (up to $200,000) to fund the final design, so it doesn’t fall entirely on local taxpayers. With proper design, we could rent the place for special events and generate additional revenue too.

5. Would you raise or implement new user fees for the residents of Wilton Manors? For non-residents?

We already charge non-residents substantially more. Tennis and fitness memberships are double, and the dog park is four times the resident rate. That premium is already higher than some neighbors’, like Pompano’s tennis center, so there’s limited room to raise it further. The bigger fix is where the money goes. Today, park fee revenue disappears into the General Fund. I’d dedicate it to park maintenance so users can see their fees at work. For residents, I would not raise fees except as a transparent, last-resort alternative to cutting programs.

6. What is your vision for our Parks and Park Services? Please describe what changes you would make, if any.

Well-kept, welcoming parks shaped by the people who use them, and managed with clear, public results. Listening matters, alongside our staff and groups like yours. But listening works best when paired with measurement. I’d publish a simple quarterly parks dashboard by city hall , covering:

• visits and program participation
• maintenance response times
• the deferred-maintenance backlog in dollars
• grant dollars won
• resident satisfaction

Thank you for your work and dedication. Nature and parks make me happy and I want to do anything I can to protect them."

09/19/2026

Good Morning Friends and Fronds. We received a response to our candidate survey from Scott Newton, Candidate for City Commission. Please, no debates or comments. You can contact the candidate directly with your questions and concerns.

Friends of Wilton Manors Parks Candidate Survey
Scott Newton, Candidate for Wilton Manors City Commission

1. Do you believe the current City budget provisions for our Parks and Park Services are adequate? Should the budgeted amount be increased or decreased? Specifically, what
should be increased or decreased?

Our parks are a big part of what makes Wilton Manors special, and we need to make sure we are taking care of them. My first priorities are basic maintenance, landscaping, tree care, shade,
safety, accessibility, and repairing facilities and equipment when needed. If cuts have to be considered, there will be a lot of discussion with the community before any decisions are made. The people who use our parks and programs should be involved in those decisions.

2. Does your response to Question 1 change if Florida Property Tax Amendment 3 passes and decreases City revenue? If necessary, what would you specifically cut in
Leisure/Park Services, including programming?

If Amendment 3 passes, the City will have some difficult budget decisions to make. I would not start by cutting the programs residents use and depend on. We should first look for savings throughout the entire City budget, including delaying purchases
or projects that are not urgent, reviewing outside consulting expenses, applying for grants, and working with community organizations. I cannot honestly name a specific program I would cut without knowing how much revenue the City would lose and reviewing the full budget. Any proposed cuts should be discussed openly with residents before the Commission makes a decision. Youth, senior, recreation, and community programs should not be treated as easy places to cut.

3. Do you support, or would you ever vote to sell any parkland in Wilton Manors?

No. Wilton Manors is already built out, and once we lose public green space, we are not getting it back. I would not vote to sell our parkland.

4. The Colohatchee Park “Extension” waterfront parcel is currently unused. What are your specific proposals for this parcel?

I would like to see the Colohatchee extension become a small waterfront area residents cactually enjoy. Because it is only about half an acre, I think passive recreation makes the most
sense. That could include native landscaping, shade, benches, and waterfront access. Before moving forward, we need to determine what is possible on the property and hear from
nearby residents and the community. I do not want to see the parcel sit unused forever, but whatever we do should fit the neighborhood and protect the waterfront.

5. Would you raise or implement new user fees for Wilton Manors residents? For non-residents?

I want our parks and recreation programs to remain affordable for Wilton Manors residents. I would not support charging residents simply to use our public parks. Some specialized programs cost money to operate, so reasonable fees may sometimes be
necessary. Those fees should be clear and affordable, with reduced-cost options available when needed. I do support charging non-residents a reasonable amount more for programs and facilities that Wilton Manors taxpayers help pay for.

6. What is your vision for our Parks and Park Services? Please describe any changes you would make.

My vision is pretty simple: clean, safe, well-maintained parks that people of every age can enjoy. We need to stay on top of maintenance, take care of our trees and landscaping, provide more shade where it is needed, keep our facilities accessible, and make repairs before small problems turn into expensive ones.
I also want residents to have a real voice in decisions about their parks. The City should work closely with the Recreation Advisory Board, Friends of Wilton Manors Parks, neighborhood
groups, and the people who use these.

09/17/2026

Hello Friends and Fronds.. we would like to share the response from our survey from Angel Burgos, Candidate for City Commissioner. Please, no debates on this page. You can contact them directly with your comments and concerns.

From Angel,

"Friends and Fronds — thank you for this, and for everything Friends of Wilton Manors Parks does. Getting to watch your group up close over these past months has been one of the real pleasures of this campaign. It's reminded me how much of what makes this city special comes from residents who simply show up and do the work. So before I answer your questions, let me say it plainly: I'm grateful.

1. Are the current budget provisions adequate?

I believe they are. Our parks are in good shape, and I don't see the case right now for either a major increase or a cut. My focus would be on making sure every dollar we already budget is spent well — steady maintenance, no deferred upkeep that costs us more down the road, and priorities set alongside the people who use the parks.

2. Does that change if Amendment 3 passes?

It could. If Amendment 3 passes and the city takes a real revenue hit, we can't pretend it's business as usual — every department, Leisure Services included, would have to be examined. But I won't promise specific cuts today over a vote that hasn't happened yet. What I will say is this: in a tighter budget, volunteer partners like Friends of Wilton Manors Parks become even more important, and I'd look hard at user fees (see Question 5) before I'd cut the programming residents count on.

3. Would you ever vote to sell off park land?

No. Once it's gone, it's gone — and green space is one of the things that makes this island city worth living in.

4. The Colohatchee "Extension" parcel — your proposals?

I'll be honest: I don't yet know this half-acre well enough to hand you a finished plan. Before committing to a use, I'd want to hear from the neighbors closest to it, from the people who use Colohatchee today, and from staff on what's actually feasible on a piece of waterfront that size. My instinct is to protect its waterfront character — but I want to learn before I decide.

5. Would you raise or add user fees — for residents? For non-residents?

For non-residents, yes. I'm open to implementing or raising fees, and I think it's fair: Wilton Manors taxpayers pay for these parks, so it's reasonable for visitors from outside the city to help cover their upkeep. For residents, I'd be far more cautious, and would only consider fees as an alternative to cutting programs — particularly if Amendment 3 tightens our budget.

6. Your vision for our parks?

Simple: well-kept, welcoming parks that reflect what residents want, not what looks good in a plan. As for how I'd get there — my management style is to lead by listening. That means genuine community input from the people who use these spaces, and it means leaning on our staff, who know the day-to-day realities better than anyone. I'm not arriving with a list of changes to impose. I'm arriving to ask good questions and make sure the answers get acted on."