A Platform Built for Minneola
Seven pillars. One purpose. Minneola First.
Every position on this platform begins with one question: Is this good for the people of Minneola? That is the standard. That is the promise.
Minneola is one of Florida’s fastest-growing cities — and that growth is both an opportunity and a responsibility. The decisions being made right now about roads, development, city services, natural spaces, and community investment will shape Minneola for the next generation.
Nate Edmund’s platform is built on seven interconnected pillars. Each one reinforces the others. Together they represent a complete, honest, and forward-looking vision for what Minneola can become when its city government leads with integrity, transparency, and genuine community purpose.
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Pillar 1 — Responsible Growth
Development agreements must mean what they say. Infrastructure must be funded and ready before new homes open — not years after families are already living there.
- Enforce development agreements — promises made to residents at approval must be kept at completion
- Infrastructure before rooftops — roads, fire service, water, parks, and city services funded before developments open
- Traffic studies conducted during school months — not summer — for accurate real-world data
- Developer-funded road improvements as non-negotiable conditions of approval
- Hills Town Center walkable vision — hold the line on the original 18,000 sq ft cap and locally-owned business design
- No more bait and switch — residents deserve the city they were sold when they bought their homes
- Honest public hearings — genuine resident input before decisions are made, not after
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Pillar 2 — Nature Preservation and Open Space
Minneola’s lakes, trails, hills, and tree canopy are not just beautiful — they are the community’s most valuable economic and quality-of-life assets. Protecting them is not opposed to growth. It is what makes growth worth having.
- Conservation Overlay Districts — permanently protect Minneola’s most environmentally sensitive areas
- Green Corridor Plan — connect trails, lakes, and green spaces into a unified community network
- Tree Canopy Preservation Ordinance — meaningful canopy replacement required in all new development
- Dark Sky Policy — preserve Minneola’s natural night environment through dark-sky-friendly lighting standards
- Lake buffer zones — clean lakes protect property values, public health, and quality of life
- Smart trail infrastructure — digital trail maps, safety features, and solar-powered amenities
- Conservation and development can coexist — when planned with intention and integrity
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Pillar 3 — Efficient and Responsive Government
Residents who show up to City Hall deserve to be heard and to receive a real answer. Government that works for residents — not the other way around.
- Monthly Seat 5 Listening Sessions — standing open meetings where any resident can speak directly with their representative
- Plain-English decision reporting — clear explanations of every major vote within 48 hours
- No fiscal shell games — the city will not reduce taxes with one hand and raise fees with the other
- Development agreements enforced — city commitments to residents are not optional
- Minneola Civic Academy — public education on how city government works, open to all residents
- Resident Expertise Registry — connect Minneola’s professional residents to advisory roles
- Annual State of the City report — honest, resident-facing, publicly available
- Strategic multi-year financial planning — no more reacting to crises that should have been anticipated
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Pillar 4 — Infrastructure and Mobility
Roads, pedestrian safety, and city services that keep pace with Minneola’s growth — planned ahead, not patched after the fact.
- Hancock Road pedestrian crossing at Lake Minneola High School — 2,281 students deserve a safe crossing immediately
- Education Avenue car line redesign at Minneola Charter — end dangerous overflow parking on grass
- Grassy Lake Road car line redesign at Grassy Lake Elementary — 1,335 students deserve safe arrival and dismissal
- Safe Routes to School federal funding — pursue dedicated funding requiring no local tax increase
- Regional county collaboration — build and maintain working relationships regardless of political dynamics
- Road improvement as a condition of development approval — not a future promise
- Third fire station completion on schedule — funded ahead of demand, not reactively
- Sidewalks, trails, and pedestrian-safe corridors built into every development approval
- Residential parking policy — protect neighborhood character as the city grows
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Pillar 5 — Economic Opportunity
73.8% of Minneola workers leave the city every day for work — spending 226 hours per year commuting. The goal is a Minneola where residents can work, shop, dine, and gather close to home.
- Partner with LEAD Partnership (leadinglake.com) to recruit quality employers in healthcare technology and professional services
- Hills Town Center as economic development — locally-owned restaurants, boutique retail, professional services, gathering spaces
- South Lake Chamber of Commerce partnership — attract entrepreneurs and small business owners
- Small business support program — streamlined permitting and reduced barriers for locally-owned businesses
- Co-working hub in the town center — serve Minneola’s 16.2% remote workforce
- Workforce pipeline with Lake-Sumter State College and Lake County Schools
- Apprenticeship programs with AdventHealth and local technology employers
- Economic development that serves residents — not just the tax base
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Pillar 6 — Parks, Families, and Community Life
A family-oriented community does not happen by accident. It requires intentional investment in the spaces, programs, and policies that support family life at every stage.
- Parks within walking distance of every Minneola neighborhood
- City-supported youth sports leagues — affordable and accessible to all income levels
- Performing arts and creative programming for all ages and abilities
- Community events calendar — regular opportunities for neighbors to become friends
- Locally-owned childcare options — the most significant quality-of-life gap for young families
- Youth employment program — Minneola teens gain work experience locally
- Senior programming — connecting Del Webb, Esplanade, and all senior residents to community life
- Accessible parks, sidewalks, and facilities — full participation for residents with disabilities
- Minneola Youth Council — high school students with a formal voice in city decisions
- Minneola Young Leaders Program — civic development for residents ages 22-35
- Minneola Civic Academy — open to every resident who wants to understand their city government
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Pillar 7 — Regional Collaboration
Minneola’s future is connected to the broader Central Florida story. A city council representative with regional relationships and partnerships is a council member who can actually deliver results.
- Active working relationship with Lake County Commission — regardless of political dynamics
- LEAD Partnership collaboration — connect Minneola to Lake County’s economic development resources
- Leadership Lake County partnership — develop civic leaders rooted in the Lake County community
- Safe Routes to School federal funding pursuit — requires state and federal partnerships
- Hancock Road improvements — requires FDOT and county collaboration to deliver
- South Lake Chamber partnership — regional business community engagement
- AdventHealth regional healthcare network — build on the existing anchor investment
- Advocate for Minneola’s voice in regional transportation, infrastructure, and economic planning decisions
The Fiscal Principle That Guides Every Decision
Minneola currently maintains a millage rate of 5.6 — significantly below the rollback rate of 6.9558. That is real money back in residents’ pockets — potentially $500 to $800 per year for a typical Minneola family.
That money represents a child’s soccer registration. A family’s date night. A home improvement project. A contribution to a college fund.
Nate’s commitment: that savings must stay in residents’ pockets — not get quietly transferred back through higher utility fees, city service charges, and infrastructure costs driven by poorly planned policy decisions.
“Government should not reduce taxes with one hand and increase fees with the other. That is not fiscal discipline. That is a fiscal shell game. Residents have earned the right to decide where their money goes.”
— Nate Edmund
Help Shape Minneola’s Future
These seven pillars are the foundation of Nate’s vision for Minneola. But a complete governing vision should be shaped by the community it serves — not handed down from a candidate.
Nate is developing the Minneola 2035 Vision — a comprehensive ten-year framework built on these seven pillars. Before finalizing it, he wants to hear from residents, community leaders, and neighbors across Minneola.
What matters most to you? What should come first? What is working — and what needs to change?
Take three minutes and share your input. Every response shapes what Minneola becomes.
Ready to Support Minneola First?
These are not just positions. They are commitments — backed by research, grounded in community, and guided by the honest belief that Minneola deserves better.
On November 3, 2026 — Nate Edmund is asking for your vote for Minneola City Council Seat 5.