What the candidate told you vs. what the record says
Police, tap water, your bill. We checked the Oct. 9 event claims against city and state records.
Hi neighbor,
On Oct. 9, a candidate running against Commissioner Victoria Bruce held an event and posted the video. A lot was said about Victoria. So her campaign checked each claim against city records, state records and local news. Here's how the big ones hold up.
He said: Victoria wants to get rid of our police and hand the city to the Sheriff.
The record says: False. Another commissioner asked for that cost comparison on Sept. 28. Victoria said she was skeptical it would save much and warned the city would lose control of its police. There was no motion and no vote.
He said: She doesn't support our officers.
The record says: Not true.
- June 2026: Victoria voted yes on the police pension upgrade so officers can retire with full benefits after 30 years. It passed 4-1.
- She backed the pay plan that raised starting officer pay to $63,000.
- Reported crime has dropped three years in a row, from 860 incidents in 2023 to 698 in 2025.
He said: You wouldn't drink our tap water.
The record says: The city's 2025 water quality report shows no violations. Chlorine averaged 1.53 parts per million, well under the federal limit of 4. And in September, Winter Springs won First Place and People's Choice for Best Tasting Drinking Water in Central Florida in a blind taste test. The "gook" on your faucet is most likely hard water minerals from the aquifer, not chlorine.
He said: Cut your utility bill. He also said: deepen ponds across the city, add reclaimed lines and bring in reverse osmosis.
The record says: Which is it? Your water bill pays for the water system. Property taxes don't. Every one of those projects costs money, and he hasn't said how he'd pay for them. And deeper ponds here just fill with groundwater because our water table sits so close to the surface.
He said: Ethics violations.
The record says: False. The Florida Commission on Ethics has never found a violation. The one complaint on record was dismissed in April 2024.
There's more on the page, including the land developer claim and the tree fee claim, with every source linked.
Early voting starts Monday, Oct. 19, and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. If you watched that video, read the record before you vote.
Paid for and approved by Victoria Bruce, for Winter Springs City Commissioner, District 2.
