Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan is campaigning to serve for her 7th term, having been first elected to the City Council in 2000. The longtime incumbent says her experience is a strength for District 4 and the City of Orlando, and she has plenty of reasons and drive to continue fighting as the senior member of the City Council.
“I take my job seriously and know that I have to earn the support of the residents of District 4 in every single election,” Commissioner Sheehan told West Orlando News. “My knowledge of the departments and inner workings of City Hall allows me to help my constituents get the service they need.”
Commissioner Sheehan also identified the top issue for Orlando as affordable housing. She not only wants the city to take action, she’s been actively working on potential solutions.
“We need an ordinance that codifies the density bonus percentages for affordable housing,” Commissioner Sheehan said. “I am currently working with staff on this. We can’t continue to add the requirements to developments and hope the developers do the right thing. We need inspections and follow up to make sure the units remain affordable.”
She also said District 4 residents are concerned about downtown crime spilling over into neighborhoods. She told West Orlando News she is closely monitoring stats and working with specialized units to combat crime and graffiti.
One of her current opponents is campaigning on term limits for Orlando Mayor and Commissioners, but Sheehan doesn’t agree after serving more than two decades and points to the Florida legislature as a warning. “It seems political life is the only career where you are attacked for longevity,” she said. “Term limits have brought us the worst legislature and leadership in the nation.”
The Republican legislature in Florida is also a reason the Orlando Commissioner wants to continue fighting in politics. “I want to continue my advocacy for the LGBTQ community to combat the awful legislation coming out of Tallahassee,” Commissioner Sheehan told West Orlando News. “I have been meeting with local activists, businesses, and city staff to strategize on the best way to fight back legally. What the Governor and legislature is doing to the LGBTQ community is simply unconstitutional.”
Commissioner Sheehan is proud of her local leadership after one of the worst mass shootings in American history. She was the first openly gay elected official in Central Florida, and continues to support the LGBT community during challenging and restrictive legislation directed at marginalized communities.
While the incumbent lists several local accomplishments, Commissioner Sheehan said she is most proud of adding three acres to Lake Eola Park and saving Constitution Green by working with the Trust for Public Land and Orlando Land Trust. She also said she also worked tirelessly during the COVID pandemic to provide testing and vaccination sites for residents.
“I am proud of my public service,” Commissioner Sheehan added. “My neighborhood folks want me to keep serving, and I love what I do. Being a senior and respected member of the City Council allows me to help my colleagues.”
Commissioner Sheehan represents Colonialtown North and South, Dover Shores West, Lake Como, Lake Davis/Greenwood, the Lake Lawsona Historic Neighborhood Association, South Eola, The Lake Eola Heights Historic Neighborhood Association, Lake Cherokee, Lake Copeland, Albert Shores, Hampton Park, Lake Holden Terrace, Millenia, Wadeview and Delaney Park, Downtown, Thornton Park, Wedgewood Groves and Conway, Pineloch, Lancaster Park, Southern Oaks, Lake Terrace, Bel Air, Lake Weldona ,Brandy Harbor, Milk District neighborhood, and most of the historic districts. Also included are the Central Business District, South Orange and Division commercial areas, as well as Mills 50, Thornton Park, SoDo, Curry Ford West, and Milk District Mainstreets.
Commissioner Sheehan is a proponent of the arts and culture in Orlando, and exhibits her “Bad Kitty” paintings as well as ceramics and stained glass at area art shows. She is also an urban agriculture advocate, and championed community gardens and urban chickens. She lives in her 1928 bungalow with her rescue dog Sienna, a diva kitty named Nina Simone, a flock of urban chickens, and a goldfish.
The general election for Orlando Mayor and City Commissioner (Districts 4 & 6) is November 7, 2023, with early voting from October 28th – November 5th.
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