The Nov. 3 contest for Seminole County Commission District 4 will help determine how the county responds to competing budget pressures. Republican incumbent Amy Lockhart is seeking a third four-year term; Democrat Charline Santos, a first-time candidate from Lake Mary, is challenging her. Commissioners are elected countywide but must live in their districts, which include parts of Sanford, Lake Mary, Longwood and Casselberry.
Tax revenue and large projects
The candidates differ over Amendment 3, which would increase the homestead exemption. The Orlando Sentinel reported that the measure is expected to reduce Seminole property-tax revenue by $119 million over two years. WESH reported the county’s estimate as about $119 million in recurring revenue if the measure is fully implemented, and said the county manager asked departments to assess the effects of a permanent 20% funding reduction. Officials have warned that public safety, parks, libraries and road work could be affected, according to WESH.
Lockhart told the Orlando Sentinel that a successful measure could force major reductions to Lynx and SCOUT transit service. Santos opposes Amendment 3 and is concerned that residents could face added fees while local officials lose discretion over spending.
The county is also advancing plans for an indoor sports complex that could cost as much as $175 million and a $160 million administration building at the Five Points complex. The Orlando Sentinel reported that penny sales-tax revenue is planned to help pay for both projects. Seminole County has separately described moving the sports complex into its next planning phase; the county spent more than $1 million in 2025 replacing the current administration building’s heating and cooling systems, according to the Sentinel. Seminole County’s project update outlines the proposed complex.
Transit costs and service coverage
Seminole has replaced most Lynx routes with SCOUT, an on-demand micro-transit service. The Orlando Sentinel reported that the county paid Lynx nearly $13.5 million in fiscal year 2025, compared with $8.7 million in 2020. Costs were projected to approach $30 million by 2030 if the county had continued with Lynx, according to estimates provided to Seminole. For fiscal year 2027, the county budgeted $11.7 million for remaining Lynx routes and $6.3 million for SCOUT; the Sentinel reported that continuing with the prior arrangement would have cost nearly $24 million.
Lockhart, who spearheaded the change, argues that SCOUT provides service at a lower cost, while acknowledging it can be improved, the Sentinel reported. The outlet also reported that riders experienced waits of more than an hour after the service began in January 2026, followed by shorter waits as more vans were added. Santos says the current system does not provide a full transit option for residents who need to travel beyond Seminole’s urban areas, including people in rural Geneva or those going to Orange County.
Candidates’ other priorities
Lockhart has proposed a bipartisan panel involving insurance experts, insurers, residents and local and state legislators to consider ways to address homeowners’ insurance costs. She has also called for completing a community center in East Altamonte, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Santos has highlighted housing affordability and the number of homeless children in Seminole County Public Schools, as well as calling for slower growth along urban corridors near Lake Mary, Sanford, Casselberry and Winter Springs, according to Oviedo Community News and the Sentinel.
Lockhart, 51, joined the commission in 2018 after about six years on the Seminole County School Board and was reelected in 2022. She is the commission’s vice chair and chaired it in 2023, according to Headline Surfer. Santos works as a corporate brand strategist, previously worked as a realtor and chaired the Seminole County Democratic Party’s diversity committee, according to Oviedo Community News. All five current commissioners are Republicans, the outlet reported.
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma has endorsed Lockhart’s reelection bid, according to Headline Surfer. The county’s budget has been described as $1.2 billion by Oviedo Community News and approximately $1.3 billion by WESH.
