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Seminole County asks Oviedo to help close $50 million gap for Seminole Connector project
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Summary
County and Central Florida Expressway Authority officials told the Oviedo City Council the proposed Seminole Connector would cost about $200 million, with CFX covering roughly $150 million and a $50 million local gap remaining; county staff asked four nearby cities to consider contributing from a newly authorized 5¢ local gas tax, but the council asked for more detail and did not reach consensus to join an interlocal agreement.
Seminole County officials and representatives of the Central Florida Expressway Authority on Tuesday asked the Oviedo City Council to consider joining an interlocal agreement that would contribute a share of a newly authorized 5¢ local-option gas tax to help close a $50 million funding gap for the Seminole Connector.
The request came during a presentation by Darren Gray, Seminole County manager, and Will Hawthorne, director of transportation planning and policy for the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX). Hawthorne summarized the project’s technical findings and costs, saying, “The project totals around $200,000,000.” Gray described the county’s ask: CFX would fund roughly $150 million, the county has committed $25 million, and the remaining $50 million is the gap the county expects regional partners to help fill.
“By doing this you’ll have a very direct connection to the 417 and to this part of the county,” Gray said, framing the Connector as part of a broader effort to grow sports-driven tourism and hotel demand. County staff argued the corridor would relieve local congestion and support an indoor sports complex expected to generate hotel room nights and visitor spending.
Council members pressed presenters on financing mechanics and who would pay. CFX staff explained the agency typically issues bonds backed systemwide by toll revenues and that tolling a single short spur does not by itself generate enough revenue to cover all costs. “We look at a bondable period of time — typically 30 or 40 years — and that revenue supports the bonds,” Hawthorne said, noting CFX’s financing model relies on the broader expressway network.
Officials provided preliminary, formula-driven estimates for ten-year contributions based on the state Department of Revenue’s distribution method: Sanford ~$11,700,000; Lake Mary ~$1,500,000; Winter Springs ~$2,600,000; Oviedo ~$3,800,000. Presenters also discussed other potential funding sources including airport incentive funds, grants and mobility fees that could reduce each city’s share if secured.
Several councilors said they were concerned residents would help pay for a project they might not frequently use and cited local mobility needs and costs (for example, dispatch) they would prefer to fund locally. One councilor asked whether Volusia County had been approached; staff said it had not and that the four cities were chosen because they are directly connected to the corridor.
By the end of the discussion the council did not reach consensus to approve an interlocal resolution. Council members asked staff to provide more detailed, itemized analyses of short- and long-term fiscal impacts, alternative funding scenarios, and exact procedural steps needed for the city to participate. County staff said they hoped to have interlocal agreements in place by the Department of Revenue deadline to make the additional gas-tax proceeds effective January 2027.
What happens next: Oviedo staff will follow up with county representatives seeking more detailed fiscal analyses and potential offsets; the four cities’ councils will consider the interlocal agreement individually at upcoming meetings, and the County hopes to advertise design work for the Connector on May 11 and move the project into design later this year.
