WINTER PARK, Fla. — A Winter Park commissioner accepted five Orlando Magic tickets before voting on a proposed synagogue and residential development, according to records obtained by Channel 9.
Text messages show Commissioner Elizabeth Ingram thanked Chabad of Greater Orlando for the game invitation and offered to meet about the synagogue proposal.
“We had a great time at the Magic game thanks again. I would be happy to meet with you to discuss the synagogue,” Ingram wrote.
The messages also included feedback on building designs and arrangements for a meeting.
Proposal could displace residents
Chabad of Greater Orlando is seeking approval to redevelop the El Cortez Apartments property with a synagogue and five townhomes. City records show plans also include using the facility for prayer services and a daycare.
The congregation has been without a permanent place of worship since a 2024 fire.
A possible final vote on the proposal is expected next week.
Resident Joel Greenfield said the prospect of losing his home has left him anxious. He described a neighborhood where his son enjoys playing at the playground.
“It’s a letdown. It’s concerning,” Greenfield said.
At a public meeting, Chabad representative Sholom Dubov described the proposed facility as a place where people in the local community could learn and participate.
Commissioner disclosed tickets after city learned of gift
Section 1.03 of Winter Park’s Code of Ethics for City Officers prohibits commissioners and their relatives from soliciting or accepting gifts from anyone who does business or is known to be seeking business with the city. The provision does not list a dollar threshold or a friendship exception.
Separately, Florida’s gift-reporting law, Section 112.3148(7)(h), provides that admission tickets are valued at face value or on a daily or per-event basis, whichever is greater.
Ingram acknowledged receiving the five tickets in a disclosure filed with the Florida Commission on Ethics.
A city spokesperson said Ingram disclosed the gift last week after city officials learned about the tickets and consulted the city attorney.
The records described do not establish that the tickets influenced her vote or that an ethics violation has been formally determined.
Ingram says tickets were unrelated to commission decisions
In a written response to Channel 9, Ingram said her family attended an Orlando Magic game using complimentary tickets provided through a friend.
“There was never any expectation or understanding that these tickets were connected to my responsibilities or decisions as a Commissioner,” she wrote.
Ingram said that, at the filing deadline, she did not believe the gift’s value exceeded $100 because her friend had received the tickets for free.
“However, upon recommendation of the City Attorney and in the interest of full disclosure, I filed the Form 9 even though I do not know the actual face value of the tickets received,” she wrote.
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