Windermere homeowners carry community's tax burden, dominate top taxpayers' list

In what may be a downside to living in high-end Windermere, residents pay virtually all of the taxes for their community, according to property assessments reviewed by GrowthSpotter.

Windermere has very few commercial enterprises to carry the load, which is the case in other Orange County communities and provides huge breaks to residents at tax time. In Windermere, the burden largely falls to residents because the value of their taxable assets is so high and offsetting business property owners are so low.

Whether Windermere is doing anything to mitigate the situation, perhaps by trying to add businesses, could not be ascertained. Mayor Gary Bruhn and Town Manager Robert Smith did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Windermere does have the Orlando Utilities Commission going for it, having $5.6 million in taxable assets last year, which made it the community's top taxpayer, according to the Orange County Property Appraiser Office.

Property owner Cynthia Patz was No. 2 last year, with $4.1 million in taxable assets; while Mikhail Antonovis, president of Luntz Point Properties, was third, at $3.6 million.

Anthony Palmawas was fourth, at $3.5 million; Hugh O'Shaughnessy was fifth, at $3.1 million in taxable assets; and Progress Energy, was sixth at $3 million.

James Keown Jr. was seventh, with $2.8 million; Robert Murray Russell followed last year, with $2.6 million; while William Kitchen was ninth, at $2.5 million. Noted mathematician George Woltman was tenth, at $2.5 million.

Windermere is also the site of some of Orange County's biggest homesteads. In fact, the 46,886 gross square foot parcel listed in 2015 as being owned by Jeffrey B. and Christine Gelman at 9508 Windy Ridge Rd. in Windermere is viewed by the property appraiser as the largest residential property in Orange County.

At 42,134 gross square feet, the 9472 Blanche Cove Dr. home of professional basketball player Vince Lamar Carter ranked second.

The 39,036 gross square feet at 9601 Chase Rd., home of Bettie Whitaker, former wife of time share mogul David A. Siegel, is listed as the third largest homestead.

At 37,755 gross square feet, the 9912 Lake Louise Dr. home of Richard Ullman rated fourth.

Shaquille O'Neal's 35,335 gross square foot home at 9927 Giffin Ct., in the name of the Chexy Trust, was listed as fifth.

The 34,284 gross square feet home of former baseball great Ken Griffey and Melissa Griffey at 5603 Marleon Dr. ranked sixth.

At 34,104 gross square feet, the 9766 Green Island owned by time share titan Siegel and Jacqueline Siegel was seventh.

The 32,560 gross square foot 12326 Park Ave. home of Raju and Padma Mantena was eighth.

At 32,206 gross square feet, the 9800 Walzer Ct. home under the name Richard E. Workman 2001 Trust, was ninth.

The 31,907 gross square foot 10216 Penney Lane Dr. abode of Geoffrey and Grace Stewart was listed as tenth.