Survey seeks resident input on budget
LARGO — City officials are asking residents to weigh in on proposed spending as Largo prepares its 2026-27 budget.
The property tax and millage rate survey is open through Aug. 27. Results will be presented at the first public hearing on the budget, set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, at a City Commission meeting.
The survey is at largo.com/budget. Residents who need help taking it can email connect@largo.com or call 727-587-6740, ext. 7630.
Cypress Palms director named state’s top assisted living administrator
LARGO — Melissa Wojewnik, executive director of the Cypress Palms assisted living community in Largo, has been named the Florida Health Care Association’s 2026 Assisted Living Facility Administrator of the Year.
Wojewnik began her career as a frontline caregiver and advanced through roles in life enrichment and assistant administration before becoming executive director.
“Melissa’s path from caregiver to executive director gives her a rare, ground-level understanding of what residents and staff truly need,” said Emmett Reed, chief executive officer of the association. “Her leadership has transformed Cypress Palms, and her commitment to the broader community reflects the very best of what our profession stands for.”
Over the past four years, Wojewnik has helped streamline operations and strengthen staff performance, the association said. Cypress Palms has since passed state inspections without a single citation and posted its strongest occupancy and budget performance in more than a decade, and it earned a Bronze Quality Award from the American Health Care Association.
Wojewnik is also involved with CARES dementia training, the Alzheimer’s Association, the League of Women Voters, the SPARK Initiative and the association’s public relations committee.
Commission celebrates Citizen Campers, team members
LARGO — The City Commission recognized four summer campers and five city employees at its Aug. 4 meeting.
Brittany Schug, the city’s children’s program manager, introduced each camper and read the nominations. The campers, chosen from the Recreation, Parks & Arts Department’s summer programs, were Stephan Petrov and Emmersyn Sing of Cool Kids Camp at Highland, and Olivia Chapman and Novelynn Brewer of Kid City Camp at Southwest.
Commissioners also named the city’s employees of the quarter:
• Mitchell Boling, a firefighter and emergency medical technician, who after treating a woman who had fallen put away her groceries, restocked her refrigerator, fed her dog, took out her trash and cleared obstacles from her home so she could move safely with her walker.
• Tasha Wordie, a library assistant, who planned and led the Romantically Ever After Library Lit Fest. Although registration was optional, 1,374 people signed up in advance and attendance topped 1,500, according to her nomination.
• Jodie White, a housing finance specialist, who in less than two months arranged about $550,000 in housing program awards funded by state and federal grants. She visited clients at home when they had limited computer access or mobility and tracked cases with down payment providers so purchases could close on time.
• Samantha Kabrich, a housing construction specialist, who in a little over a year with the city raised standards for contractors in the housing program and recruited more of them to take part.
Norm Shaw, a construction manager, was named manager of the quarter. He oversees more than a dozen capital improvement projects and emergency repairs, including roadway, stormwater and wastewater work, and helped organize the city’s annual Bike & Roll to School Day.
Largo medical office building sells for $3.4 million
LARGO — A 20,000-square-foot, two-story medical office building at 2700 East Bay Drive has sold for $3.4 million.
Pat Calhoon and Kevin Platt of Smith & Associates Commercial represented the seller. The property sold in about 45 days at a 7% capitalization rate while 72% occupied, with about 5,220 square feet available for lease.
The building sits on a 200-by-200-foot site outside a flood zone, with 72 parking spaces, on a stretch of East Bay Drive, or State Road 686, that carries about 60,000 vehicles a day. Tenants include several dental practices along with other medical and professional offices. Recent improvements include a TPO roof installed in 2021 and newer heating and air conditioning systems.