OVIEDO, Fla. – Did the city of Oviedo send letters that showed up in Oviedo residents’ mailboxes about switching to solar energy?
The mailer, printed with Oviedo’s city logo and City Hall address in the top left corner, notified residents: “The City of Oviedo and nonprofit Solar United Neighbors are partnering to bring you Switch Together: A group buying program for solar installations.”
[See the letter below]
But City Hall didn’t send it. And Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladek has since accused the organization of impersonating the City.
Sladek posted on her Facebook page: “No, the City of Oviedo did not send this. No tax dollars were used to send it. While council did agree to bless their effort, we do not take a position that you should swap to solar.”
She continued: “I wish they had asked before blatantly impersonating the city. This was a surprise.”
But Sladek added a footnote: “Turns out, Council technically did give them permission to use the City’s logo.”
At the July 21 city council meeting, Oviedo City Manager Bryan Cobb explained to the councilmembers and Sladek who attended the meeting via telephone, what Resolution No. 4626-25 “Support for 2025 Seminole County Solar Co-Op” was all about when it went before the council.
“It organizes joint buying, I guess you might say, collaborative buying,” Cobb told the council. “To get a better price for solar projects for homeowners in the county.”
Cobb explained there was “no financial commitment on the city, it’s just they’re asking for the city’s support.”
The lone speaker on Resolution No. 4626-25, Megan McCollum, further explained the resolution to councilmembers.
“I’m here to ask for your support of Resolution number 4626-25, affirming Oviedo’s support of Switch Together, which is version 2.0 of the Seminole County Solar Co-Op, organized by Solar United Neighbors,” McCollum told councilmembers. “This vendor-neutral nonprofit has a stellar record of empowering homeowners with expertly-vetted installers and unbiased education. When Oviedo joins, residents will receive a mailer featuring the city logo signaling support and encouraging engagement. Joining is 100% free. There’s no financial obligation to the city or residents.”
Councilmembers received a meeting agenda including specifics on the resolution and a detailed packet from Switch Together.
The packet included a “Florida Success” page:
- 2.5 campaigns since 2024
- +1,400 registrations in Central Florida and 117 contracts signed
- ~900 registrations in the Gulf Coast
- 46 contracts signed
“Roles and Responsibilities” of the city of Oviedo:
- Review & approve communication materials and plan
- Approve logo use
And a “Logo Use” page with a sample of the mailer showing Tampa’s City logo in the top left corner next to the address of Tampa City Hall. The sample mailer looked almost identical to the mailer Oviedo residents received.
[View Tampa mailer below]
After brief discussion, the council voted unanimously to approve the resolution that requested “City Council to express its support for the Seminole County Solar Co-op and encourage Oviedo homeowners to participate.”
City of Oviedo spokesperson Lisa McDonald confirmed the solar mailer was “reviewed and approved for use on July 28, 2025” by City staff.
The mayor’s Facebook post generated more than 100 comments, echoing her surprise.
“I find it false advertising that they slapped the city logo on it,” one person wrote.
“I assume you will all be sure this doesn’t happen again with City of Oviedo shown as the sender,” another wrote.
And the mailer, and the post, generated questions like, “What does this mean for us?”
Sladek replied: “Nothing. Just ignore it if you don’t want solar.”
[See the Oviedo city mini packet on Switch Together resolution]