Orange County commissioners engaged in an extraordinary public discussion on Tuesday regarding $4 million in county taxpayer funds that interim Election Supervisor Glen Gilzean had allocated to Valencia College and CareerSource Central Florida. This decision has sparked a raging controversy and left the commissioners uncertain about how to retrieve the funds.
"The Battle for Orange County Taxpayer Funds"
Commissioner's Stance on Recovering Funds
Mayor Jerry Demings and the board tossed around various ideas on how to reclaim the money that has been at the center of the dispute for about ten days. They considered suing or asking the college and job training agency to return the funds. They also thought about asking Gilzean to retrieve it. Commissioner Mike Scott emphasized, "The onus seems to be on the Supervisor to do the right thing. We need to find a remedy that doesn't involve a lot of back-and-forth and legal fees." Fellow commissioner Maribel Gomez-Cordero added, "Perhaps tomorrow Gilzean will realize his mistake and return the money. It's a possibility we can't ignore."However, it seems unlikely that Gilzean will act promptly. When asked about his reaction to the board's discussion, Elections Office spokesman Christopher Heath replied by email on Wednesday, "As we understand, the county is still considering litigation, so we cannot comment."Gilzean's Defense and County Attorney's View
In a statement to the Orlando Sentinel on Monday, Gilzean defended his decision to use what he called cost savings in his office to fund "two innovative programs central to the mission of this office to increase voter outreach and provide college education to low-income students across Orange County Schools." But County Attorney Jeff Newton firmly stated that Gilzean had spent his election funds unlawfully. He said his office's litigators were eager to take legal action. "It's unfortunate that a constitutional officer has engaged in this inappropriate behavior that doesn't comply with Florida statutes or case law," Newton said. Newton also mentioned that the county won't have to hire outside lawyers as he will handle the case himself.The board consensus, as expressed during the meeting, is that Gilzean had inappropriately repurposed funds from the elections office's fiscal year 2023-24 budget. He established a scholarship program at Valencia College for high school students from low-income communities and funded a job-retraining program for poll workers at CareerSource. Constitutional officers like the elections supervisor typically return unused taxpayer funds to county coffers for reallocation. If they want to spend the funds on unapproved programs, they need to seek permission from the county board, which Gilzean did not do.Commissioner Christine Moore offered a mild defense of Gilzean, who was appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to replace longtime Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles, who retired in January. "We shouldn't keep criticizing him. He was trying to serve a purpose with the vote program and scholarships. It was just outside the scope of his job. He didn't follow the proper procedures, but I hope we can get the money back," Moore said.But Demings, who has been on the receiving end of Gilzean's attacks, showed no sympathy. "I don't appreciate individuals who double down and attack my character. I see Gilzean making excuses. To me, excuses are signs of incompetence," Demings said.The 90-minute discussion marked the end of an 11-hour board meeting. Gilzean did not attend the meeting, but before the discussion, he messaged Demings on X, saying, "@OCFLMayor let's talk. These kids and their future is too important!" Commissioner Emily Bonilla joined Moore in urging the mayor to meet with Gilzean and find a solution. The mayor rejected the idea, stating, "It's too late for that."Karen Castor Dentel, who is set to be sworn in as the newly elected elections chief on Jan. 7, expressed hope in an email on Wednesday that the "misappropriation of $4 million in taxpayer funds" will be resolved soon. "If a satisfactory resolution is not reached, I am prepared to work with my legal counsel from the start of my administration to ensure those dollars are returned to the taxpayers of Orange County. As the incoming Supervisor of Elections, I am committed to running a transparent elections office and being a responsible steward of taxpayer funds. I look forward to building a strong and collaborative relationship with the Mayor, County Commission, and all stakeholders in Orange County."