ORLANDO, Fla. – Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings criticized outgoing Supervisor of Elections Glen Gilzean on Tuesday, accusing him of being “manipulative” in handling surplus funds.
Demings has instructed county attorneys to explore legal options, including potential litigation, over two controversial scholarship programs established by Gilzean.
“As a result of this conversation, he might move in a certain direction,” Demings said. “If he does not, then we know that we have to look at other alternatives.”
The mayor confirmed he has no plans to meet with Gilzean, instead leaving the matter to the county’s legal team.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
“When we say litigation, that’s just one option that we have to get the results we are looking for, and that’s the return of the money,” Demings said. “If we could avoid that, certainly we will avoid that.”
At the center of the controversy are two scholarship programs created by Gilzean using surplus funds. This includes $2.1 million allocated to Valencia College and $1.9 million designated for CareerSource Central Florida.
In a statement released Monday, Gilzean defended the programs.
“Orange County residents should be concerned, disappointed, and offended that the mayor wants to waste hundreds of thousands of tax dollars on attorneys and legal fees to deny low-income students the opportunity to improve their lives,” Gilzean said. “Our office acted well within the law to establish these scholarships.”
Demings disputed the legality of Gilzean’s actions, arguing they represent a misuse of public funds.
“There has never been a Constitutional officer in Orange County that has reallocated money in the manner Mr. Gilzean has done,” Demings said.
According to Demings, Gilzean had requested additional funding for elections in July, but the commission denied the request.
“When they come in here and advocate for certain funding amounts, we have to hold them accountable to that,” Demings said.
Several county commissioners expressed hope that the incoming Supervisor of Elections, set to take office in January, will terminate the scholarships. However, they acknowledged that litigation could take months.
As of Tuesday, no lawsuit has been filed.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: