Email: PIO@ocfl.net
Statement from Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings Regarding Mr. Gilzean | December 20, 2024
“The Supervisor of Elections issued a news release today that contained several false statements.
The investigative report from the Orange County Comptroller shows that it is Mr. Gilzean who has broken the law. As I have stated, this is not about partisan politics but right versus wrong and lawful versus unlawful.
Without approval from the County Commission, Mr. Gilzean recklessly misspent more than five million dollars of the people’s money, mostly on scholarships and grants unrelated to the November election and not specified in his budget. Mr. Gilzean also spent over 51% of his budget within the first two months of the fiscal year. It is Mr. Gilzean’s actions that have caused him to be in the position that he is in today.
Mr. Gilzean claims that the court ruled in his favor, which is false. The truth is the court has simply ruled the lawsuit may continue, and the County has until January 7 to respond to his complaint. The fact of the matter is that Mr. Gilzean has not won a victory but, rather, has lost in court during every step in this process so far. In the latest ruling, Judge Luis Calderon wrote the “…Petitioner’s ‘Motion for Reconsideration of the Briefing Schedule in the Alternative Writ of Mandamus’ filed on December 16, 2024, is DENIED.” (See attached order.)
As a result of Mr. Gilzean’s actions, the Board of County Commissioners decided to step in and ensure that his employees are paid during the holiday season because it’s the right thing to do.
Mr. Gilzean’s own comptroller said in a sworn affidavit provided to the court that the Supervisor of Election’s bank accounts have a net cash position of negative $782,479.86. I am certain the public would agree that couldn’t have happened without mismanagement of funds.
If he had focused on the real roles of his office, he would have been able to pay his employees. Instead, the County has had to make paying his employees a priority. Mr. Gilzean’s irresponsible actions have diminished the stature of the Office of the Supervisor of Elections.”
– Jerry L. Demings, Orange County Mayor
About Orange County Government: Orange County Government strives to serve its residents and guests with integrity, honesty, fairness and professionalism. Located in Central Florida, Orange County includes 13 municipalities and is home to world-famous theme parks, one of the nation’s largest convention centers and a thriving life science research park. Seven elected members make up the Board of County Commissioners, including the Mayor, who is elected countywide. For more information, please visit www.OCFL.net or go to Orange County Government’s social media channels.