The fiscal management of the Orange County elections office has come into question as Comptroller Phil Diamond has unearthed significant spending by the outgoing Supervisor of Elections, Glen Gilzean. According to a report by WFTV, the elections office expended a staggering 22% of its annual budget in just one day, with figures drawn from the office's corresponding bank records.
Diamond's interaction with Gilzean began with a public confrontation, where Diamond sought to uncover the reasons behind the apparent inability of the elections office to meet its obligations despite having had $4 million available just days prior. “We’d like to know why it is that the supervisor had over $4 million just a few days ago, and yet has claimed that he’s not able to pay his bills,” Diamond stated, as per WFTV. A discussion, intended to be held privately, unfolded in the public eye with Gilzean insisting, “We’re going to stay right here in public so that way everyone can hear exactly what you have to say.”
Audit revelations disclosed that $4.3 million was depleted across 224 checks written over the weekend by Gilzean's office. This substantial spending spree has left the office in a precarious financial position, unable to cover payroll without additional funds from Orange County. Commissioners suspended this request during Diamond's investigation. Gilzean defended the disbursements, saying the checks paid vendors for the November election services and calling the withholding of funds "unthinkable."
Furthermore, a piece by WESH quoted Diamond as criticizing Gilzean for "Essentially draining his bank account," highlighting Gilzean's allocation of funds toward a controversial scholarship program rather than prioritizing employee salaries. “He paid these checks while knowing full well that he is required to meet his employees' approximately $250,000 payroll this week," Diamond said. "Sadly, he irresponsibly chose not to prioritize his employees." Regarding the legality of the spending, Diamond pointed out that Gilzean exceeded state-mandated boundaries, as he is limited to spending 1/12 of his monthly annual budget.
Gilzean's response to the comptroller's allegations included concerns about the withholding of the $950,000 December payment, which he referred to as illegal, and referred to Diamond's inquest as a "witch hunt." Defending the necessity of his spending, Gilzean said, per WFTV, “It’s unfortunate that he’s actually our comptroller and giving information that’s not accurate.” Amid this fiscal fray, Christopher Heath, the chief elections administrator, delineated that the expenses stem from the office's operations budget, differentiating it from the personnel budget, which is non-adjustable by the office.
Mayor Jerry Demings weighed in, highlighting that Gilzean had been uncooperative with the county's auditing attempts but acknowledged that the county had received financial documentation from Gilzean before issuing a third request. With the standoff ongoing, the future solvency of the Orange County elections office remains uncertain, both for the staff and for the vendors awaiting their payment from the office's rapidly diminishing coffers.
