In the ongoing financial skirmish within Orange County, officials have slammed the brakes on funding for Supervisor of Elections Glen Gilzean's office amidst an uproar over financial transparency and alleged misallocations. According to WFTV, the county's Board of County Commissioners moved last night after Gilzean purportedly refused to turn over bank statements detailing the use of $9.5 million provided since October.
At the heart of this budgetary blockade is a $2.1 million windfall from election funds, which Gilzean allocated toward scholarships at Valencia College. Making the act seem like a gesture of defiance against Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, who had branded the transaction "inappropriate," Gilzean touted these scholarships as essential for preparing the county for future elections. Following the funding freeze, a screenshot from Gilzean's team surfaced—a screenshot, revealed by an email sent to the comptroller's office, purported to showcase the requested financial documents. The comptroller later stated that large file sizes caused these emails to bounce back, as reported by WESH.
Mayor Jerry Demings, backed by the comptroller's office, underscored the urgency for an audit of Gilzean's recent spending. Voicing the county's apprehension, Demings stated, "The alarms are there is what I'm saying to the public. For me, this isn't about the merits of what he's using the funds for." This sentiment mirrored the comptroller's call for transparency: "Mr. Supervisor, open the books. The people have a right to know how you're spending their money," Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond stated, according to a WESH report.
Gilzean's decision also affected personnel, as confirmed by the fact that the CFO of the elections office was one of three employees who lost their jobs last week, which only fanned the flames of the dispute with county officials. Karen Castor Dentel, the incoming supervisor of elections, has already mapped out her approach to the rocky transition, stating to WESH, "If anyone was let go unfairly during the interim, I will likely bring them back." Dentel further emphasized her intent to review current commitments, including the controversial scholarship funds, and explore possibilities for expanding early voting sites in conjunction with Valencia College.
