Orange County is witnessing a potential legal showdown, with Mayor Jerry Demings weighing the option to sue the Supervisor of Elections Office over the allocation of surplus funds. To promote civic engagement and boost voter turnout in underserved areas, Election Supervisor Glen Gilzean plans to redirect $2.1 million into college scholarships, as reported by
My News 13
. Dubbed the “Orange County Promise of the Future Scholarship,” it aims to assist students from Jones High and Evans High Schools, also requiring them to pre-register to vote and volunteer at election offices or polling places.
The scholarships are part of an initiative to address civic involvement and voter participation in so-called “voting deserts.” Gilzean was quoted by
My News 13
as stating his belief in this approach: “I truly believe that is the best form of investing taxpayer money, and I will never back down from that.” However, this bold move has prompted Mayor Demings to seriously consider challenging the decision, intensifying concerns around the appropriate use of taxpayer dollars earmarked for election purposes.
The disagreement stems from the commonly accepted process of returning leftover election funds to the county’s coffer for general use. According to
WESH
, whereas financial officials had anticipated a return of $800,000, they received a brief $688,542 instead. Demings’ contention lies in the legally codified duties of constitutional officers like the elections supervisor, who are expected not to deviate from their designated fiscal responsibilities.
“They all have very specific, codified purposes in both the county charter as well as Florida law,” Demings stated, per
WESH
. “We want them to stay within that framework and not venture out and take money that we provide to them for one thing, and they use it for something totally different. That’s not appropriate.” The mayor is set to consult with the county’s legal team and comptroller, followed by discussions with county commissioners to resolve whether to obstruct the scholarships via a lawsuit.
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