The Orange County (FL) Supervisor of Elections is under fire for allegedly spending 51% of his annual budget only three months into the fiscal year, Fox 35 Orlando reports.
A report from the Orange County Commission claims Glen Gilzean spent close to three times the legal amount allowed in record time, which puts the newly elected supervisor in a tight spot.
The report also highlights Gilzean allegedly writing an illegal, unauthorized check worth $1.1 million to an agency in addition to checks totaling more than the Elections
Office had, over-drafting by $587,000. With plans for the County Commission to discuss the report and next steps at a hearing, the comptroller alleges Gilzean’s actions may violate Florida statutes.And that’s not all.
According to the Florida Politics, Gilzean is suing the office, claiming it has not paid him $957,000 due to the overspending and mismanagement allegations. He argues that withholding the money is illegal.
Gilzean’s attorney, Daniel Langley, claims his client has run out of funds to pay his employees and vendors.
“Unfortunately, what we
have seen is very disrespectful to the taxpayers, and I think it’s wrong,” Comptroller Phil Diamond said. “The biggest issue was, No. 1, he spent so much so early. No. 2, he spent a lot of money.”After a judge denied Gilzean’s push to rush the lawsuit proceed
ing, the Gov. Ron DeSantis-appointed supervisor aired his grievances on X. “Unfortunately, our office was put in this position due to lies told by the Mayor & an astonishing misunderstanding of elections by the Comptroller,” Gilzean wrote.“We will continue to fight in court and shine a light on the laws the county broke to score cheap political points using taxpayer dollars.”
The County Commission agreed to pay $250,000 directly to payroll management company ADP.
“Obviously, we are in a holiday season. We are a compassionate body,” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said. “We want to make certain that persons who deserve to get paid will get paid.”
This isn’t the first time Gilzean has been tied up in financial woes. During the 2023 fiscal year, he allegedly spent $2.1 million on student scholarships at Valencia College and $1.9 million on a career center’s job training. The funds were later returned, prompting outrage from the mayor and comptroller.
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