Gabrielle Russon
Orange County Commissioner Nicole Wilson has made powerful adversaries during her time in office.
She voted against a Disney World affordable housing project and is outspoken about freeing up some of the millions generated from Orange County’s tourist development tax to spend it on fixing the community’s problems — not just on tourism. It’s a position that Central Florida’s hospitality and tourism leaders are fiercely against.
She has also stood up against development, including a project to build a highway through Split Oak Forest.
Now, she has a challenger who has raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars and is trying to defeat her in the Aug. 20 Primary.
But Austin Arthur will be the first to admit, he has a history of mistakes.
Running a gym as a small-business owner, he racked up unpaid bills, got sued several times and had three federal tax liens against him, including one for $84,518. He also was arrested twice — although never charged with a crime — when he was in his 20s.
The Orange County Sheriff’s arrest report said a Disney Spring security guard accused Arthur of punching him in the face in 2009, but that hasn’t stopped Arthur from earning law enforcement endorsements in the County Commission race.
Arthur told Florida Politics that he knows he isn’t perfect, but what matters is that he has learned from his past.
Wilson said Arthur’s paper trail raises plenty of questions about his ability to lead in public office.
The real question: What will voters think?
The Arthur-Wilson showdown for the Orange County Commission District 1 seat will be on the Aug. 20 ballot and is one of the intriguing races to watch this election cycle. A County Commissioner gets paid $123,382 for 2024-25.
The District 1 contest is one of two Orange County Commission races on the ballot in the Primary.
Commissioner Mayra Uribe is up for re-election in District 6, but first she will get tested by term-limited Sen. Linda Stewart. Gus Martinez is also on the ballot in that race.
