Gabrielle Russon
CareerSource Central Florida has returned $1.9 million back to the county government and canceled a contract with Election Supervisor Glen Gilzean that has infuriated Mayor Jerry Demings.
“The monies rightfully belong to the taxpayers of Orange County,” Orange County said in a statement, thanking CareerSource “for doing the right thing.”
“The Board of County Commissioners will determine in the near future how these monies could be utilized, in a way that will make the most sense for the residents of Orange County.
Meanwhile, Gilzean issued a blistering statement of his own, accusing Demings and some Commissioners of going “on a partisan witch hunt to skewer a political opponent.” Demings is a Democrat, while Gilzean, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, is a Republican and is finishing the final seven weeks of his term.
“Unlike the Mayor, I am not running for office. I have no one to pander to, no backroom deals to uphold, and no need to stick my neck out except to do something good with the opportunity I’ve been given to help people,” Gilzean said Friday. “I am proud of the work our office has done and proud to stand up for my community.”
Valencia College did not respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon about whether it is returning the $2.1 million.
“Although it would be disappointing if students do not have access to these scholarships, if Orange County asks for the return of the funds, Valencia will return the $2.1 million contribution,” Valencia College President Kathleen Plinske said in a statement a week earlier.
The feud between Gilzean and Demings began after Gilzean spent $2.1 million for student scholarships, originally named after himself, and $1.9 million in career training for CareerSource to help train some of the temp workers who helped run the county’s elections this year and were going to be out of jobs.
Demings argued it was an improper use of taxpayer dollars and that Gilzean should have automatically returned the surpluses to the county government general fund. Gilzean didn’t have proper oversight from the county since the county hadn’t been aware of the spending in the 2023-24 budget originally set by former Elections Supervisor Bill Cowles before he stepped down mid-term.
Gilzean, on the other hand, continues to defend his initiatives. He said as a constitutional officer, he has the power to make spending decisions after his Office saved money both by making changes and because there was no Democratic Presidential Primary.
“The County’s threats to use taxpayer resources to sue our office show a poor understanding of Florida law and an insistence on pursuing lawfare as a function of the government. The facts in this case are simple,” Gilzean said Friday as he issued a legal memo claiming he was in the right.
“First, the County has no authority over certain expenditures. Second, I engaged Valencia College to increase voter education, engagement, and registration. The added benefit of this contract is the direct impact it has on helping low-income communities improve their lives through access to educational scholarships, a hallmark of conservative governance.”
The situation boiled up Tuesday when Demings and Commissioners spoke about the issue for the first time publicly at their regular meeting. Saying they wanted their money back, some Commissioners expressed concerns they needed to take legal action to make sure Gilzean hasn’t spent more money on non-elections expenses, while others urged Demings to talk to Gilzean or Valencia and CareerSource directly to get money back without having to sue.
Brandon Bryan, 17, says his fellow high school students are the ones caught in the middle of the Demings-Gilzean fight.
“Personally, I think that funding a scholarship is a perfect use of taxpayer money,” said Bryan, a Jones High School student who volunteered through Gilzean’s Office to work a precinct on Election Day. “Funding schools, funding students is always the best decision you can make. It’s the best use of any tax money. It’s something you can actually see.”
But Bryan said he hopes the two sides reach a compromise if the scholarships weren’t vetted through the proper channels and get canceled.
“I hope students can go to school and not have to pay tons of money out of pocket,” Bryan said.
Following the controversy is a good lesson for Bryan. He wants to go into politics someday.
