OCOEE, Fla. – A former city commissioner is now in the running as the result of litigation for his previous seat after being denied by the city.
“I stand before you today as a qualified candidate for Ocoee District 4 candidate for election,” former City Commissioner George Oliver III said.
Oliver, in a news briefing surrounded by lawmakers, community leaders, and representatives, celebrated a win Friday after an Orange County judge ruled in his favor this past Thursday.
The former Ocoee District 4 commissioner filed a lawsuit against the city’s clerk and supervisor of elections last month after being told he couldn’t run for office, saying he didn’t qualify.
“The 4 out of 5 elected officials contended that the city charter for section C17 does not allow a commissioner who vacated his seat and to possibly succeed him or herself,” Oliver said.
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It’s the word “succeed” that Oliver says started a dispute between himself and the city. The former commissioner left his seat this past January to run for Mayor earlier this year.
He left his seat to be in accordance with the state’s “Resign to Run” law.
Oliver didn’t win against incumbent Mayor Rusty Johnson, but in the lawsuit, you can see Oliver’s claims of the city going back and forth on when to hold a special election for Oliver’s vacant seat.
At one point, a special election was supposed to be held in June, but it was then changed to a general special election to be held in March of 2024.
The lawsuit also points to Mayor Rusty Johnson and another city commissioner who wanted to block Oliver from running, saying he couldn’t run for his previous seat after losing the mayoral election.
In the lawsuit, Oliver and his legal counsel argued the city’s charter was misinterpreted when a city attorney denied him the right to run in the special election.
The former commissioner also argues that after he lost the mayoral election, he still qualified to run for his former spot because he met all requirements and was a regular citizen once Mayor Johnson took office.
“The newly elected city attorney, when he reads the word ‘successor,’ it needs two people. Therefore, Commissioner Oliver can not succeed himself,” Oliver said in the briefing.
News 6′s Brian Didlake attended the briefing and asked, “During these court proceedings, was there given any rhyme or reason on why we saw these dates change for the special election?”
“They didn’t give any rhyme or reason. Their argument had really nothing to do while we were there, we were there because I was a qualified candidate,” Oliver replied.
Multiple residents who attended or were invited to speak at the media briefing agreed with Oliver.
“I’m afraid as a citizen to know that they can move in such a manner of disrespect, disregard to all of us as citizens,” one woman said.
“If the city decides to appeal, they’re spending my tax dollars to deny me and 8,999 neighbors of mine the opportunity not to vote,” Timothy Ayers, an Ocoee resident with the Orange County Black Caucus, said.
News 6 asked Oliver since the ruling whether he had heard from the city hall or the city’s mayor.
“No, I was at city hall this morning as I qualified as a candidate but I have not had any official statement from the city,” he said.
News 6 also reached out to the mayor and all parties of the city commission for comment and is awaiting response.
“I think we are headed in the right direction through that ruling, and now it’s time to get out and knock on those doors and do what I do best,” Oliver said.
The full lawsuit has been attached to this story and can be read in the media viewer below.
City of Ocoee Lawsuit by Anthony Talcott on Scribd