TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Today, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 24-63, suspending City Commissioner for the City of Orlando, Regina Hill, in accordance with the Florida Constitution and sections 112.51(1) and 112.51(2), Florida Statutes.
On March 27, 2024, Regina Hill was indicted in the Circuit Court of the Ninth Judicial Circuit in and for Orange County on three counts of Exploitation of Elderly Person or Disabled Person Greater than $50,000, one count of Scheme to Defraud of $50,000 or More, one count of Fraudulent Use of Personal Identification Over $100,000, and one count of Mortgage Fraud Greater than $100,000.
Article IV, section 7(c) of the Florida Constitution states: "[b]y order of the governor any elected municipal officer indicted for crime may be suspended from office until acquitted and the office filled by appointment for the period of suspension, not to extend beyond the term, unless these powers are vested elsewhere by law or the municipal charter."
Section 112.51(1), Florida Statutes, provides that the Governor may suspend from office any elected municipal officer for malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, habitual drunkenness, incompetence, or permanent inability to perform official duties.
Section 112.51(2), Florida Statutes, provides that the Governor may suspend from office any elected municipal officer who is indicted or informed against for the commission of a state felony or misdemeanor.
For a PDF copy of Executive Order 24-63, click here.