ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A smiling Karen Castor Dentel entered the Orange County Supervisor of Elections office for the first time as its new leader Tuesday and quickly got to work turning things around.
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Within hours, auditors with the Orange County Comptroller scoured the building, calculating every piece of equipment and dollar on hand as they surveyed what remained from the tumultuous ending of Glen Gilzean’s short-lived tenure.
“We’re going to be working with the different banks,” Castor Dentel said. “We’re going to look at the different checks that have been written, so we’re still trying to uncover where we are financially.”
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Castor Dentel promised both accountability and stability. She made no commitments to staff, saying her team was evaluating the office’s position.
She faces a potentially daunting few months ahead. By auditor’s accounts, Gilzean spent half of the office’s budget, which included a million dollars in grants to local nonprofits that commissioners did not budget for.
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County leaders believe Castor Dentel has been left with barely enough money to cover her monthly payroll, which could signal cuts ahead as her team sweeps any remaining signs of her predecessor out of the building.
“Today makes a fresh start for responsible leadership,” she said.
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She also vowed to return as much of the $5 million in scholarships and grants handed out by Gilzean to the county – though she stopped short of saying every cent would be returned, instead promising to work with recipients to find a path forward.
“We remain optimistic that we will find the office in proper order, and if it’s not, then someone’s going to be held accountable for that,” Mayor Jerry Demings said, “Whether that is in the court of public opinion or in the court of law.”
The audit of the office is expected to take several days to complete.
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