9 Investigates: Orange County to address county Skybox tickets after questions arise on donations

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — On Tuesday, Oct. 29, the Orange County Commission will address how commissioners and staff can utilize donated Skybox tickets.

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According to the upcoming agenda, the county will seek “Approval of the revised Skybox Ticket Information and Distribution Process Internal Operating Procedures.”

In an “Interoffice Memorandum” sent to commissioners on Oct. 23, the county alerted staff to a revised Skybox ticket policy.

SUBJECT: Skybox Ticket Information and Distribution Process Internal Operating Procedures - Revised

ACTION REQUESTED: Approval of the revised Skybox Ticket Information and Distribution Process Internal Operating Procedures.

PURPOSE: Following recent news stories about the Orange County Skybox ticket distribution process, I have conducted a thorough review of the County’s internal operating procedures, along with the County Attorney’s Office and the Comptroller’s Office. The attached document incorporates the suggested revisions, all of which aim to ensure compliance and improve transparency in the ticket distribution process. The revisions include but are not limited to:

• Members of the Orange County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) shall not donate tickets to nonprofit entities or other entities in which a “Relative,” as defined by F.S. 112.3135, is an officer, director, member, or principal of the nonprofit entity or other entities.

• If the BCC member is serving in their official capacity with specific duties or recognition during the event, they may receive a ticket for the event without cost to the member. It is expected that BCC members may act in their official capacity as ambassadors on behalf of the County for special events at Orlando venues, this does not include merely being a spectator.

• Board members and County employees are prohibited from obtaining free tickets from nonprofits that obtain County donated tickets for admittance to Orlando venues.

• On behalf of the County, the Mayor/Commissioners can only donate tickets to the same nonprofit organization twice per calendar year.

• Prior to the transfer of tickets, organizations will be verified through the IRS.gov website to ensure that the nonprofit’s 501(c)(3) status has not been revoked. The updated procedures are intended to tighten the existing process and provide guidance to the Commission. Their purpose is to prevent any appearance of impropriety and ensure that the Skybox tickets, which are intended to uplift local nonprofit agencies are used for the overall benefit of the community.

—  Interoffice Memorandum

In September, Channel 9′s Ashlyn Webb checked into Orange County commissioner Mayra Uribe’s donations of hundreds of free county skybox tickets to her husband’s charity, All Star Dads.

Channel 9 looked through two and a half years’ worth of records showing who Orange County Commissioners are donating their tickets to. These tickets are for the Orange County Skybox at Camping World Stadium and the Kia Center. Many commissioners give them out to various nonprofits.

However, there is a constant trend of Commissioner Mayra Uribe giving hundreds of tickets to All Star Dads run by Kevin Sutton.

Just looking at January to July of this year, records show Uribe gave more than 160 tickets to All-Star Dads. The charity received about 30 percent of her tickets during that seven-month time frame.

WATCH THE ORIGINAL REPORT:

Records show Commissioner Uribe donated hundreds of free County Skybox tickets to husband’s charity 9 Investigates reported last month that the Florida Ethics Commission is investigating District Three Commissioner Mayra Uribe after a constituent submitted a c (WFTV)

WFTV Channel 9′s Shannon Butler reached out to Commissioner Uribe’s office for an updated statement. They directed us to the previous reporting, saying, “Commissioner Uribe has donated and continues to donate to nonprofit organizations.”

The office did not answer other questions, such as whether she profited from the Skybox tickets.

WFTV has reached out to all commissioners for their comments on the proposed change.

The next Orange County Commission meeting is on Tuesday, Oct. 29, starting at 9 a.m.

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