- Commissioner Diane Velazquez sought to rescind her support for a policy advancing up to $5,000 in legal fees to elected officials, citing constituent opposition.
- Commissioner Nadia Anderson opposed reconsidering the policy, accusing Velazquez of succumbing to social media pressure rather than new facts.
- Anderson accused Commissioner Nick Nesta of conspiring with residents to draft a legal complaint against her.
The Apopka City Council descended into a heated debate Wednesday as a motion to reconsider a controversial legal fee policy sparked allegations of political cowardice, social media bullying, and internal “conspiracy” among elected officials.
During her council report, Commissioner Diane Velazquez motioned to reconsider a resolution that allows advancing up to $5,000 per case to elected officials facing civil or administrative proceedings related to their role in office. If the official loses the case or is not cleared, that person must pay the city back.
“I would like to rescind my initial vote on this,” Velazquez said. “The reason for it is that the public — and I have very strong support from different constituents — have all asked me to reconsider my vote. They do not want city tax funds to pay for anyone’s — and that includes all of us — to pay upfront for legal fees.”…