ORANGE CITY, Fla. — Two Orange City council members have resigned from office after a new Florida law went into effect on Jan. 1, that required them to file a public financial disclosure with the state. 

What You Need To Know

  • Orange City council member and vice mayor Bill O’Connor and Orange City council member Casandra Jones both resigned from office on Dec. 29

  • They cited privacy concerns over a new state law went into effect and required them to file a public financial disclosure 

  • The city charter states they have 45 days from the day of vacancy to make an appointment, giving them until Monday, Feb. 12 to fill those positions

  • The Orange County council will meet on Jan. 9 to discuss how to proceed with filling the two vacancies

Orange City council member and vice mayor Bill O’Connor and Orange City council member Casandra Jones both cited privacy concerns when they resigned from office on Dec. 29

“The rules of engagement simply changed on them, sort of like in a poker game when suddenly the ante goes up," Orange City city manager Dale Arrington said. "Either you're in for the higher amount of information that needed to be let loose to the public, or you needed to step out."

Florida State Senator Jason Broduer sponsored Senate Bill 774, which is titled "Ethics Requirements for Public Officials." It was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis on May 11, 2023.

The new law requires that all mayors and elected members of a municipal governing body disclose "each separate source and amount of income which exceeds $1,000."

Arrington said the resignations came as officials learned what they would now be required to disclose to the public.

“It’s my privacy," O'Connor said. "It’s difficult to put my family in a position like that, that everything we own over $1,000 is now available for the general public... For the $10,000 I made a year as a councilman. It wasn’t worth it."

O’Connor, who said he had been with the city for seven years and was planning to run for mayor, said his resignation was not popular with his constituents.

“I’ll be honest with you, the residents of Orange City, everybody I’ve talked to since I resigned, or they found out I resigned, are absolutely livid," he said.

Jones works as a teacher and was elected to a four-year term in 2022.

“We all knew this was coming, but we didn't really understand the level of the disclosure,” Jones said.

After looking at the forms she would need to fill out, and after talking to the city clerk about the forms' “granular nature," Jones said she decided to resign.

“It just didn't sit well with me — for safety reasons and also just privacy reasons," she said. "So, I felt it was very intrusive. I am a humble person. I don't really like people to know everything about me."

Due to the resignations, 30% of Orange City’s representation will be appointees, not elected officials.

The city charter states they have 45 days from the day of a vacancy to make an appointment, which means the city has until Feb. 12 to fill the empty seats.

“I believe our city council, those remaining, will go through a very in-depth applicant review and screening process to make sure that they find the best person willing to devote the time and energy to the job,” Arrington said.

She said the next step in the process will be for the council to meet on Jan. 9 to discuss how to proceed with filling the two vacancies. They will present a timeframe and application to be filled out by the applicants, followed by a special meeting to interview and select candidates for the position. 

One of the vacancies is for an at-large seat, for which all city residents can apply. The other vacancy is for District 1, which means that only residents who live within the district's boundaries will be eligible for consideration.

This new law is impacting several local governments across the state. In Pinellas County, at least eight officials are leaving their post over new financial disclosure requirements.

Also in Volusia County, two Daytona Beach Shores city commissioners resigned before the law went into effect. Commissioners Mel Lindauer and Richard Bryan, who have both served since 2016, turned in their resignations in late December.