From Staff Reports
In Summary:
Apopka City Commissioner Nadia Anderson accused fellow commissioner and mayoral candidate Nick Nesta of secretly assisting in drafting a lawsuit that challenges her residency and eligibility to serve on the City Council. Anderson said emails show Nesta helped prepare the complaint before it was filed, calling the effort part of a coordinated attempt to remove her from office. The allegations were made during a City Council meeting just days before Apopka voters head to the polls to choose their next mayor.
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Apopka City Commissioner Nadia Anderson publicly accused fellow commissioner and mayoral candidate Nick Nesta of secretly helping draft a lawsuit challenging her residency and coordinating efforts to remove her from office. Anderson made the allegations during the City Commission Reports section of Wednesday’s Apopka City Council meeting, describing what she called a coordinated effort to undermine her and other women connected to city government.
It was the second time Anderson referenced the issue in the last three meetings.
“What has unfolded appears to be a coordinated effort to undermine the will of the voters,” Anderson said. “An effort that I believe has been led and assisted by a sitting commissioner, Nick Nesta.”
The accusations come in the final days before Apopka voters choose their next mayor. Nesta is competing against Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore and incumbent Mayor Bryan Nelson in the city’s municipal election.
The dispute centers on a 2025 lawsuit filed by attorney Bill McLeod challenging Anderson’s residency and her eligibility to serve on the City Council. Under the Apopka City Charter, commissioners must live within the district they represent while in office.
According to court records, a judge in the Ninth Judicial Circuit dismissed the lawsuit earlier this week after determining that the City of Apopka had not been named as a defendant. Anderson said the lawsuit was refiled less than a day later, this time naming the city as a defendant.
“On March 2, the judge granted my motion to dismiss,” Anderson said. “Less than 24 hours later, the lawsuit was refiled.”
McLeod denied Nesta's involvement in the lawsuit.
"FYI. This is to everyone who reads this. This is Bill McLeod," he posted on his personal Facebook page. "I want to clear up the misunderstanding. Mr. Nesta and I have never discussed the lawsuit against Ms. Anderson. Either before it was filed or since."
During the meeting, Anderson said she obtained emails that she believes show Nesta assisting with drafting the complaint months before the lawsuit was filed.
She said one message from January 2024 — sent from an email address she associated with Nesta — included comments on a draft complaint and instructed recipients not to disclose the sender’s involvement.
Anderson was a candidate for office at that time, but not a sitting commissioner.
Anderson also referenced additional emails she said showed communication between the individuals involved and the McLeod Law Firm regarding preparation of the legal filing and the fee required to initiate the case.
“These communications show coordination between a sitting commissioner and the current plaintiff who is suing me,” Anderson said.
She added that one person involved in the effort later contacted her, acknowledged their role in the situation, and apologized.
The residency lawsuit alleges that Anderson lives at a Falcon Hill Drive address outside the Apopka city limits, citing documents that list that address.
Anderson said the same address was also referenced in a complaint filed with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation regarding her real estate license.
According to Anderson, the complaint alleged the Falcon Hill address listed on her professional license was inaccurate.
She said the two complaints rely on contradictory claims about where she lives.
“It cannot be both ways,” Anderson said.
She also questioned why her professional license had been targeted.
“What does my real estate license have to do with my service as a commissioner?” Anderson said.
She argued that attempts to revoke the license would not affect city governance but could threaten her livelihood.
“What it would do is harm my livelihood and attempt to financially cripple me,” she said.
Anderson also accused Nesta of a broader pattern of conduct targeting women.
She cited previous conflicts involving Mayor Bryan Nelson’s wife, Debbie Nelson, Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore, and Apopka Finance Director Blanche Sherman. According to Anderson, those incidents involved complaints, calls to law enforcement, and confrontations that she said were intended to intimidate.
“This pattern is deeply concerning,” Anderson said. “It reflects behavior aimed not at policy disagreements, which are normal in governance, but intimidation and personal distraction.”
Anderson concluded her remarks by addressing Nesta directly and urging him to stop what she described as ongoing harassment.
“I’m asking you publicly to please stop the secret harassment, respect the will of the voters, and allow the council to focus on the work the people elected us to do,” she said.
Nesta did not respond during the meeting, but did text a brief statement to The Apopka Voice the next day.
"Good Morning. Thank you for reaching out. As the City of Apopka is named in the lawsuit, it would not be appropriate for me, as an elected official, to comment on or make statements regarding pending litigation at this time. I appreciate the opportunity to respond and your understanding. Best regards, Commissioner Nick Nesta."
Anderson was first elected to the City Council in March 2024.
Key Points:
- Apopka City Commissioner Nadia Anderson accused fellow Commissioner and mayoral candidate Nick Nesta of secretly helping draft a lawsuit challenging her residency and eligibility to serve on the City Council.
- Anderson said emails show Nesta assisted in preparing the legal complaint months before the lawsuit was filed.
- A judge in the Ninth Judicial Circuit dismissed the original lawsuit earlier this week because the City of Apopka was not included as a necessary party.
- Anderson said the lawsuit was refiled less than 24 hours later, this time naming the City as a defendant.
- The allegations surfaced during a City Council meeting just days before Apopka voters will choose their next mayor in a race featuring Nesta, Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore, and incumbent Mayor Bryan Nelson.
