By Reggie Connell, Managing Editor
Dennis New, the Chairman of the Recall Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson Committee, and his team of volunteers are nearing the finish line of a 30-day journey. Their goal is to collect enough signed petitions by registered Apopka voters to move on to the next stage of the recall. According to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections (SOE) website, there are 35,243 registered voters in Apopka as of the 2022 election. In order to move to the next stage of the recall, the committee would need 1,762.15 signed petitions (5%).
If he gets that amount, New will deliver them to Apopka City Clerk Susan Bone on May 18th. Bone will then deliver them to SOE Bill Cowles for an official count.
According to New, the committee received 3,500 blank petitions from the SOE to be signed. As of May 15th, they have distributed 2,000 to Apopka voters and have approximately 1,500 signed and in hand. Therefore to qualify for stage two, they need at least 263 petitions to be returned on or before May 18th.
If they make it to stage two, the task becomes more daunting. The committee will have 60 days to collect 15% of Apopka voters' signatures on petitions - which is 5,286.45.
But for New, this effort, however difficult, is to save the city he loves.
"My quest is to help make people realize the issues within the city and save the city from ruin," New said.
He also wanted to make it clear that if they do not receive enough petitions for the first stage, he will not turn them in, and therefore they won't become a matter of public record.
"If the number is not met, many people are concerned about retaliation from the city," he said. "In that case, all the signed petitions will be destroyed and not turned in."
According to the petition, the reasons the committee cited for recalling Nelson are:
- STATEMENT OF GROUNDS FOR RECALL
We, the electors of the City of Apopka, recall Mayor Bryan Nelson due to Malfeasance, Misfeasance, and Incompetence. Bryan Nelson lied about- 1) Serving as Mayor for half salary; 2) Firing the former Fire Chief; 3) Firing long term employees who disagree with him, or who supported his former political opponent; 4) new Affordable Housing Development in the City Center; 5) the death of a young firefighter, and the safety committee that was supposed to investigate same; 6) the water quality, backflow preventers and the fine assessed by Fla. DEP; 7) Encourages City employees to withhold public records; He refuses to hold anyone accountable for the death of Austin Duran; continues to reward those responsible for the lack of proper training for firefighters; manipulated a city council election; continues to involve himself in the Rock Springs Ridge matter; refuses to properly fund or provide for first responders; uses City Resources to punish those that oppose or question him; argues against hiring needed first responders; Ignores the council and the public; permits employees to disrespect members of the public and the council; ignores provisions of the charter; wants to be dictator."
Nelson responded to the recall's allegations in a May 5th statement.
“There’s a whole lot of issues that he’s not taking any action on, so it’s time to find honest leadership for our city,” said New.
