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Greenspoon Marder Wins Suit on Behalf of Orange County Property Appraiser, Rick Singh
The suit filed against Orange County and the County Commission alleged they had violated the law by enacting provisions making elections nonpartisan for constitutional officers.
Orlando , FL – May 31, 2016 –The ruling on May 26th by a 9th Judicial Circuit Judge reaffirming that Orange County constitutional officers must run in partisan elections, represents a major victory for Orange County residents and Property Appraiser Rick Singh. He was represented by Greenspoon Marder’s co-founder Michael Marder. The ruling was in response to a suit brought by Greenspoon Marder on behalf of Singh, which charged that Orange County acted outside its authority when it asked voters in 2014 to make constitutional offices nonpartisan. It also asked voters to impose term limits. Orange County Tax Collector, Scott Randolph, and Orange County Sheriff, Jerry Demings, joined the action on similar grounds; however, Judge White ruled earlier in the case that the Plaintiffs, in their positions as constitutional officers, lacked standing to purse the claims. Thereafter, Singh and Randolph joined the action in their individual capacities. Circuit Court Judge Keith White agreed with Singh and Randolph, reaffirming that constitutional officers in Orange County will continue to run under party affiliations.
“Unless the order is stayed, this ruling means that the upcoming election for Property Appraiser, Tax Collector, Sheriff, Clerk of Court and Supervisor of Elections will be held as partisan elections, and reaffirms the importance of keeping local governing in check,” said Marder.
Greenspoon Marder filed the suit after the charter amendment was approved in 2014. The amendment, supported and pushed to pass by the Mayor, originated as an initiative of County Commissioner Scott Boyd. He had expressed interest in running for Singh’s post.
“This was not the will of the people,” Singh said. “The turnout was terribly low and there was such a concerted effort to misguide and misinform voters on this issue. It is a great day for democracy and the residents of Orange County when our legal system validates what we have been saying all along: that this was wrong.”
The judge did rule that term limits will stand.