OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — The Kissimmee City Council fired City Attorney Olga Sanchez de Fuentes during a public meeting Tuesday night following accusations of wasting millions of dollars in taxpayer money.
The mayor accused Fuentes of being unresponsive and cited failures in legal judgment and ethical concerns as reasons for the termination.
The council’s decision followed allegations that the city overcharged taxpayers $6.2 million over the past 10 years.
While Fuentes was given the opportunity to resign before the vote, she declined to do so because her contract would have required her to forfeit her severance pay.
The mayor of Kissimmee stated that performance issues regarding the city attorney had been a long-standing concern. “Ever since I got elected, I’ve had ongoing concerns regarding the capability, the judgment, the responsiveness and the overall work product of our city attorney,” the mayor said during the meeting.
A primary reason cited for the firing involved the city’s budget and the handling of taxpayer funds over the last decade.
The mayor claimed that financial records showed the city had collected more than was necessary from residents. “In the past 10 years, we have overstated, in otherwords, we have overcharged taxpayers $6.2 million,” the mayor said.
Fuentes defended her tenure, noting that she has only served as the city attorney since 2021. She stated that the $6.2 million mentioned by the mayor remains in the city’s general fund.
When the mayor noted a request for her resignation during the meeting, Fuentes explained why she refused to step down voluntarily. “I can’t resign under my contract, you know it forfeits my severance,” Fuentes said.
Jackie Espinosa presented documents to the council outlining specific grievances, including allegations that Fuentes caused delays in police officer raises and was involved in media leaks.
Espinosa wrote that these matters represented a “sustained pattern of conduct” that exposed Kissimmee to legal, financial and reputational risks while undermining government integrity.
City Commissioner Janette Martinez, who was absent from the Tuesday night meeting, expressed surprise at the allegations.
Martinez said she was unaware of any performance issues prior to the vote and questioned the source of the research used to justify the firing. “This is the first time I am hearing that there were any issues with her,” Martinez said. “Who did these records come from? Who did the independent research? I don’t have any words.”
Martinez added that she would not have voted for the termination.
The city provided Channel 9 with the following statement:
“Following last night’s City Commission vote, city leadership is moving forward to ensure an orderly transition of legal responsibilities. Everyone at the City of Kissimmee remains focused on maintaining operations and continuity of services while continuing to serve residents and the community with reliability and excellence.
The City Manager has a plan outlined where he provided guidance to the Commissioners on what they need to do during the next commission meeting, which would also include appointing an Interim City Attorney and running a selection process for finding a new City Attorney."
The city attorney later responded to Channel 9, saying she has been advised by counsel not to comment.
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