Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday issued an executive order suspending Orlando District 5 Commissioner Regina Hill, following Hill’s arrest last week.
Hill was arrested Thursday after a grand jury indicted her on seven charges, including three counts of elderly abuse and four counts of fraud. She pleaded not guilty at a hearing last week.
An investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) alleges Hill mistreated one of her constituents, a 96-year-old woman, for whom Hill obtained power of attorney. Hill allegedly spent more than $100,000 of the woman’s money on herself, according to FDLE’s investigation.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said Monday he hopes to hold a special election for Hill’s open seat May 21. Whoever wins that special election will assume the role of District 5 Commissioner temporarily, until after Hill’s criminal case is resolved.
At Monday’s city council meeting, 28-year-old Michael Lincoln-McCreight addressed commissioners, at times becoming emotional as he explained he was himself formerly a victim of guardianship abuse in Florida.
“This is not fair to the disability community: that one of our very own commissioners, that we actually looked up to — that actually said that she was one of the biggest supporters of the disability community — would even do something like this,” Lincoln-McCreight said. “It breaks my heart.”
Now, Lincoln-McCreight says a bill he championed to support people with developmental disabilities is en route to the governor’s desk, after passing both houses of the Florida Legislature this year.
House Bill 73: Supported Decisionmaking Authority establishes a supportive decision making agreement as a type of power of attorney. The bill authorizes a supporter to help someone with developmental disabilities communicate and make decisions, without binding the person with disabilities to any action taken by the supporter.
Hill has been District 5’s city commissioner since 2013, representing constituents in the neighborhoods of Parramore, Rock Lake, Ivey Lane and the Mercy Drive corridor.
