Ocoee codifies rule against using city hall commission chambers for personal politics

In a bit of housekeeping, the Ocoee City Commission voted Tuesday to pass a rule that puts city hall's commission chambers off limits for political activity other than forums for all candidates.

“The idea is to protect the city's neutrality with respect to political campaigns,” explained City Attorney Rick Geller. “We want to avoid any false or misleading impressions that the city is endorsing or is somehow behind any particular candidate. So the commission chambers should be off limits for campaigns.”

That rule — one of seven rules and procedures unanimously adopted — is a reaction to former District 4 Commissioner George Oliver III’s 2023 mayoral campaign. During that campaign, Oliver, who vacated his commission seat with two years remaining, recorded a video inside the commission chambers that announced his campaign and asked supporters to donate to his campaign.

Florida Statute 106.15 prohibits soliciting campaign donations in government buildings, like city hall. It states: No person shall make and no person shall solicit or knowingly accept any political contribution in a building owned by a governmental entity. Doing so is a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail.

Oliver initially told VoxPopuli that he was unaware that requesting campaign donations from city hall was a violation of campaign finance law and that he would take the video down. Oliver posted his video to his YouTube channel on Dec. 26, 2022. On Jan. 3, 2023, VoxPopuli sent a text, asking if he planned  to run for mayor. Oliver replied that he’d made his announcement and included a video link called Announcement from George Oliver III. At the beginning of the video, he asks recipients not to share the video or post it on social media.

Oliver denied sending it to anyone but VoxPopuli, even though there were 51 views as of Jan. 4. Oliver attributed that to people seeking out the video on his YouTube channel rather than receiving a link to watch it.

“One of the reasons why I'm sitting in this seat is because somebody used these seats for um, in personal gain, and I didn't like it," noted Commissioner Ages Hart, who has represented District 4 since April and will cede the seat to the winner of the March 19 special election. "These seats, these chambers belong to the People. It should only be used for the best interest of the citizens of Ocoee. End of story.”

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