KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Kissimmee Vice Mayor Angela Eady will take over some mayoral duties following Mayor Jackie Espinosa’s arrest on grand theft and fraud charges.
However, Espinosa will stay on the job – at least for now because she hasn’t resigned, been suspended, or removed from office, as per the Kissimmee City Charter.
“I believe she should resign for the good of the city before she is removed by the governor,” said Claudia Zuco, a Kissimmee resident and longtime critic of Espinosa.
The embattled mayor was arrested Wednesday morning after months of investigations and impeachment inquiries into whether she broke the law by allowing her family businesses to receive COVID-relief money through “Boost 2.0,” a city program she helped create. She was taken into custody by FDLE agents.
Vice Mayor Eady will fill in for Espinosa at City Commission Meetings and ceremonial events, officials said.
Zuco filed an open records request into Espinosa’s handling of COVID-19 relief money. Channel 9 Investigates had been looking into the same claims for over a year. “Let’s keep in mind the mayor is innocent until proven guilty,” said Zuco. “Do I think there’s substantial evidence against her having been one of the people to discover that evidence? Yes, I do.”
In a statement, Espinosa’s attorney said, “The prosecution must establish that the mayor acted with criminal intent. We firmly maintain that she did not. We intend to challenge these allegations vigorously in court. Mayor Espinosa deserves the presumption of innocence, not a presumption of guilt because she has been arrested. “
Channel 9 reached out to all four Kissimmee commissioners for a comment.
A spokeswoman said the city services will continue as normal, as will the day-to-day operations under City Manager Mike Steigerwald. Steigerwald has also authorized an investigation into the “Boost 2.0” program. The investigation will focus on how the program came to be and whether the proper procedures and policies were followed.
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