ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Fire Chief Anthony Rios has resigned, just weeks after coming under fire for giving what county leaders called a misleading answer during a county budget hearing.
Rios submitted his resignation Tuesday and will step down effective Friday, ending a 26-year career with Orange County Fire Rescue, including just over a year as fire chief.
The controversy began during a July budget workshop when Commissioner Mayra Uribe questioned Rios about the department’s vehicle purchases.
RELATED: Orange County fire chief resigns after questions over county vehicle
When asked directly, “Don’t you have a new car too?” Rios replied, “I do not.”
However, public records obtained by WFTV show the county had purchased a new Ford Expedition assigned to the fire chief.
The day after the meeting, Rios sent Uribe a letter explaining what happened. He said he believed the commissioner was asking about how the department budgets for its fleet, not whether he had personally been assigned a new vehicle.
In the letter, Rios outlined the county’s vehicle replacement process, explaining that light-duty vehicles are replaced under a county policy based on age, mileage and maintenance costs. He said the Expedition assigned to him was part of that replacement plan and had been approved through the county’s normal procurement process.
Rios also noted that the SUV had not yet been placed into service and that Fleet Management had not turned over the vehicle for use.
Still, the explanation did little to ease commissioners’ concerns.
“I asked him point blank, did you get a new car? And he said no,” Uribe told Channel 9 on Tuesday. “I’m still shell-shocked. I’m disappointed because this wasn’t a gotcha moment.”
Uribe called the situation unfortunate, saying Rios had built a strong reputation during his career but made the wrong decision by not being truthful during a public budget presentation.
In his resignation letter, Rios acknowledged the controversy.
“Although the purchase complied with all county procurement policies and procedures, my response did not fully communicate the complete context and, as a result, could only be perceived as inaccurate,” Rios wrote.
“Throughout my career, I have sought to lead with accountability, transparency, and integrity,” he continued. “Those values have guided every decision I have made, and they continue to guide this one.”
Deputy Chief John Westmoreland has been named interim fire chief.
The Orange County Fire Fighters Association said the resignation surprised the union and many members of Orange County Fire Rescue.
“We do not have any additional information regarding the circumstances of his resignation and will not speculate on reports or information that has not been confirmed,” the union said. “During his time as Fire Chief, Chief Rios maintained open communication with our organization, and we appreciate the opportunities we had to work together on behalf of the Department and its members.”
The union also wished Rios and his family well.
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